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Medicine28 Jan 2026

Delivery of magnetic energy to the brain is a cost-effective treatment option for patients with depression, finds a new study

A major new study has found that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which applies magnetic energy to the brain, can be a cost-effective treatment option for the NHS in treating moderate and severe forms of depression that have not responded to other treatments. The economic analysis, which is published in BMJ Mental Health, compared TMS to usual care in specialist mental health services, and found that TMS reduces depressive symptoms, eases pressures on informal carers and on NHS resources, and helps people get back to work. TMS represents an investment in care that recovers its costs over time, primarily from savings to the wider health service and from ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Candida Rebello secures $3. 7 million NIH grant to study muscle retention in older adults

Pennington Biomedical Research Center scientist Dr. Candida Rebello recently secured a $3.7 million, five-year grant from NIH’s National Institute on Aging to explore lifestyle-focused care strategies to reduce excess body fat and declining muscle mass in older adults with obesity, also known as sarcopenic obesity. The grant will facilitate the planning and structure of the clinical trial laid out in her project “Lifestyle intervention to improve muscle function in older adults.” Older adults with obesity face a combined challenge of excess weight and declining muscle mass and strength. To date, the ...

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Science27 Jan 2026

Badged up for success

What if earning a Ph.D. also came with proof of strong communication skills, not just research expertise? Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the South Carolina Science Writing Initiative for Trainees (SC-SWIFT) at the MUSC College of Graduate Studies (CGS) are gaining exactly that. Along with their degrees, they are earning digital badges that show they can clearly explain science to people outside of the lab. Established in 2016, SC-SWIFT offers interns the opportunity to write and publish news stories and releases on recent, high-impact MUSC research. In 2023, it also began offering a tiered digital badge program in science communications, ...

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Technology27 Jan 2026

FAU leaps ahead as state’s first university to host an onsite quantum computer

Florida Atlantic University will be the first university in Florida to publicly host a large, dedicated quantum computer on site. Today, FAU signed an agreement with D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS), to acquire and install an Advantage2 annealing quantum computer on the university’s Boca Raton campus, aiming to accelerate and solidify the state of Florida’s position as a leader in quantum computing. The Advantage2 system deployment, expected later this year, will serve as the foundation of a new partnership with D-Wave, the only dual-platform quantum computing company, providing annealing ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

International team led by HonorHealth Research Institute and U of A develop 3D chip platform for laboratory testing in cancer research

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jan. 27, 2026 — Cancer research laboratory tests can now be done using micro-physiological systems mimicking the human physiology, allowing greater predictive accuracy for human patientresponses, thanks to an international scientific team led by HonorHealth Research Institute and the University of Arizona. Their findings from a simulated radiation treatment for lung cancer are summarized in a paper published in the scientific journal iScience entitled: A human 3D culture-organ-on-chip platform for investigating the tumor microenvironment response to ionizing radiation (10.1016/j.isci.2025.114236). “We ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Clinical trial seeks improved survival for head and neck cancer patients

OKLAHOMA CITY – A newly approved National Cancer Institute-funded clinical trial aims to improve survival for head and neck cancer patients whose disease returns after radiation therapy – a setback that affects up to 40% of patients and is often associated with poor outcomes. For these patients, surgery is currently the standard treatment, typically targeting tumors in the mouth, throat or lymph nodes of the neck. This Phase II trial will examine whether giving chemotherapy, or chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, before surgery can improve survival compared with surgery alone. “Even when a patient is a good surgical candidate, the operation is often aggressive ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

COVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells in UCLA-led study

New research shows that after the body’s defenses kill the virus behind COVID-19, leftover digested chunks of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can target specific immune cells based on their shape. The revelations could explain why certain populations of cells that detect and fight infection are depleted in patients with severe COVID-19, and shed light on the omicron variant’s milder symptoms. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may launch a line of inquiry that informs new strategies for quelling the most serious symptoms of COVID-19. Led by a UCLA team, the scientific collaboration ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Research findings may lead to earlier diagnoses of genetic disorder

Virginia Tech researchers discovered an indication hidden in the brain that may help doctors identify children suffering from a rare genetic disease earlier. Their findings were published recently in EMBO Molecular Medicine. Leigh syndrome is a severe neurological disorder that affects the mitochondria, which are energy factories found in almost all the cells of the body. This disease typically appears in infancy and can progress rapidly, leading to limited treatment options and poor survival rates. Prenatal tests for mitochondrial disorders like Leigh syndrome ...

