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Brain neurons that respond to sugar and fat offer new insights into obesity control

The study uncovers hippocampal neurons that differentially respond to sugars and fats, suggesting new avenues for combating obesity through targeted therapies.

17 Jan 2025

Tofacitinib reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in patients with PTPN2 deficiency

Researchers report the ability of tofacitinib to reduce infection risk with SARS-CoV-2 in individuals who are deficient in PTPN2.

17 Jan 2025

Triple-drug chemo fails to improve survival in advanced biliary tract cancer

The results of a clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that chemotherapy combining three different types of drugs did not improve overall survival for patients with advanced stage, inoperable biliary tract cancers.

17 Jan 2025

Swedish study demonstrates significant reduction in infant mortality after 41 weeks gestation

The proportion of babies dying before and during labor after 41 weeks of gestation has fallen by 47% in Sweden in a relatively short time. This is the result of a major national study. The reduction has occurred since the procedures around induction have changed.

17 Jan 2025

Unveiling the metabolic pathways of Fusobacterium nucleatum in OSCC

A recent study has made significant strides in uncovering how the oral microbiome, particularly the bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum, plays a crucial role in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). By identifying key interactions between this common oral bacterium and host cells, the research has unveiled important metabolic pathways and mechanisms that may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

17 Jan 2025

Study reveals high prevalence of Lyme disease bacteria in Northeast ticks

Across most of the Northeast, getting bitten by a blacklegged tick- also called a deer tick - is a risk during spring, summer, and fall. A new Dartmouth study, published in Parasites and Vectors, finds that 50% of adult blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease while 20% to 25% of the younger (nymph) blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria.

17 Jan 2025

New approach shows promise in fighting multiple cancers

The tissue adjacent to a tumor behaves differently than areas farther away: The tumor's cancerous cells influence their surroundings, blocking the body's immune defenses and creating a sort of haven in which the tumor can grow. Treatments that target some of these pro-tumor actions are effective in a number of cancers, but only for some patients; in others, these treatments have little effect.

17 Jan 2025

Oil-based solution enables room temperature storage of protein therapeutics

A new storage technique can keep protein-based drugs and vaccines stable without keeping them cold. The discovery, led by researchers at Penn State, could eliminate the need for refrigeration for hundreds of life-saving medicines like insulin, monoclonal antibodies and viral vaccines.

17 Jan 2025

Bidirectional movement drives DNA loop formation

Scientists from Delft, Vienna, and Lausanne discovered that the protein machines that shape our DNA can switch direction. Until now, researchers believed that these so-called SMC motors that make loops into DNA could move in one direction only. The discovery, which is published in Cell, is key to understanding how these motors shape our genome and regulate our genes.

17 Jan 2025

Explainable AI predicts ICU length of stay and guides clinical decision-making

Intensive care units (ICUs) face mounting pressure to effectively manage resources while delivering optimal patient care. Groundbreaking research published in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research highlights how a novel artificial intelligence (AI) model is revolutionizing ICU care by not only improving predictions of patient length of stay, but also equipping clinicians with clear, evidence-based insights to guide critical decisions.

17 Jan 2025

Immune cells orchestrate glucagon production during fasting

When we think about the immune system, we usually associate it with fighting infections. However, a study published in Science by the Champalimaud Foundation reveals a surprising new role.

17 Jan 2025

AI deciphers intracellular signals from extracellular recordings in heart cells

A team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego and Stanford University has developed a noninvasive method to monitor the electrical activity inside heart muscle cells from the outside, avoiding the need to physically penetrate the cells.

16 Jan 2025

Brain stimulation enables nuanced feeling in prosthetic hands

You can probably complete an amazing number of tasks with your hands without looking at them. But if you put on gloves that muffle your sense of touch, many of those simple tasks become frustrating. Take away proprioception - your ability to sense your body's relative position and movement - and you might even end up breaking an object or injuring yourself.

16 Jan 2025

Study uses superhero films to discuss mental health with children

Perhaps you've heard the story of Peter Parker, raised by his aunt and uncle after the death of his parents only to see his uncle murdered by the same criminal the radioactive spider-bitten teen neglected to apprehend that very day. His guilt drives him to become Spider-Man.

16 Jan 2025

Air pollution amplifies dementia risk in cardiometabolic disease patients - healthy habits can help

CMD patients face a 2x higher risk of dementia and MCI, but healthier lifestyles can counter air pollution's impact and reduce these risks.

16 Jan 2025

Sharenting on Instagram: Are children paying the price for influencer fame?

Researchers analyzed over 5,000 Instagram posts from British motherhood influencers, revealing how "sharenting" raises privacy risks while balancing commercial and personal motivations.

16 Jan 2025

COVID-19 dramatically raises the risk of developing ME/CFS

Study highlights a fourfold increase in ME/CFS risk among COVID-19 patients, with 89% of post-COVID ME/CFS cases overlapping with severe long COVID symptom clusters.

16 Jan 2025

Androgen clock reveals how hormones shape aging and health

Scientists unveil the androgen clock, a precise epigenetic tool to measure long-term androgen exposure and its role in aging and health.

16 Jan 2025

Study finds lasting benefits of multifocal contact lenses in slowing myopia

Capping ten years of work to stem the tide of nearsightedness, David Berntsen, Golden-Golden Professor of Optometry and chair of Clinical Sciences at the University of Houston College of Optometry, is reporting that his team's method to slow myopia not only works – but lasts.

16 Jan 2025

Non-toxic bacterial therapy shows promise for targeting tumors

A University of Massachusetts Amherst-Ernest Pharmaceuticals team of scientists has made "exciting," patient-friendly advances in developing a non-toxic bacterial therapy, BacID, to deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly into tumors.

16 Jan 2025