Medical News

RSS

Small-town patients face big hurdles as rural hospitals cut cancer care

The night before her chemotherapy, Herlinda Sanchez sets out her clothes and checks that she has everything she needs: a blanket, medications, an iPad and chargers, a small Bible and rosary, fuzzy socks, and snacks for the road.

7 Aug 2024

Hospital discharges linked to higher MRSA risk for family members

Family members of patients recently discharged from the hospital may have a higher risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection, often called a superbug, even if the patient was not diagnosed with the same infection, suggesting hospitals play a role in the community spread of resistant bacteria, according to study in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

7 Aug 2024

New ear EEG earbuds monitor brain waves to combat workplace drowsiness

Everyone gets sleepy at work from time to time, especially after a big lunch. But for people whose jobs involve driving or working with heavy machinery, drowsiness can be extremely dangerous - if not outright deadly.

7 Aug 2024

The evolving nature of infant-caregiver communication

Compared to other mammals, human children are dependent on their caregivers for a remarkably long time. Throughout the ages, they have developed "psychological tactics" to endear themselves to adults and thus enhance their chances of survival. This prolonged dependency is believed to have driven the evolution of complex signaling mechanisms to help infants attract and maintain adult attention.

7 Aug 2024

Understanding the age gap in leukemia survival rates

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) affects both children and adults, but children have better chances to be cured, with long-term survival rates over 85% compared to 50-75% in adults. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital conducted a comprehensive study to understand the biological causes driving this difference. The work, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, provides a blueprint for understanding B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), the most common form of the disease.

7 Aug 2024

METRNL protein identified as key player in cancer progression

A protein called Meteorin-like (METRNL) in the tumor microenvironment saps energy from T cells, thereby severely limiting their ability to fight cancer, according to new research directed by investigators at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Finding ways to block the effects of METRNL signaling on tumor-infiltrating T cells may allow these immune cells to regain the energy necessary to eliminate tumors.

7 Aug 2024

Surgery improves long-term outcomes for T-OPLL

Thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (TOPLL) is a rare condition associated with ectopic bone formation in the thoracic spine.

7 Aug 2024

Study highlights the need for language services in cancer trials

Underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minority populations in cancer clinical trials persists partly because translation and interpretation services and resources are unavailable or inadequate in the United States, according to a Children's Oncology Group (COG) study led by Columbia University School of Nursing. The updated study was published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum on July 25, 2024, and will appear in the August 2024 journal issue.

7 Aug 2024

Study advances understanding of complex neurological disorder

To effectively treat a disease or disorder, doctors must first know the root cause. Such is the case for developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), whose root causes can be hugely complex and heterogeneous. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated the value of DNA methylation patterns for identifying the root cause of DEEs, showing specific gene methylation and genome-wide methylation "episignatures" can help identify the genes that cause DEE. The findings were published today in Nature Communications.

7 Aug 2024

Researchers uncover immune system barrier to cancer treatment

By recruiting the immune system to combat tumor cells, immunotherapy has improved survival rates, offering hope to millions of cancer patients. However, only about one in five people responds favorably to these treatments.

7 Aug 2024

Ending child poverty key to improving child health

Renewed efforts to reduce child poverty in England between now and 2033, such as removing the 2-child limit on child benefit, would significantly boost several aspects of child health and narrow health inequalities across the country, finds research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

7 Aug 2024

Artificial stone worktops pose serious health hazard

It may now be time to ban artificial stone - a firm favorite for kitchen worktops in the UK - to ward off the incurable lung disease caused by its manufacturing and fitting, say a team of doctors in the journal Thorax after treating the first 8 cases of artificial stone silicosis reported in the UK.

7 Aug 2024

Study uncovers roles of certain brain cells in Alzheimer's plaque formation

A study in Nature Neuroscience found that both neurons and oligodendrocytes contribute to amyloid-β plaque burden in Alzheimer's disease, highlighting new therapeutic targets.

7 Aug 2024

The interplay of liver cancer stem cells and immune cells in tumor microenvironment

The complex dynamics between liver cancer stem cells (CSCs) and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) are central to the progression of liver cancer. These interactions are critical in creating an immunosuppressive setting that significantly impacts the response to immunotherapy. Liver CSCs, responsible for tumor initiation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and recurrence, exhibit heterogeneity and are characterized by various surface markers that contribute to their stemness and metastatic potential.

7 Aug 2024

Online communities offer support but come with many risks, says new study

A review in Communications Psychology explores the motivations and diverse impacts of joining digital communities, highlighting both risks and opportunities for support and prevention.

6 Aug 2024

Yogurt with probiotics and honey boosts gut bacteria but no digestive or cognitive benefits

A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that yogurt with B. animalis and honey increases probiotic levels but doesn't affect digestion, cognition, or mood.

6 Aug 2024

Study reveals impact of climate change on enterovirus outbreaks

Outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which causes fever and rash in young children, typically occur in the summer months.

6 Aug 2024

Examining social and structural factors influencing obesity risk

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. It has been increasing among adults of all races and ethnicities over the last two decades; however, obesity is higher among Non-Hispanic Black adults, Hispanic adults, and American Indian or Alaska Native adults, than their White and Asian counterparts, according to the National Institutes of Health.

6 Aug 2024

Study uncovers how TREM2 R47H mutation affects Alzheimer's plaques

Researchers led by the University of California, Irvine have discovered how the TREM2 R47H genetic mutation causes certain brain areas to develop abnormal protein clumps, called beta-amyloid plaques, associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

6 Aug 2024