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Environment27 Jan 2026

In polar regions, microbes are influencing climate change as frozen ecosystems thaw, McGill review finds

Microbes across Earth’s coldest regions are becoming more active as glaciers, permafrost and sea ice thaw, accelerating carbon release and potentially amplifying climate change, according to a new international review from McGill University. Drawing on data from polar and alpine environments worldwide, the researchers found that warming is driving faster microbial metabolism, increasing the breakdown of organic matter and the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

The Vertebrate Genome Laboratory at The Rockefeller University receives support from Google.org for AI science research

NEW YORK, NY– Today, the Vertebrate Genome Laboratory, led by Erich Jarvis and Co-Directors Giulio Formenti and Jennifer Balacco, at The Rockefeller University, has received funding as part of Google.org's $20 million AI for Science Fund to support organizations focused on cutting-edge AI for science research. The funding has been awarded to twelve academic and nonprofit organizations around the world that are using AI to address increasingly complex problems at the intersections of various disciplines of science. The proportion ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Scientists develop first gene-editing treatment for skin conditions

Gene-editing tools like CRISPR have unlocked new treatments for previously uncurable diseases. Now, researchers at the University of British Columbia are extending those possibilities to the skin for the first time. The UBC team, together with researchers from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité in Germany, has developed the first gene therapy capable of correcting faulty genes when applied directly to human skin. Outlined today in a paper published in Cell Stem Cell, the breakthrough could lead ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

New cancer-killing material developed by Oregon State University nanomedicine researchers

PORTLAND, Ore. – Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new nanomaterial that triggers a pair of chemical reactions inside cancer cells, killing the cells via oxidative stress while leaving healthy tissues alone. The study led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang of the OSU College of Pharmacy was published this week in Advanced Functional Materials. The findings advance the field of chemodynamic therapy or CDT, an emerging treatment approach based on the distinctive biochemical environment found in ...

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Energy27 Jan 2026

Physicists predict significant growth for cadmium telluride photovoltaics

A solar energy generation technology once considered limited in its potential is poised for significant growth in the United States. That’s the conclusion of a team of scientists who analyzed the outlook for cadmium telluride photovoltaics in research published in the peer-reviewed journal Joule. University of Toledo physicists including Dr. Michael Heben, a Distinguished University Professor and McMaster Chair and Director of the Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization, collaborated with partners at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Purdue team announces new therapeutic target for breast cancer

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University team led by Kyle Cottrell has discovered a new therapeutic target for triple-negative breast cancer. “Triple-negative breast cancer is a particularly deadly form of breast cancer that currently lacks targeted therapies,” said Cottrell, an assistant professor of biochemistry. Cottrell, biochemistry graduate student Addison Young and their co-authors describe the discovery in the journal RNA. The laboratory research spotlights double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA)-binding proteins. ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

‘Nudging’ both patients and providers boosts flu vaccine numbers

PHILADELPPHIA—Patients were 28 percent more likely to get a flu shot when they got a text message reminder and their primary care provider already had an order for the shot waiting, new research from the Perelman School of Medicine showed. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. “This is important given the rise in vaccine hesitancy, which has resulted in a downward trend in flu vaccination that coincided with a high rate of hospitalization this flu season,” said the study’s lead author, Shivan Mehta, MD, MBA, MSHP, associate chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine. “Many nudge interventions directed to patients only on vaccinations have shown ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

How do nature and nurture shape our immune cells?

LA JOLLA (January 27, 2026)—The COVID-19 pandemic gave us tremendous perspective on how wildly symptoms and outcomes can vary between patients experiencing the same infection. How can two people infected by the same pathogen have such different responses? It largely comes down to variability in genetics (the genes you inherit) and life experience (your environmental, infection, and vaccination history). These two influences are imprinted on our cells through small molecular alterations called epigenetic changes, which shape cell identity ...

