https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us provides the latest news from University of Illinois at Chicago Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects as many as 18% of all childbearing-age women. The condition occurs when a woman's body produces too much of a group of hormones called androgens, chiefly testosterone. Menstrual irregularity, obesity, and even infertility can result. The first line of treatment is typically hormonal birth control, said UIC professor of nutrition Krista Varady. But there can be negative side effects to mood, libido, and metabolism, plus an increased stroke risk in some people, Varady said. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-intermittent-fasting-positively-affects-female.html Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:00:02 EDT news694094689 UIC researchers have successfully repurposed an FDA-approved cancer drug, doxorubicin, to treat drug-resistant strains of herpes. Their work appears in the journal Drug Resistance Updates. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-cancer-drug-resistant-herpes.html Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:20:01 EDT news693564496 Brains of older adults with super-healthy cognition grow more new neurons than those of their peers, according to a study from UIC, Northwestern University and the University of Washington. Researchers found that the brains of superagers—octogenarians with uncommonly nimble minds—were the most neuronally fertile, while those with Alzheimer's disease had negligible new growth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-superagers-brains-resilience-signature-neuron.html Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:00:01 EST news691172282 The last time you scrubbed a streaky window or polished a porcelain appliance, you probably used a chemical called ammonia. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ammonia-production-renewable-powered-calcium.html Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:30:02 EST news687712808 Pinned between the stomach and spine, the pancreas supervises both digestion and blood sugar in the body. It's also the site of an aggressive cancer called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-microfluidic-device-captures-pancreatic-cancer.html Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:47:34 EST news682271245 In northeast Laos, close to the mountainous country's border with Vietnam, sits a sheer cliff nearly four times as tall as the Willis Tower. Known as Phou Pha Thi and considered sacred by local communities, it's where the most U.S. Air Force troops were lost in the Vietnam War. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-vietnam-war-mias-home.html Tue, 11 Nov 2025 09:51:05 EST news682077062 About 1 million people in the U.S. live with multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune disease that inflames the nervous system and scrambles communication between the brain and body. MS, for which there is no single cause or cure, affects people of all demographics with symptoms like fatigue, memory difficulties, vision impairment and mobility loss. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-nanopack-cell-therapy-inflammation-multiple.html Fri, 07 Nov 2025 11:10:06 EST news681736202 As our hair goes gray and our muscles weaken with age, our immune system also changes. In particular, the stem cells that become blood or immune cells can develop mutations, potentially leading to cancers or other dysfunctions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-protein-key-rejuvenating-aging-blood.html Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:16:04 EDT news679846561 The Sahara Desert is one of the driest areas in the world. It gets just 3 inches of precipitation per year—one-tenth of the amount of Chicago's rain, sleet and snow. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-sahara-wetter-future.html Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:58:38 EDT news679741116 For a long time, physicians and scientists believed our lungs were sterile (germ-free). But modern science indicates otherwise. Now we know they contain allergens, bacteria or viruses we inhale, such as influenza or SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. When those contaminants combine with inflammation, it can lead to chronic lung disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-il-small-protein-big-pulmonary.html Tue, 16 Sep 2025 16:20:03 EDT news677258401 Doctors at UI Health performed the first islet transplant with Lantidra, the only therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat brittle type 1 diabetes. A 69-year-old man from Illinois received the therapy on Aug. 26 and subsequently was able to stop taking daily, life-saving insulin injections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-doctors-islet-cell-transplant-lantidra.html Fri, 05 Sep 2025 05:40:05 EDT news676269602 Heat waves—prolonged periods of abnormally hot weather—influence egg prices, energy bills and even public transit. And they're becoming more common as temperatures increase. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-africa-hotter-longer-years.html Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:37:05 EDT news674818621 A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago reveals how the blood-brain barrier gets leakier with age, contributing to memory deficits. The study, published in Cell Reports, uncovered the molecular mechanisms behind this process and could provide new therapeutic targets to address cognitive decline earlier in the aging process. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-08-molecular-mechanisms-blood-brain-barrier.html Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:10:06 EDT news674226601 It's known as biology's central dogma: All living organisms' genetic information is stored in DNA, which is transcribed into RNA, which is translated into proteins that perform nearly all essential tasks in a cell. A tiny cellular machine called the ribosome builds a protein until it's signaled to stop, and the protein is released into the cell through a reaction with a water molecule. