https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, working with other U.S. researchers, have uncovered the structure of a key cell membrane protein in a bacterial model for Chlamydia trachomatis, the cause of the world's most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-chlamydia-vaccine-blueprint-key-membrane.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:09 EDT news700399261 "Compound 10" is how Ursula Quitterer refers to the chemical compound that her team has developed and that could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Quitterer is a professor of molecular pharmacology at ETH Zurich and has so far tested the active ingredient first in mice, revealing promising effects: The typical death of nerve cells seen in dementia is significantly slower, and the animals survive longer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-drug-alzheimer.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:04 EDT news700148673 Dental implants have given tens of millions of people something dentures never could: a full set of fixed and fully functioning teeth. Unfortunately, 10% to 20% of implant patients eventually experience an aggressive jawbone infection called peri-implantitis. Antibiotics usually fail to stop the infection for reasons that researchers have not understood until now. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-titanium-particles-antibiotics-dental-implant.html Thu, 28 May 2026 16:00:06 EDT news699199321 A new study from researchers at the University of Chicago provides important insight into how the pancreas protects itself during inflammation, pointing to promising new directions for treating pancreatitis. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-role-key-protein-pancreatitis.html Mon, 25 May 2026 13:40:03 EDT news698933101 Researchers have developed a technique that can identify errors caused by mutations linked to a range of genetic disorders, including forms of muscular dystrophy, Huntington's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which could accelerate accurate diagnosis of these conditions. The technique, developed by researchers led by the University of Cambridge, uses RNA samples stretched into usable shapes and tiny glass holes known as nanopores, to analyze sections of RNA that have multiplied far beyond their normal length. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-origami-method-diagnosis-neurodegenerative-disease.html Thu, 21 May 2026 15:20:02 EDT news698585881 Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which comprises the inflammatory conditions Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, affects about 1.6 million Americans, many of whom cannot be effectively treated. This is mostly due to a lack of understanding of what exactly causes the increased inflammation, fibrosis, and compromised intestinal barrier that underlie this disease and its manifold symptoms, ranging from severe abdominal pain, to diarrhea, weight loss, rectal bleeding and anemia, to anxiety and depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-decoding-inflammatory-bowel-disease-chip.html Thu, 21 May 2026 14:20:07 EDT news698581214 Calcium is widely known for its role in maintaining strong bones and teeth, but it is also one of the body's most important cellular messengers. Calcium signals help regulate muscle contraction, neural function, immune cell activation and many other physiological processes. Because cells rely on calcium signals to decide when and how strongly to respond, the movement of calcium must be tightly controlled. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-newly-peptides-safer-immunotherapies.html Tue, 19 May 2026 15:40:05 EDT news698419681 The human brain constantly adapts in response to experiences, forming new connections between neurons and reorganizing existing ones. The brain's ability to adapt in response to experiences is known as neuroplasticity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-brain-memory-gate-cryo-em.html Mon, 18 May 2026 13:51:16 EDT news698315449 Researchers at Tampere University, Finland, have developed a groundbreaking 3D-printed ceramic implant material that closely mimics real human bone. The findings advance the development of personalized bone regeneration and may lead to more effective and accessible treatments for bone defects. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-3d-ceramic-implants-mimic-human.html Fri, 15 May 2026 11:20:08 EDT news698061302 Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 can infect resting immune cells. The discovery challenges a decades-old assumption in HIV biology, and opens new avenues for understanding how the virus persists in the body, despite treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-hiv-hijacks-cellular-gateway-infect.html Wed, 06 May 2026 14:40:01 EDT news697288801 The brain is more mechanically connected to the body than previously appreciated, scientists report in Nature Neuroscience. Through a study using mice and simulations, the team found a potential biological mechanism underlying why exercise is thought to benefit brain health: abdominal contractions compress blood vessels connected to the spinal cord and the brain, enabling the organ to gently move within the skull. This swaying facilitates the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid to flow over the brain, potentially washing away neural waste that could cause problems for brain function. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hydraulic-brain-body-motion-linked.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:00:05 EDT news696252204 A research team at IDM is leading the development of a sensor that paves the way for the rapid, selective and cost-effective detection of active tuberculosis. The device detects the presence of a protein secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes the disease. It provides results in just 60 minutes—significantly less time than conventional methods, such as microbiological culture, which can take several weeks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-biosensor-tuberculosis-minutes-fluorescent-protein.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:30:04 EDT news695911731 Researchers at City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment organization, and the University of California, Berkeley, have created a novel microfluidic platform that can assess women's breast cancer risk at the cellular level. The first-of-its-kind platform squeezes individual breast epithelial cells, creating a taxing environment to measure how they deform, recover, and behave under stress, according to a new study published in eBioMedicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ai-individual-breast-cells-cancer.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:30:01 EDT news696167581 Researchers at Toronto's Sinai Health have found that semaglutide—the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs that mimic the gut hormone GLP-1—acts directly on a subset of liver cells to improve organ function and does so independently of weight loss. The finding challenges long-held assumptions about how GLP-1 medicines work in the liver and could reshape how physicians treat metabolic liver disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-glp-medicine-liver-health-independent.