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Social Science27 Jan 2026

Speeding, hard braking reduced in insurance plans that base rates on driving behavior, offer rewards

Drivers whose car insurance rates are based on data of their driving habits and who then also got tips about improving them were less likely to speed, brake hard, or rapidly accelerate than those who didn’t participate in the program, according to a recent test by a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their work was published in Accident Analysis & Prevention. Speeding declined by up to 13 percent, and hard braking and rapid acceleration declined by up to 25 percent. In addition, drivers ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Shared process underlies oral cancer pain and opioid tolerance

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in the tissue around oral cancers both increases nerve sensitivity and makes opioids less effective, according to new research published in Science Signaling. The findings point to a shared mechanism underlying both oral cancer pain and opioid tolerance—and a possible new treatment strategy for both. “Repurposing existing cancer drugs that block EGFR may be a promising way to manage oral cancer pain and prevent or reverse opioid tolerance,” said Yi Ye, PhD, associate professor at NYU College of Dentistry and associate ...

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Science27 Jan 2026

Claiming your business page on review platforms can have unintended effects on customer reviews, study shows

Claiming a business page on an online review platform such as Yelp may result in a sharp decline in ratings and an increase in lengthy, negative customer feedback, according to a study from Florida International University. The study, led by Jong Youl Lee, assistant professor of information systems and business analytics at FIU’s College of Business, finds that once a business claims its Yelp page, its average rating falls by more than 10%, driven largely by an influx of one-star reviews and a decrease in five-star reviews. The shift is immediate and persistent, lasting more than a year ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Inflammation and autoimmune-like dysfunction may play a role in heart failure

HERSHEY, Pa. — When the heart’s muscle is weakened or injured due to a heart attack, it can make it hard for the heart to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Over time, it can lead to heart failure, where the heart’s function drops below 40%. The condition affects an estimated 6.7 million people over the age of 20 in the United State, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 50% of patients with heart failure die within five years ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

How too much of a good thing leads to neurodegenerative disease

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. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and their colleagues have now identified the mechanism that links the two. The findings are published in the latest edition of Neuron. The nuclear pore, the largest protein complex in the cell, is made up of roughly 30 different proteins. It forms a tightly regulated channel, ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

UH psychologist explores reducing anxiety among survivors of sexual assault

A psychologist at the University of Houston is providing guidance to improve the mental health of victims of sexual violence, recognized by major health organizations as a public health crisis with serious implications on victims’ physical, mental and reproductive health. Michael Zvolensky, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor of psychology, led a team examining how the violence of a sexual assault can lead to a higher risk of lifelong challenges from post-traumatic stress disorder to alcohol use disorder. His findings are published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Project seeks to develop retinal screening for Alzheimer’s

The human eye may literally become a window revealing the earliest signals of Alzheimer’s disease, thanks to a new federally funded research initiative at Oregon Health & Science University. The new five-year, $3.3 million award will enable OHSU scientists to develop an eye drop specially designed to detect the fluorescent signal of a protein associated with Alzheimer’s. Combined with the use of a noninvasive scanner, the research project could result in a low-cost, widely accessible screening tool to catch the earliest stage of the disease. “We’re looking for early-stage patients who don’t have ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

Mount Sinai study finds antibody-producing immune cells can help shape cancer immunotherapy

NEW YORK, (January 27, 2026) – Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified an important immune response that helps explain why some cancer patients benefit from immunotherapy while others do not. In a study published in the January 27 online issue of Nature Medicine (DOI 10.1038/s41591-025-04177-6), the researchers found that antibody-producing immune cells called IgG1 plasma cells play a key role in helping patients respond to PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type ...

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Medicine27 Jan 2026

ACMG announces 2026 Medical Genetics Awareness Week celebrating professionals “making a difference together”

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) announced today that the eighth annual Medical Genetics Awareness Week, sponsored by MyOme, will be held March 10–14, 2026, inviting the public, health professionals, patients, and policymakers to learn more about one of the most rapidly advancing and impactful fields in modern medicine. Medical genetics plays a central role in today’s healthcare, guiding the diagnosis of rare diseases, informing cancer risk, shaping newborn screening, and enabling precision treatment ...

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