(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) A new study shows that giving the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, a curative treatment for common types of blood cancer, can make the procedure safe and effective even when donors and recipients are unrelated and have extensive genetic mismatches. Historically, genetic compatibility has played a primary role in identifying matched donors; these results suggest that many patients who need a transplant could now have access to a much broader pool of potential donors and expect outcomes comparable to those from fully matched donors. The study found that one-year survival was similar whether patients received ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) According to a new trial, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) show comparable outcomes whether they receive a single-agent treatment indefinitely or a combination treatment for a fixed period of time. The study is the first prospective trial to directly compare these two approaches. With a median follow-up of nearly three years, the results show these approaches are essentially equivalent in terms of risk of death or disease progression. “As clinicians, we often assume ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Sensitive tests designed to detect very small numbers of remaining leukemia cells after treatment, known as measurable residual disease (MRD), may provide an early and reliable indicator of long-term outcomes for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), according to a new study from the HARMONY Alliance. The study is the first to evaluate MRD as a potential measure of treatment efficacy and outcome prediction in the context of AML. The results suggest that MRD could help refine how physicians assess treatment response and personalize post-remission care. The findings may also help regulators determine whether MRD can serve as an intermediate ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) In a new trial, patients with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who had no evidence of remaining cancer cells after prior treatment, experienced comparable outcomes whether they received chemotherapy-based conditioning or total body irradiation (TBI), the standard conditioning regimen used before hematopoietic cell transplantation. The findings could allow more patients to avoid TBI and its associated long-term side effects. The study is the first to test the use of chemotherapy-based conditioning in patients with no evidence of measurable residual disease (MRD) through next-generation-sequencing ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Nearly a third of families with children receiving chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) – the most common pediatric cancer – develop serious financial difficulties during their child’s treatment, including losing 25% or more of their household income and struggling to cover the costs of basic living expenses such as housing, food, and utilities. “To our knowledge, this is the first study in pediatric oncology to examine the financial impact associated with cancer treatment by measuring household material hardship and income loss over ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Within a year of initiation, a multidisciplinary project to improve screening and treatment for iron deficiency in pregnancy resulted in a sixfold rise in screening rates for iron deficiency in pregnant patients, a 20-fold rise in the number of intravenous (IV) iron infusions, and a significant improvement in median hemoglobin levels. “Screening rates went from 10% to over 60% within a year,” said lead author Richard Godby, MD, a hematologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “Two-thirds of pregnant patients screened were found to be iron deficient, indicating that this is a very common, but readily fixable problem.” Women ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Treatment with intravenous (IV) iron significantly improved survival and increased hemoglobin levels in patients with iron-deficiency anemia who were hospitalized for an acute bacterial infection, according to an analysis of data from more than 85,000 patients.  “Our data show that it is safe to give IV iron to patients who have both iron-deficiency anemia and an acute bacterial infection, and that, compared with untreated patients, those treated with IV iron have better overall survival and higher hemoglobin levels,” said lead author Haris Sohail, MD, a fellow in hematology-oncology at Charleston Area Medical ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Compared with white patients, Black patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were on average more than five years younger at diagnosis, more than 30% more likely to die of their disease, and more than 20% more likely to die of any cause, according to an analysis of data conducted over a 34-year period and supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a component of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Among patients with a mutation in their cancer cells that is generally associated with more favorable outcomes from AML treatment, survival for Black patients was ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) A new study finds that only one in three patients visiting emergency departments (EDs) for severe pain associated with sickle cell disease received appropriate opioid-based pain-relieving medications within the first hour as recommended by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).    Based on data from several hundred medical centers across the United States, the research represents the first large, national study to assess guideline adherence across diverse EDs. It shows substantially ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Taking the sickle cell drug hydroxyurea during or shortly before pregnancy does not appear to cause specific issues in newborns, according to the first prospective study of pregnancies involving hydroxyurea exposure. Since there may yet be undocumented effects, the authors still recommend discontinuing the drug before pregnancy, if possible. However, the findings offer reassurance that hydroxyurea exposure may not cause harm when unplanned pregnancies occur or when the drug is the only or best option ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Patients who underwent hematopoietic cell transplantation for sickle cell disease saw high rates of survival without disease symptoms and low rates of severe side effects or complications years after their procedure, according to a new study. The study included over 1,000 patients, representing the largest and most comprehensive analysis of long-term transplant outcomes to date in people living with sickle cell disease. “A majority of patients in this cohort are alive; the transplant worked so they no longer show symptoms of their sickle cell disease, and most have had no late effects post-transplant,” said lead study author Elizabeth Stenger, ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) The first study assessing the real-world commercial roll-out of gene therapies for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia offers lessons learned to inform best practices as manufacturers and medical centers prepare to meet growing demand for gene therapies in the coming years. “Gene therapy requires system-level coordination and close collaboration across patients, treatment centers, payers, and manufacturers,” said study author Joanne Lager, MD, chief medical officer at Genetix Biotherapeutics Inc. “The demand for these one-time durable gene ...

(ORLANDO, Dec. 6, 2025) Preliminary results from two trials of the gene therapy exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel) suggest the therapy offers an effective cure for beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease in children younger than 12. Researchers say the therapy’s potential to offer a cure at an early age – before organ damage accumulates – could make exa-cel even more beneficial in children than adults. “All younger patients with sufficient follow-up met the primary endpoint of being transfusion independent in those with beta thalassemia and free of vaso-occlusive crises for those with sickle cell disease,” said ...