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:03 EDT news695311381 Aggressive policing tactics like stop-and-frisk are linked to worse newborn health outcomes in neighborhoods where such tactics are most pervasive, University of Oregon research finds. Babies of non-Hispanic Black mothers had lower birth weights in New York City neighborhoods where police made more on-the-street stops, even when controlling for variables like income and education, according to the research, which analyzed data from 2006 to 2013. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-racial-profiling-aggressive-policing-affect.html Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:20:03 EDT news695376721 Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that is typically removed surgically. Now, researchers publishing in ACS Nano report they have developed a potential noninvasive treatment for melanoma in the form of a stretchy, heat-activated patch similar to a bandage. When activated, the patch releases copper ions that kill the underlying cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. In tests with mice, the researchers say the patch reduced melanoma lesions without damaging surrounding tissue. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-skin-patch-melanoma-cells-surgery.html Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:20:05 EDT news694262881 Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-qa-gassing-bioengineered-materials-wound.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:00:04 EDT news692373640 When it comes to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and certain forms of dementia, researchers have known that protein quality control and damage to the nuclear pore are key players. However, how the two are connected has not been clear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-quality-protein-neurodegenerative-disease.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:52:38 EST news687628321 Acne is one of the most common skin conditions seen in general practice. Acne vulgaris—the most prevalent form—affects more than 80% of teenagers and young adults (in some countries, it may be as many as 95%), and tends to peak around age 18. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-acne.html Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:02:03 EDT news679831321 When it comes to brain proteins, small changes can make a dramatic difference. Researchers studying NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, which are essential for learning, memory and moment-by-moment consciousness, know that even slight changes in their activity level can mean the difference between normal function and serious neurological disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-image-nmda-receptor-reveals-clues.html Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:00:13 EDT news677925298 A toxic protein forms dynamic pores in the membranes of brain cells—and that may be the key to understanding how Parkinson's disease develops. This is the conclusion of a new study from Aarhus University, where researchers have developed an advanced method to track molecular attacks in real time. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-microscopic-pores-brain-cells-key.html Thu, 04 Sep 2025 13:20:01 EDT news676209908 In a recent landmark study, scientists have unveiled how HIV-1 penetrates the cell's nuclear barrier—a discovery that could reshape antiviral strategies. The research, led by Professor Peijun Zhang, eBIC director at Diamond, used cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy to capture HIV-1 viral cores in the process of nuclear import—an elusive but critical step in the virus's life cycle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-scientists-capture-hiv-viral-cores.html Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:30:01 EDT news672330340 A recent study led by Paul DeCaen, Ph.D., associate professor of Pharmacology, has identified novel molecular mechanisms by which genetic mutations in the PKD2 gene cause the most common form of polycystic kidney disease, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-molecular-mechanisms-therapies-chronic-kidney.html Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:20:02 EDT news671721453 University of Oklahoma researchers have discovered that some bacteria in the gut have their own unique "weapon system" to compete against other bacteria for dominance. Importantly, there is promising evidence that this system can be repurposed to target diseased cells like cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-gut-bacteria-weapon-redirect-cancer.html Thu, 15 May 2025 13:27:56 EDT news666534472 Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common form of heart arrhythmia, a serious condition in which the heart beats so fast that its upper chambers, the atria, quiver. This irregular heartbeat can increase the risk of severe conditions, including heart failure, dementia and stroke. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-gasdermin-d-emerges-potential-therapeutic.html Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:11:06 EDT news662375451 Researchers from Northwestern University have stumbled upon a previously unobserved function of a protein found in the cell nuclei of all flora and fauna. In addition to exporting materials out of the nucleus, the protein, called Exportin-1 (also called Xpo1 or Crm1), seems to play a role in promoting gene transcription, the process that creates RNA replicas of strands of DNA to express genes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-discovery-exportin-role-gene-impact.html Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:22:45 EDT news661699362 The formation of pores by a particular protein, gasdermin D, plays a key role in inflammatory reactions. During its activation, an inhibitory part is split off. More than 30 of the remaining protein fragments then combine to form large pores in the cell membrane, which allow the release of inflammatory messengers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-nanobodies-decode-central-mechanism-inflammation.html Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:05:34 EDT news646585525 A protein called torsinA plays a key role in the early development of neurons, determining where nuclear pores are placed in the membrane that encloses the nucleus of nerve cells, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-reveals-key-protein-affects-neuron.html Thu, 12 Sep 2024 09:29:51 EDT news645352188 With aging, collagen and elastin in the skin decrease, leading to sagging, fine lines and deep wrinkles. These changes often arise from oxidative stress, inflammation, and changes in enzyme activities. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-anti-skin-aging-effects-collagen.html Tue, 13 Aug 2024 16:59:02 EDT news642787141 Excessive heat across the United States is making this summer a season of sweat. Perspiration and its evaporation are crucial to keeping us cool when things get hot. But our understanding of how sweat evaporates is limited to the profuse phases of the process, when our bodies are coated in a sticky film or even pools of perspiration. Relatively little is known about the dynamics behind initial phases of sweating, when tiny droplets are emitted by individual sweat glands and then quickly evaporate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-tools-reveal-dynamics.html Wed, 26 Jun 2024 15:56:28 EDT news638636183