https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Researchers at National Jewish Health and colleagues have completed the first study comparing lung macrophages in multiple models of lung injury. The research indicates that macrophages previously described as "pro-fibrotic" are insufficient to cause fibrosis on their own, opening the door to research that can help advance the understanding of how macrophage programming can help or hinder lung repair. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-reveals-macrophages-misunderstood-role-lung.html Medical research Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:31:22 EST news654499877 Although being married or in a long-term relationship is often seen as the norm, more people are staying single for life. But singlehood can bring economic and medical disadvantages, especially as people get older and may become more reliant on others. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-lifelong-singles-differ-personality-traits.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:30:25 EST news654499818 Medicare Advantage—the privatized form of Medicare that offers benefits beyond traditional Medicare, such as dental insurance—is gaining in popularity, but a new analysis reveals that the quality of dental coverage offered by Medicare Advantage is poor, with only 8.4% of plans offering a dental benefit that met the study's quality standards. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-uncovers-poor-quality-dental-coverage.html Dentistry Thu, 26 Dec 2024 11:00:01 EST news654251036 Mayo Clinic researchers have identified interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) as a significant biomarker of cellular senescence and aging in both mice and humans. Experiments show that IL-23R levels in the bloodstream increase with age and can decrease, reflecting senescent cell clearing, with senolytic therapies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-biomarker-aging-cells.html Gerontology & Geriatrics Wed, 25 Dec 2024 08:30:01 EST news654169322 Cardiovascular disease continues to lead as the primary cause of death across the globe, taking millions of lives every year. Damage caused by these diseases is particularly difficult to repair, since the heart has minimal ability to regenerate itself. But what if we could reprogram the body's own cells to restore damaged tissue? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-reprogramming-cells-heart-method-ordinary.html Cardiology Tue, 24 Dec 2024 11:24:03 EST news654261841 Physician-researchers with City of Hope have developed a way to add features to T cells to help them overcome mechanisms of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy resistance. Their new system is outlined in a paper published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-cells-patients-resistance-car-cell.html Oncology & Cancer Tue, 24 Dec 2024 11:15:40 EST news654261327 A gesture as simple as a smile can often convey what words cannot. This is part of why nonverbal communication is so central to human interaction. It is also why facial nerve disorders and injuries can be devastating. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-stem-cellbased-conduits-facial-nerve.html Neuroscience Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:14:45 EST news654257679 A new method of scanning lungs is able to show the effects of treatment on lung function in real time and enable experts to see the functioning of transplanted lungs. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-lung-scanning-method-treatment-effects.html Radiology & Imaging Tue, 24 Dec 2024 10:00:02 EST news654164881 Giving more blood to anemic patients after a heart attack may save lives, according to a Rutgers Health–led study. The study, published in NEJM Evidence, affirms research conducted in 2023 that suggested mortality rate or recurrent heart attacks were more frequent in anemic patients who received less blood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-blood-transfusions-linked-month-mortality.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:43:03 EST news654194581 A drug recently approved to prevent migraine may start working right away, according to a study published in the December 23, 2024, online issue of Neurology. The study looked at the drug atogepant, which is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist taken by mouth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-migraine-relief-drug.html Medications Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:00:01 EST news654169153 Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella is a serious public health concern that has increased in recent years as the bacteria have developed ways to survive drugs. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people can get Salmonella from eating contaminated food products or from infected people or animals—typically via unintentional contact with feces via touching hands or stroking a pet. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-pet-dogs-linked-antimicrobial-resistant.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:52:04 EST news654191521 One might argue that one of the primary duties of a physician is to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate the odds: What are the chances of a medical procedure's success? Is the patient at risk of developing severe symptoms? When should the patient return for more testing? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-ai-health-dont-algorithms.html Health Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:24:58 EST news654189894 A new gene editing tool that helps cellular machinery skip parts of genes responsible for diseases has been applied to reduce the formation of amyloid-beta plaque precursors in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-gene-tool-alzheimer-plaque-precursor.html Genetics Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:16:04 EST news654182161 Signals relayed to motor neurons from the brain enable muscle movement, but these signals typically pass through spinal interneurons before they reach their destination. How the brain and this highly diverse group of "switchboard operator" cells are connected is poorly understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-brain-neuronal-motor-function.html Neuroscience Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:56:04 EST news654180962 The human immune deficiency virus (HIV) first entered public consciousness in the early 1980s, after cases of unfamiliar and deadly illnesses began to overwhelm medical centers across North America. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-previously-unknown-protein-interactions-hiv.html HIV & AIDS Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:49:03 EST news654180541 Everyone knows the health risks of carrying too much fat around the waist and hips, but UVA Health scientists are developing a noninvasive way to assess the health risks of unseen fat around the heart. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-mri-technique-heart-disease-fat.html Cardiology Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:38:15 EST news654179890 A discovery has highlighted lithium—a drug long used to treat bipolar disorder and depression—as a potential therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This research, conducted by a team at the Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) led by Director Kim Eunjoon, reveals that lithium can restore brain function and alleviate behavioral symptoms in animal models of ASD caused by mutations in the Dyrk1a gene. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-lithium-autism-symptoms-mouse.html Neuroscience Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:16:04 EST news654178561 Whenever a sink overflows, the flooding is usually caused by a blockage that has built up in the drains. Similarly, as we age, our bodies are flooded by aging, or senescent cells, which have stopped dividing but, instead of dying, remain active and build up in body tissues. Recent studies have shown that getting rid of these cells might delay age-related diseases, reduce inflammation and extend lives. Despite the great potential, however, there is currently no drug that can target these cells directly and efficiently. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-unclogging-immune-scientists-immunotherapy-aging.html Immunology Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:56:22 EST news654177378 Despite the development of numerous cancer treatment technologies, the common goal of current cancer therapies is to eliminate cancer cells. This approach, however, faces fundamental limitations, including cancer cells developing resistance and returning, as well as severe side effects from the destruction of healthy cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-digital-twin-colon-cancer-cells.html Oncology & Cancer Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:18:12 EST news654175088 The standard medication levodopa does not always work against tremors in Parkinson's disease, especially in stressful situations. Propranolol, however, does work during stress, providing insight into the role of the stress system in tremors. MRI scans reveal that propranolol directly inhibits activity in the brain circuit that controls tremors. Doctors may consider this medication when levodopa is ineffective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-clinical-trial-propranolol-tremors-parkinson.html Medications Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:16:04 EST news654174961 Researchers with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have unveiled a critical mechanism that links cellular stress in the brain to the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-alzheimer-stress-microglial-lipid.html Neuroscience Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:00:01 EST news653906641 Liggins Institute in Auckland-led research has found that adults who were born preterm showed no statistically significant differences in diabetes, prediabetes, or dyslipidemia and had fewer cardiovascular events compared with adults born at term. A higher likelihood of developing high blood pressure by age 50 was seen among the preterm group. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-born-preterm-affect-term-health.html Health Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:56:18 EST news654173771 Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in individuals over 65, characterized by abnormal changes in the macular, resulting in reduced vision and distorted objects. Dry AMD accounts for 90% of all AMD cases, with relatively mild vision impairment; however, approximately 30% progress to the severe vision loss associated with wet AMD within 10 years. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-peptide-based-eye-age-macular.html Ophthalmology Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:55:47 EST news654173744 UiB researchers are behind a new discovery that tells us how associated neurodegenerative diseases might develop. At the center of this discovery stands a molecule called NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. The results have been published in Nature Metabolism. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-newly-mechanism-reveals-nad-role.html Gerontology & Geriatrics Mon, 23 Dec 2024 10:28:04 EST news654172081 Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder associated with a progressive decline in memory and mental abilities, which can significantly hinder people's ability to complete daily tasks. Past studies found that patients diagnosed with AD, as well as some other neurodegenerative disorders, exhibit an abnormal accumulation of tau protein in their neurons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-explores-association-tau-filaments-extracellular.html Neuroscience Sun, 22 Dec 2024 09:40:01 EST news653837524 A recent study by Simon Fraser University researchers has revealed how an overlooked type of indirect brain damage contributes to ongoing disability after a stroke. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-term-disability-path-treatment.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Sat, 21 Dec 2024 16:50:02 EST news653676246 In 2022 alone, over 20 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and nearly 10 million died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization. While the reaches of cancer are massive, the answer to more effective treatments may be hidden within a microscopic cell. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-microscopic-cell-linked-cancer-rapid.html Oncology & Cancer Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:49:34 EST news653996968 Salt, or more precisely the sodium it contains, is very much a "Goldilocks" nutrient. Low sodium levels cause a drop in blood volume, which can have serious, sometimes deadly, health consequences. Conversely, too much salt can lead to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-salt-behavior-specific-brain-neurons.html Medical research Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:46:46 EST news653996797 A research team led by Prof. Seung-Kyun Kang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University has developed a strain sensor with record-breaking sensitivity in collaboration with researchers from Dankook University, Ajou University, and Purdue University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-hypersensitive-strain-sensor-enables-real.html Neuroscience Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:00:01 EST news653817901 Human norovirus, a positive-strand RNA virus that is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis accounting for an estimated 685 million cases and approximately 212,000 deaths globally per year, has no approved vaccines or antivirals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-discovery-norovirus-replication-hubs-antiviral.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 20 Dec 2024 14:00:01 EST news653817001