Top news stories for the week 20

Monday, May 13

Researchers create human aortic aneurysm model to advance disease understanding, treatment testing

Using human cells in laboratory rats, Michigan Medicine researchers have developed a functional model of thoracic aortic aneurysm, creating opportunities for more effective understanding of disease development and treatments ...

May 13, 2024

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Probability of developing Lyme disease is genetically influenced, research suggests

Lyme disease is the most common disease transmitted by tick bites in Germany. Whether a particular genetic predisposition plays a role in the development of the disease and which immunological processes in the body are involved ...

May 13, 2024

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Psilocybin may reverse anorexia's cognitive rigidity

Characterized by pathological weight loss driven by restrictive feeding and excessive exercise behaviors, anorexia nervosa (AN) has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disease.

May 13, 2024

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Scientists find sleep may not clear brain toxins

The brain's ability to rid itself of toxins may actually be reduced during sleep, contrary to the leading scientific theory.

May 13, 2024

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Study shows derivatives of thalidomide compound drive resistant cancer cells to their deaths

A study by Goethe University Frankfurt points to the possibility that thalidomide derivatives are potentially suitable for treating cancer. Thalidomide was marketed in the 1950s as a sleeping pill. It later gained sad notoriety ...

May 13, 2024

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New study reveals the key role of mitochondrial proteins in cardiac regeneration

Mitochondria play an essential role in supplying the energy needed for correct cell function. Within mitochondria, energy production is generated by the respiratory chain, which is formed of five complexes called CI through ...

May 13, 2024

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Study reveals key role of glutamate tRNA fragments in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease

A research paper published in the journal Cell Metabolism by the team of Prof. Liu Qiang at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) reveals the critical role of glutamate tRNA fragments in brain aging and ...

May 13, 2024

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Tuesday, May 14

Artificial intelligence tool detects sex-related differences in brain structure

Artificial intelligence (AI) computer programs that process MRI results show differences in how the brains of men and women are organized at a cellular level, a new study shows. These variations were spotted in white matter, ...

May 14, 2024

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Far from toxic, lactate rivals glucose as body's major fuel after a carbohydrate meal

As a student competing in track and field at his Parlier high school, Robert Leija was obsessed with how to improve his performance, and in particular, prevent the buildup of lactic acid in his muscles during training. Like ...

May 14, 2024

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Brain–computer interface experiments first to decode words 'spoken' entirely in the brain in real time

A team of brain specialists at the California Institute of Technology has developed a brain–computer interface (BCI) approach to decode words "spoken" entirely in the brain by recording signals from individual neurons in ...

May 14, 2024 report

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A minimal cognitive architecture reproduces control of human decision-making processes

Neuroscientists and psychologists have been trying to pinpoint the processes behind human decision-making for decades. While their efforts led to numerous interesting insights, the intricacies of complex decision-making remain ...

May 14, 2024 feature

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Tech alone can't replace human coaches in obesity treatment, study finds

A Northwestern Medicine study shows that technology alone can't replace the human touch to produce meaningful weight loss in obesity treatment. The study, titled "An Adaptive Behavioral Intervention for Weight Loss Management: ...

May 14, 2024

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Congenital anomalies found to be ten times more frequent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders report congenital abnormalities, such as defects of the heart and/or urinary tract, at least ten times more frequently compared to other children.

May 14, 2024

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Study shows virus that causes COVID-19 can penetrate blood-retinal-barrier and could damage vision

The blood-retinal barrier is designed to protect our vision from infections by preventing microbial pathogens from reaching the retina where they could trigger an inflammatory response with potential vision loss. But researchers ...

May 14, 2024

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Wednesday, May 15

Wearing face masks did not reduce risk of COVID infection after first omicron wave, research suggests

New research from the University of East Anglia has found that wearing face masks did not lower the risk of COVID infection following the initial surge of the omicron variant.

May 15, 2024

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Scientists discover blood proteins that may give cancer warning seven years before diagnosis

Two studies from Oxford Population Health have discovered proteins in the blood that could warn people of cancer more than seven years before it is diagnosed.