East Hanover, NJ – December 5, 2025 – The December 2025 National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report shows that employment outcomes for working-aged people with disabilities remain near historic highs, despite broader economic uncertainty. nTIDE reporting was on hiatus while the federal government shutdown delayed the release of employment data, which only recently became available. Although employment and labor force participation edged down slightly in September, both measures continue to outperform year-to-year trends for workers without disabilities. Overall, the findings point to sustained labor market engagement among people with disabilities, ...

Interactions among viruses can help them succeed inside their hosts or impart vulnerabilities that make them easier to treat. Scientists are learning the ways viruses mingle inside the cells they infect, as well as the consequences of their socializing.  Ph.D. student Alexander J. Robertson in the Molecular & Cellular Biology program at the University of Washington is among those scientists.  “I study the evolution of antimicrobial resistance through mechanisms which require interaction between microbes,” he explained. This week he is the lead author of a paper in Nature Ecology & Evolution on that topic. Polioviruses ...

ITHACA, N.Y. – An international collaboration led by Cornell University researchers used a combination of psilocybin and the rabies virus to map how – and where – the psychedelic compound rewires the connections in the brain. Specifically, they showed psilocybin weakens the cortico-cortical feedback loops that can lock people into negative thinking. Psilocybin also strengthens pathways to subcortical regions that turn sensory perceptions into action, essentially enhancing sensory-motor responses. The ...

In November, The Lancet, one of the world’s most esteemed medical journals, launched a new monthly series of case studies that goes beyond clinical diagnoses to illuminate the social and cultural forces that contribute to each patient’s condition.  Clinical case studies have long been a fixture in medical journals and are a primary way doctors and other health professionals continue learning after their initial training. Typically, case studies are short summaries of a patient’s predicament alongside a clinician’s assessment, diagnosis, ...

Barrow Neurological Institute, University of Calgary study urges “major change” to migraine treatment in Emergency Departments Advises that injectable treatments must be offered, reducing reliance on opioids  PHOENIX – A new study by Phoenix’s Barrow Neurological Institute and the University of Calgary has found which injectable treatments showed the most benefit for migraine patients and should be routinely offered by Emergency Departments (ED) when feasible. The findings from the study will update the guidelines for the American Headache Society.  Based on a systematic review of clinical trial data, the study ...

HONOLULU, Dec. 5, 2025 — When a natural disaster strikes, time is of the essence if people are trapped under rubble. Conventional search-and-rescue methods use radar-based detection or employ acoustics that rely on sounds made by victims. Since most people carry their phones with them every day, Shogo Takada, a student at the University of Tokyo, is working on a way to use smartphone microphones to assist in locating disaster victims. Takada will present his results Friday, Dec. 5, at 11:45 a.m. HST as part of the Sixth Joint Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and Acoustical Society of Japan, running Dec. 1-5 in Honolulu, ...

A new study highlights a promising path toward sustainable hydrogen peroxide production using sunlight, oxygen, and water, offering a cleaner alternative to the energy-intensive anthraquinone process that dominates global manufacturing today. In a commentary published in Sustainable Carbon Materials, researchers Bing Han of North China Electric Power University and Yin Zhang of Nanyang Technological University discuss a recent advancement in covalent organic framework technologies that could reshape photocatalytic chemical synthesis. The featured work, led by Yang and colleagues, demonstrates how a rational redesign of catalyst structures can dramatically boost the efficiency ...

Researchers have developed a new material that captures harmful PFAS chemicals from water in a matter of seconds, offering a promising pathway to address one of today’s most persistent environmental threats. The study reports that a nitrate-intercalated layered double hydroxide can remove perfluorooctanoic acid, a widely detected PFAS contaminant, with an exceptional capacity of 1,702 milligrams per gram. PFAS, often called forever chemicals because of their extreme persistence, are commonly found in drinking water, soils, and even human blood. Traditional adsorbents such as activated carbon and biochar often struggle with limited ...

Plant derived phenolic acids can dramatically enhance the activity of existing antibiotics against multidrug resistant E. coli, offering a promising new tool in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. In laboratory and insect models, these natural compounds helped an older antibiotic kill resistant bacteria more efficiently and reduced the chance that new resistance would emerge.​ “Instead of waiting many years and spending enormous resources to develop brand new antibiotics, we show that small molecules already present in plants can breathe new life into the drugs we rely on today,” ...

A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill researchers shows that advanced artificial intelligence tools, specifically large language models (LLMs), can accurately determine the locations where plant specimens were originally collected, a process known as georeferencing. This task has traditionally been slow, expensive and dependent on significant manual effort. The team found that LLMs can complete this work with near-human accuracy while being significantly faster and more cost-effective.  “Our ...

CROWN POINT, Ind. — OYE Therapeutics Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class intravenous caffeine-based therapies for anesthesia recovery and opioid-induced respiratory depression, has announced the successful close of its $5 million convertible note financing, positioning the company to enter clinical development. The company is headquartered at the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana. CEO Brett Dines said the round drew strong new investor participation and was oversubscribed to $5.6 million, reflecting sustained confidence ...

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – December 5, 2025) When a cell receives a message from outside, it generates a molecule called cyclic AMP (cAMP) to relay this message. To ensure the signal reaches the correct effector without triggering pathways accidentally, cAMP levels must be maintained around their point of origin and at the right level. ABCC4, a protein that transports cAMP out of cells and also contributes to drug resistance, helps with this local control. Yet, how ABCC4 is held in place at the right spot to perform these functions was not clear. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital revealed that global elevation ...