https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Puberty is a process regulated by the endocrine system, and its timing can be altered by environmental factors. Several recent studies point to a trend toward earlier onset of puberty in girls, a phenomenon linked to a complex interplay among genetics, lifestyle and exposure to chemicals capable of interfering with hormones. Among these substances are certain pesticides, widely used in agriculture and present in some everyday foods. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-links-exposure-fungicides-insecticides-age.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:00:02 EDT news704720762 Yoga is best known for improving flexibility, building strength and reducing stress. Research suggests it may also help ease symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common digestive disorder that affects millions of people. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-yoga-relieve-bowel-syndrome-symptoms.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:00:06 EDT news704613961 The brain continuously produces metabolic waste that must be removed to maintain healthy function. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a central role in this process by carrying away proteins such as amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau and α-synuclein, which are linked to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders when they accumulate abnormally. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-scientists-hidden-gateways-brain.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news703938817 Dozens of research teams around the world are working to halt, treat and even prevent Alzheimer's disease, which silently develops in the brain for more than a decade before symptoms appear. Although recent years have brought important advances, researchers continue to search for therapies that can more effectively alter the course of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-immune-therapy-alzheimer-phase-trial.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:20:04 EDT news703403060 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects more than 10% of the general population, causing recurrent abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. IBS is considered a disorder of gut-brain interaction, and previous research, including genetic research, has established links to nerve signaling, the nervous system and other conditions including anxiety and mood disorders. The exact biological mechanisms, however, have remained frustratingly difficult to pin down, leaving many patients without effective, targeted treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-genetic-links-ibs-lipid-metabolism.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:00:01 EDT news702712300 An update on the first clinical trial evaluating a pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cell therapy for Huntington's disease was presented at the ISSCR 2026 Annual Meeting. The Phase Ib/IIa REGEN4HD study represents a significant translational milestone following years of preclinical research, pivotal safety studies, regulatory engagement and clinical trial development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-huntington-treatment-quest-pluripotent-stem.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:30:14 EDT news702720929 Some memories remain with us for years, shaping how we learn from experience and adapt to the world around us. Others disappear quickly, even when they once seemed important. Although scientists have long studied how memories are formed in the brain, far less is known about what allows certain memories to persist over time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-astrocytes-memories-weeks-stabilizing-neural.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:00:02 EDT news702639053 A team of scientists from the University of Granada (UGR), the Granada Institute for Biomedical Research (ibs.GRANADA), the Public University of Navarra and the Biomedical Research Networking Center (CIBER) has demonstrated that limiting food intake to an eight-hour window helps maintain weight loss 12 months after the end of the intervention in overweight or obese adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-intermittent-fasting-term-weight-loss.html Fri, 03 Jul 2026 08:20:06 EDT news702210327 An early clinical study shows that a new oral drug is safe and well tolerated in patients with chronic heart failure. The study, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, has been published in The Lancet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-oral-heart-failure-drug-safe.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 14:20:07 EDT news701609295 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition characterized by abdominal pain, bloating and changes in bowel movements, estimated to affect between 10% and 15% of people worldwide. Past studies suggest that in many cases this condition is accompanied by anxiety, an emotional state marked by worry, fear and/or overthinking about specific life events. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-species-gut-bacteria-ease-anxiety.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:00:02 EDT news701522887 The Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Feinberg has a distinct strength in understanding how behavior and lifestyle influence gastrointestinal (GI) health. Through its work and in collaboration with the Northwestern Medicine Digestive Health Center, the division conducts research aimed at improving treatments for disorders of the digestive tract and related organs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-evidence-behavioral-interventions-gastroenterology.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:20:04 EDT news700809541 Chile's complementary set of policies targeting food products high in fat, salt and sugar plausibly reduces the risk of school-age children being overweight or having obesity, finds a study published in The Lancet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-chile-food-ad-child-obesity.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news700388102 Millions of people worldwide are periodically or chronically affected by gut-related conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastroenteritis. Uncovering the physiological and biological processes that contribute to gut health could thus be highly valuable, as it might help devise more effective interventions to prevent and treat these ailments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-gut-microbes-hormone-movement.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:20:08 EDT news700394620 Researchers have identified a promising new therapeutic strategy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A research team led by Director KIM Eunjoon of the IBS Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions has now identified a promising new strategy for restoring NMDA receptor (NMDAR) function by targeting a glycine transporter called Slc6a20a/SLC6A20. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-therapy-reverse-autism-brain-deficits.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:20:01 EDT news700222501 Flatulence, or farting, is something people often joke about or find embarrassing when it happens unexpectedly. It is, however, an essential bodily function that allows the digestive system to keep pressure within the intestinal tract low and prevents painful stretching of the stomach and intestines. Even though it is normal to fart, it remains unclear what counts as a healthy number. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-people-gas-app.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:05 EDT news700130400 Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a new manufacturing platform for producing targeted mixtures of beneficial gut bacteria, an approach that could help expand access to microbiome-based therapies for patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-gut-bacteria-fecal-transplants-small.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:20:01 EDT news699619981 A new study co-led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center shows that the targeted cancer drug selpercatinib can significantly reduce the risk of lung cancer returning in patients with a rare genetic subtype of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), potentially offering a new treatment option to help keep the disease from coming back after standard therapy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-therapy-lung-cancer-recurrence-rare.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:10:01 EDT news699550802 As part of a clinical study, the Early Clinical Trial Unit (ECTU) at NCT/UCC Dresden tested the cancer immunotherapy IMA401 for the first time in patients with advanced solid tumors. IMA401 is a so-called bispecific T-cell engager (TCER) that specifically links cancer cells with T cells, thereby directly activating the immune system to fight the tumor. To achieve this, the molecule simultaneously binds to two targets: a protein produced in tumor cells known as the tumor antigen MAGEA4/8, and a molecule on the surface of the body's immune cells (CD3). These immune cells, known as T lymphocytes, are thereby directed specifically to the tumor locations and activated so that they can destroy the cancer cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-cell-engager-advanced-solid-tumors.html Sun, 31 May 2026 10:00:02 EDT news699277381 Eating is not only about getting enough calories. Animals also need to choose the right nutrients. When the body lacks protein, it must seek essential amino acids—the protein building blocks that cannot be made internally and must come from food. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gut-rewires-brain-cravings-essential.html Fri, 22 May 2026 13:40:03 EDT news698675581 When stress affects the gut, the stomach tightens, digestion slows. For some, these symptoms resolve quickly. For others—particularly people with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) and related conditions—they don't. In a new study, investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) show how stress hormones directly interfere with gut function, slowing digestion through a newly defined pathway. In preclinical models, the findings point toward a potential way to treat stress-associated constipation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-network-nerves-disrupt-digestion-potential.html Wed, 20 May 2026 14:20:04 EDT news698500096 Autism spectrum disorder affects males far more frequently than females, with diagnoses occurring roughly four times more often in boys. Scientists have long suspected that females may possess biological protective mechanisms that reduce vulnerability to autism, but direct experimental evidence has remained limited. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-strong-genetic-mutation-overrides-female.html Wed, 20 May 2026 10:20:09 EDT news698490242 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal condition worldwide, affecting about 1 in 10 people, primarily women. Those who have it suffer abdominal pains and also often develop mental-health issues such as anxiety and depression, significantly impacting their quality of life. IBS cannot be cured and no single treatment is universally effective, so what's left is to manage the symptoms. Diet is key, but it must be tailored to the individual. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-online-tool-tackling-bowel-syndrome.html Mon, 04 May 2026 12:20:07 EDT news697111621 Cancer cells survive by repairing damage to their DNA—even damage that would normally be fatal. One of their most important defense systems is homologous recombination, a high-precision repair pathway that fixes broken DNA using key proteins such as RAD51 and CHK1. While therapies such as PARP inhibitors have successfully targeted this vulnerability, many tumors eventually regain their DNA repair ability and become resistant to treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-scientists-drug-resistant-cancer-treatable.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:40:04 EDT news696771782 Symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, altered sleep, and social withdrawal are often treated as inconvenient side effects of infection. While some scientists have suggested that they may serve a protective function, it is widely assumed that they're byproducts of being sick. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-qa-sick-important-surviving-infection.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:40:05 EDT news696772561 Every stroke begins with a sudden interruption of blood flow in the brain. But what happens afterward—why neurons continue to lose function and die over the following days—has remained one of the most important unanswered questions in neuroscience. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-experimental-drug-movement.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 15:00:11 EDT news696604981 Global figures estimate that around one in six women will experience sexual assault during their lifetime. These figures are not only high but also extremely concerning, given that sexual assault is a deeply traumatic experience for someone to go through. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rape-sexual-assault-longterm-chronic.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:40:06 EDT news696597062 The heady scent of tea tree is one of the iconic smells of the Australian bush. And the essential oils derived from tea trees have been used as medicines, first by Indigenous people, then by colonists. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-tea-tree-oil-affect-fertility.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:20:08 EDT news696506281 In a new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the low FODMAP diet and the antibiotic rifaximin provided similar and significant relief for patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ibs-treatment-response-gut-microbiome.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:20:07 EDT news696070441 First-line zongertinib showed antitumor activity in treatment-naive patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), providing a safe and effective oral targeted treatment alternative to chemotherapy, according to researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-line-therapy-antitumor-patients-advanced.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:20:06 EDT news695574482 Every thought, memory, and feeling we experience depends on trillions of tiny connection points in the brain called synapses. These are the junctions where one neuron passes signals to another, forming the vast communication network known as the connectome—the brain's wiring diagram. Although scientists have developed powerful tools to increase or decrease neural activity, directly redesigning the brain's physical wiring has remained far more difficult. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-synapses-brain-circuit-memory-stronger.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news695488201