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-mystery-cells-premature-protein.html Tue, 05 Aug 2025 15:29:14 EDT news673626548 A dysfunction in muscle blood vessels could be to blame for the weak muscles and weight loss that most cancer patients experience, according to a new study from University of Illinois Chicago researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-poorly-functioning-blood-vessels-linked.html Thu, 29 May 2025 15:02:41 EDT news667749758 A simple consultation during unrelated visits to the emergency room can help patients with high blood pressure—"the silent killer"—manage the condition, even before they experience symptoms, according to new research from the University of Illinois Chicago. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-simple-emergency-room-patients-high.html Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:10:01 EDT news664718891 For human health, prematurely aging cells are a big problem. When a cell ages and stops growing, its function changes, which can cause or worsen cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and other chronic diseases. But these cells are also like needles in a haystack, difficult to identify by traditional scientific measures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-software-tool-aging-cells-contribute.html Tue, 25 Mar 2025 12:58:25 EDT news662126296 Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is commonly known for causing blisters and sores. But in some cases, the virus can migrate to the eye or nervous system, causing severe, chronic symptoms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-intranasal-herpes-infection-neurobehavioral-symptoms.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:04:03 EDT news660837841 University of Illinois Chicago scientists have redesigned a treatment for the most common pediatric leukemia to eliminate its severe side effects, like blood clots and liver damage. If approved, the new drug may be tolerated by a broader range of leukemia patients and even be used to treat other cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-scientists-redesigned-effective-cancer-therapy.html Fri, 31 Jan 2025 13:07:05 EST news657551221 New materials designed by a University of Illinois Chicago graduate student may help scientists meet one of today's biggest challenges: building superconductors that operate at normal temperatures and pressures. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-multicomponent-hydride-advance-science-superconducting.html Tue, 05 Nov 2024 10:13:02 EST news650023979 We've seen dramatic increases in life expectancy over the 19th and 20th centuries, thanks to healthier diets, medical advances and many other quality-of-life improvements. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-10-medical-advances-life-gains.html Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:00:01 EDT news647508564 Most Americans can expect wetter winters in the future due to global warming, according to a new study led by a University of Illinois Chicago scientist. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-climate-wetter-winters.html Thu, 26 Sep 2024 17:03:49 EDT news646589025 Exposure to arsenic and other toxic metals may accelerate the progression toward diabetes, according to a new study by University of Illinois Chicago researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-arsenic-exposure-linked-faster-onset.html Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:27:23 EDT news645715639 A cellular link between obesity and atrial fibrillation—a heart condition that afflicts over 33 million people worldwide—presents a promising target for new therapies, researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago report. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-link-obesity-atrial-fibrillation-cellular.html Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:36:21 EDT news644686578 Children's exposure to food and drink ads during kids' TV shows has dropped substantially since food and beverage makers pledged to stop advertising unhealthy fare during children's TV shows. Yet, according to research from the University of Illinois Chicago, children under 12 still see more than 1,000 food-related ads a year, most of them for unhealthy products. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-unhealthy-food-ads-kids-tv.html Fri, 23 Aug 2024 14:48:11 EDT news643643260 The formation of Earth's continents billions of years ago set the stage for life to thrive. But scientists disagree over how those land masses formed and if it was through geological processes we still see today. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-refutes-theory-earth-continents.html Mon, 05 Aug 2024 12:44:21 EDT news642080657 A new antibiotic that works by disrupting two different cellular targets would make it 100 million times more difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance, according to new research from the University of Illinois Chicago. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-dual-action-antibiotic-bacterial-resistance.html Tue, 23 Jul 2024 10:20:47 EDT news640948843 Oil drops from underwater oil spills can break into tinier droplets at the surface that remain suspended in the water, according to research from the University of Illinois Chicago. That means cleanups after disasters like the Deepwater Horizon spill may be removing less oil from the environment than was thought. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-underwater-oil-pollution-cleanups.html Thu, 18 Jul 2024 13:19:03 EDT news640527542 In a new article, researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago debunk four common myths about the safety of intermittent fasting. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-myths-intermittent-fasting-debunked.html Mon, 24 Jun 2024 12:24:08 EDT news638450646 University of Illinois Chicago engineers have helped design a new method to make hydrogen gas from water using only solar power and agricultural waste, such as manure or husks. The method reduces the energy needed to extract hydrogen from water by 600%, creating new opportunities for sustainable, climate-friendly chemical production. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-05-method-hydrogen-solar-power-agricultural.html Thu, 30 May 2024 12:38:03 EDT news636291481