May 15, 2024

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Researchers find microplastics in canine and human testicular tissue

University of New Mexico researchers have detected significant concentrations of microplastics in the testicular tissue of both humans and dogs, adding to growing concern about their possible effect on human reproductive ...

May 15, 2024

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Up to 246 million older people may be exposed to heat risk by 2050 due to global warming

A team of Earth and environmental scientists at the CMCC Foundation–Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, working with a pair of colleagues from Boston University, has found evidence suggesting that as many as 246 ...

May 15, 2024 report

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Study finds H5N1 virus from 2022 mink outbreak capable of inefficient airborne transmission

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle for the first time in the United States in March 2024, with nine states reporting outbreaks by May. While the method of transmission among cattle is currently ...

May 15, 2024

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Novel inhibitor insights offer pathway to preventing PXR-associated drug resistance

Deaths from cancer or infections can occur when available treatments are ineffective. Once turned on, pregnane X receptor (PXR) activates the expression of genes encoding enzymes that metabolize external chemicals, including ...

May 15, 2024

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Study reveals immunotherapy's potential in boosting immune systems of older individuals

Published in Nature Aging, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have provided new insight into enhancing immune responses in older individuals and the potential for using immunotherapy to make older adults less ...

May 15, 2024

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Thursday, May 16

Neuroplasticity study shows how singing rehabilitates speech production in post-stroke aphasia

Cerebrovascular accidents, or strokes, are the most common cause of aphasia, a speech disorder of cerebral origin. People with aphasia have a reduced ability to understand or produce speech or written language. An estimated ...

May 16, 2024

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Researchers profile clinical, gene and protein changes in 'brain fog' from long COVID

Long COVID is associated with active inflammatory changes in the nervous system, but the condition is distinct from Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, according to a Rutgers Health study.

May 16, 2024

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Researchers develop theory on traveling waves of activity in the human brain

For the first time, researchers led by Professor Dr. Petra Ritter's team have succeeded in explaining the propagation of traveling waves of activity in the human brain using a computer simulation. Previous studies indicate ...

May 16, 2024

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Researchers discover new pathway to cancer cell death from chemotherapy

Chemotherapy kills cancer cells. But the way these cells die appears to be different than previously understood. Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute, led by Thijn Brummelkamp, have uncovered a completely new ...

May 16, 2024

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Under stress, study finds an observer is more likely to help the victim than to punish the perpetrator

Being stressed while witnessing injustice may push your brain towards altruism, according to a study published on May 14 in the journal PLOS Biology by Huagen Wang from Beijing Normal University, China, and colleagues.

May 16, 2024

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Consistent exercise changes how saturated fat is used by the body, study finds

An active lifestyle can change how the body burns saturated and unsaturated fat according to new research from the University of Aberdeen.

May 16, 2024

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Miniaturized optical coherence tomography imaging probe takes pictures inside cerebral arteries

A large international team of micro-engineers, medical technologists, and neurosurgeons, has designed, built and tested a new type of probe that can be used to take pictures from inside arteries in the brain.

May 16, 2024 report

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Friday, May 17

A long-term ketogenic diet accumulates aged cells in normal tissues, new study shows

A strict "keto-friendly" diet popular for weight loss and diabetes, depending on both the diet and individual, might not be all that friendly.

May 17, 2024

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Study uncovers key factors for resilience after trauma

Following traumatic experiences, many individuals demonstrate remarkable resilience, recovering their mental and behavioral well-being without external intervention. An Emory University-led study, in collaboration with the ...

May 17, 2024

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New technique to freeze brain tissue without harm

A team of medical researchers at the National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Fudan University, in China, has developed a technique to freeze and thaw brain tissue without causing damage.

May 17, 2024 report

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Gut bacteria enhance cancer immunotherapy in mouse study

Roughly one in five cancer patients benefit from immunotherapy—a treatment that harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. Such an approach to beating cancer has seen significant success in lung cancer and melanoma, among ...

May 17, 2024

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Researchers make strides in microbiome-based cancer therapies via iron deprivation in the tumor microenvironment

A team from POSTECH and ImmunoBiome has made a potential breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Their research, published in the May issue of Nature Immunology, explores a dietary-derived bacterial strain, IMB001. This ...

