https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us provides the latest news from CU Anschutz Medical Campus Knowing that women are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at three times the rate of men, particularly during their 30s and 40s, scientists in the CU Anschutz lab of Kimberley Bruce, Ph.D., recently took that window of opportunity and ran with it. Seeking clues behind the disparity, the researchers compared the cerebral spinal fluid of women between the ages of 30 and 49 seen at the Rocky Mountain MS Center on campus either for MS or for headache (HA) alone. The research is published in the journal IBRO Neuroscience Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-qa-women-multiple-sclerosis-proteomics.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:20:08 EDT news695999642 Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz may have identified why many cancer patients say food suddenly tastes unpleasant during treatment. The study, published today in Development, found that a class of targeted cancer drugs known as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can change how taste buds are maintained—reducing the ability to taste sweet foods and altering flavor perception overall. While the study was conducted in animal models, researchers believe similar changes likely occur in humans. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cancer-drugs-disrupt-cells-buds.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:20:04 EDT news695997182 A new artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool shows promise for improving surveillance in patients treated with endoscopic eradication therapies for Barrett's esophagus (BE)-related dysplasia and early esophageal adenocarcinoma. BE is the only known condition that precedes esophageal adenocarcinoma—an aggressive cancer with high mortality rates. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-tool-barrett-esophagus-recurrence.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:20:07 EDT news694781762 Researchers have long associated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," with certain severe birth defects, but exactly how these pollutants harm a developing fetus has remained mostly a mystery. New research now provides the first clear molecular explanation, showing how one PFAS, called perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), can trigger craniofacial abnormalities before birth. The research was published today in Chemical Research in Toxicology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-chemical-disrupt-baby-facial.html Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news694094725 Deciding if and when to pursue deep brain stimulation (DBS) can be overwhelming for people with Parkinson's disease. While DBS is one of the most effective interventions for movement symptoms, it's also among the most complex. DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-powered device to send electrical signals to areas of the brain that control movement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-kind-tool-parkinson-patients-deep.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:30:01 EDT news692879792 Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have identified a critical gap in how post-amputation pain is evaluated and treated. The study shows that pain after lower limb amputation is not a single uniform condition but a set of distinct experiences that change depending on activity level and prosthetic design. These findings could influence care strategies for the nearly two million Americans living with limb loss, a number expected to grow in the coming decades. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-multiple-amputation-pain-revealed-treatment.html Fri, 06 Mar 2026 14:00:05 EST news692019914 Scientists have identified molecular and structural changes in taste buds that may explain why a small subset of people experience long-term taste loss after COVID-19 infection. The study, published in Chemical Senses, provides the first direct evidence linking patients' reported taste changes to measurable biological abnormalities inside taste cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-molecular-defect-cells-term-loss.html Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:40:02 EST news691688947 Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have developed a simple, one-question screening tool that could help doctors quickly identify hoarding behaviors in patients with memory loss and other brain disorders. Early detection, they said, could lead to early intervention, helping to reduce safety risks, relieve caregiver stress and improve the quality of life for both patients and families. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-screen-flag-hoarding-alzheimer-dementias.html Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:10:01 EST news691330641 Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based molecular tests can reliably distinguish multiple sclerosis (MS) from other neurological conditions, according to a new study that analyzed cryopreserved CSF samples from 160 individuals. The study involved three centers in the United States and Canada that are part of an MS research consortium called SPINCOMS. The group evaluates the clinical performance of CSF-based molecular tests in a diverse cohort of people with MS and others undergoing diagnostics for central nervous system conditions that mimic MS. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-cerebral-spinal-fluid-molecular-early.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:35:38 EST news689852102 Research studying the effects of cannabis on the brain has often focused on adolescents, but a new study from CU Anschutz researchers looks at population-level impacts of cannabis usage on the brain in older adults. The work is published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-qa-cannabis-usage-middle-aged.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:38:31 EST news689359081 Although she's not an entomologist, Maggie Stanislawski, Ph.D., spends hours a day studying bugs. The assistant professor of biomedical informatics specializes in the gut microbiome, an environment swimming with trillions of microscopic creatures in every person's digestive tract. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-qa-intermittent-fasting-link-gut.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:26:51 EST news687702362 Pigskin passers are invading athletic fields once dominated by soccer and lacrosse teams. But these blitzers aren't suited up like gladiators. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-qa-touted-contact-flag-football.html Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:13:36 EST news687183182 The world's most popular game—football to most, soccer to some—can take a heavy physical toll on players. Given the massive number of male and female players lacing up their cleats, there has been a surprising dearth of research around the incidence of injuries and ways to prevent them on and off the pitch. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-qa-injuries-soccer.html Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:02:28 EST news684435721 Researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center have discovered a novel therapy combination that could offer new hope to ovarian cancer patients who do not respond to existing treatments. Conducted entirely at the University of Colorado Anschutz, this research has advanced from the laboratory to a Phase I clinical trial on the campus. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-lab-clinic-phase-trial-combination.html Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:00:01 EST news683970902 For patients recovering from opioid use disorder, particularly from drugs like fentanyl or heroin, the days immediately following a hospital stay are among the most dangerous. A new multi-state study led by researchers at CU Anschutz found that nearly half of patients discharged with take-home methadone successfully connected to follow-up treatment within 72 hours. That window can be the difference between relapse and recovery or even life and death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-home-methadone-hospital-discharge-critical.html Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:13:04 EST news682953182 A health care chatbot can be a patient's first point of contact for some sensitive conversations from mental health to billing, a new CU Anschutz study has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-patients-health-chatbots-eye.html Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:27:19 EST news682608432 CU Anschutz researchers uncovered a link between a type of mucosal immune cell and gut inflammation, finding that the cells exacerbate inflammation and lead to chronic disease in certain conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-qa-distinct-immune-cell-colitis.html Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:15:05 EST news682082101 Scientists have uncovered a surprising connection between sugar metabolism and alcohol addiction, identifying a potential new therapeutic target for treating alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-enzyme-alcohol-addiction-liver-disease.html Mon, 10 Nov 2025 09:23:04 EST news681988982 When playing sports, it's important to remember: Brains don't have seat belts. When rapid acceleration or deceleration of the brain inside the skull occurs with a blow to the head, a concussion happens, which in some cases can lead to lasting impacts on motor and cognitive skills needed to keep athletes at the top of their game. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-qa-sports-concussions-affect-reaction.html Tue, 04 Nov 2025 16:27:05 EST news681496021 University of Colorado Cancer Center member Matthew Sikora, Ph.D., is a national leader in research into an understudied subtype of breast cancer that's on the rise in American women, is often more difficult to detect than other forms of breast cancer, and has sharply lower survival rates several years after diagnosis than the most common type of breast cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-understudied-breast-cancer-poses-lurking.html Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:10:13 EDT news680439299 Abdominal and chest pain. Injuries. Breathing difficulty. Infections. Mental health emergencies. Those are some of the most common reasons why people go to the local emergency department. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-patients-cancer-emergency-department.html Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:15:04 EDT news680436901 As emergency medicine has emerged as a distinct medical discipline, there has been a shift in responsibility for a key task in emergency departments: managing emergency airways to help patients get enough oxygen. But how widespread is that shift? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-airways-trauma-patients-emergency-departments.html Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:13:04 EDT news680436781 Grape seed extract—a dietary supplement made from the seeds of wine grapes—has been investigated to see if it can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. But can it also help slow down the growth of prostate cancer in men who have already undergone treatment? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-grape-seed-growth-prostate-cancer.html Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:12:05 EDT news680436722 An endoscopy—using a fiber‐optic tube to peer inside the body and collect biopsy samples—can be an invaluable way to detect cancer of the esophagus. But sometimes, an endoscopy can miss esophageal cancer, which doesn't get detected until weeks or months later. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-major-endoscopies-esophageal-cancer.html Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:10:06 EDT news680436601 For more than half a century, scientists have debated whether Paranthropus boisei, an extinct human relative known for its extremely powerful jaws and massive teeth, was capable of making and using tools. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-extinct-human-capable-tools.html Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:20:03 EDT news679825055 The next time you crave a sweet treat, go ahead and buy a bag of jellybeans—guilt free. Your indulgence will be in the interest of science. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-qa-cells-understood.html Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:12:04 EDT news679237921 A study published in Nature Communications describes how lymphatic endothelial cells assist in generating robust immune memory, offering new insights into how the immune system functions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-lymphatic-endothelial-cells-body-infections.html Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:32:04 EDT news678018722 In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) at the University of Colorado Anschutz discovered important differences in the physiological changes observed in over 300 individuals with Down syndrome across the lifespan. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-syndrome-biology-age.html Thu, 25 Sep 2025 09:10:01 EDT news678009867 Feeding blueberries to infants as one of their first solid foods may help strengthen their immune systems, reduce allergy symptoms and support healthy gut development, according to new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-blueberries-infants-immunity-gut-health.html Mon, 15 Sep 2025 12:09:04 EDT news677156942 Intense light therapy after surgery can increase a critical protein that protects heart tissue while lowering levels of troponin, a protein indicating heart damage that's linked to higher mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, according to a study by researchers at CU Anschutz. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-intense-therapy-myocardial-injuries-cardiac.html Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:30:05 EDT news676214802