May 17, 2024

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Researcher discovers drug that may delay onset of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and treat hydrocephalus

A researcher in the Keck School of Medicine of USC's department of surgery has discovered a potential breakthrough in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and treating hydrocephalus. Young-Kwon Hong, ...

May 17, 2024

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Trial HIV vaccine triggers elusive and essential antibodies, pointing the way toward a successful vaccine

An HIV vaccine candidate developed at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute triggered low levels of an elusive type of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies among a small group of people enrolled in a 2019 clinical trial.

May 17, 2024

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Saturday, May 18

Repeat COVID-19 vaccinations elicit antibodies that neutralize variants, other viruses

The COVID-19 pandemic is over, but the virus that caused it is still here, sending thousands of people to the hospital each week and spinning off new variants with depressing regularity. The virus's exceptional ability to ...

May 18, 2024

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Creativity and humor shown to promote well-being in older adults via similar mechanisms

Many people associate aging with a decline in cognitive function, health issues, and reduced activity. Uncovering mental processes that can boost the well-being of the older adults could be highly beneficial, as it could ...

May 18, 2024 feature

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After 180 years, new clues are revealing just how general anesthesia works in the brain

Over 350 million surgeries are performed globally each year. For most of us, it's likely at some point in our lives we'll have to undergo a procedure that needs general anesthesia.

May 18, 2024

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Sweet taste receptor affects how glucose is handled metabolically by humans

The rich research portfolio of the Monell Chemical Senses Center on sweet taste goes way back: Monell scientists were one of four teams in 2001 that found and described the mammalian sweet taste receptor—TAS1R2-TAS1R3. ...

May 18, 2024

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Unlocking the body's defenses: Understanding immunotherapy

In the battle against diseases, the human body boasts an intricate defense network capable of identifying and neutralizing threats—the immune system. It serves as a guardian, constantly patrolling the body to keep it safe ...

May 18, 2024

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Modular communicative leadless ICD found to be safe and exceeds performance expectations

Wireless implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) eliminate the lead-related complications that come with a wired ICD, but they are unsuitable for patients with ventricular tachycardia, when the heart beats too quickly, ...

May 18, 2024

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Better medical record-keeping needed to fight antibiotic overuse, studies suggest

A lack of detailed record-keeping in clinics and emergency departments may be getting in the way of reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics, a pair of new studies by a pair of University of Michigan physicians and their ...

May 18, 2024

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Sunday, May 19

Acetaminophen shows promise in warding off acute respiratory distress syndrome, organ injury in patients with sepsis

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported clinical trial has found that intravenous acetaminophen reduced sepsis patients' risk of having organ injury or developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, a serious condition ...

May 19, 2024

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New analysis estimates the effects of race-neutral lung function testing on patients, hospitals, and beyond

Removing race from equations that estimate lung function will shift the categorization of disease severity across patient populations, moving more Black individuals into an advanced disease category, according to new research ...

May 19, 2024

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World-first trial shows benefits of finding and treating undiagnosed asthma and COPD

Finding and treating people with undiagnosed asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) improved their health and reduced their health care visits for respiratory symptoms in the year after diagnosis, according ...

May 19, 2024

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Birdwatching can improve mental health and foster a sense of well-being

The mental health benefits of being in nature have long been acknowledged, whether through activities like listening to birdsong or taking a walk in the park.

May 19, 2024

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Hormone replacement therapy may improve pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular function

The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be associated with improved pulmonary hypertension in women, according to research presented at the ATS 2024 International Conference held May 17–22 in San Diego. Pulmonary ...

May 19, 2024

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Extreme heat associated with children's asthma hospital visits

For children seeking care at a California urban pediatric health center, extreme heat events were associated with increased asthma hospital visits, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference ...

May 19, 2024

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Poor access to in-home nursing for medically complex children quantified

For American families with medically complex children, access to home health nursing is often inadequate and the families face major financial burdens, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference ...

May 19, 2024

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