CLEVELAND—Nearly every disease has an inflammatory component, but blood tests can’t pinpoint inflammation in specific organs or tissues in the human body. Now researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a method to detect inflammation using antibodies, potentially leading to blood tests for disease-specific biomarkers such as for heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and various cancers. Their breakthrough also holds promise for drug discovery. “This research opens up an amazing number of pathways ...

San Francisco, CA (Feb. 5, 2025) – The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are excited to host the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®, taking place Feb. 6-8, in San Francisco, CA. This premier event will showcase cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and advanced patient care strategies set to transform the lives of one in 100 Americans living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.  Below ...

Vanilla is vital to the livelihoods of farmers in Madagascar, where the globally popular dessert ingredient is the country’s No. 1 export. A fun, thought-provoking game designed by a team of scientists and played by Malagasy vanilla farmers reveals the challenges of payment programs that incentivize forest conservation in the region, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the February issue of the journal Biological Conservation, found that even amid volatile markets and climate uncertainties, farmers highly value their vanilla crops, which are tied ...

Vaginas host a complex microcosm of bacteria and yeasts that can fluctuate over time. However, little is known about these microbial communities and their roles in a person’s health, and 9 out of 10 studies only include participants from one continent, resulting in major geographical gaps in data. In a paper publishing February 6 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Microbiology, scientists share insights gleaned from a “sisterhood” of thousands of citizen scientists and demonstrate how international collaboration can help illuminate the gaps in our knowledge about the vaginal microbiome, including which bacteria are helpful ...

Four early-career scientists share how they’ve harnessed features of their lives—from music to AI technology—to inspire their career and uplift communities. Each winner receives $10,000 for their science with essays published in the journal Cell Cell Press, Cell Signaling Technology (CST), and the Elsevier Foundation are proud to announce the winners of the 5th annual Rising Black Scientists Awards: Jheannelle Johnson of Stanford University; Victor Ekuta, MD, of the Morehouse School of Medicine; Kenna Gloria Agbugba of Philander Smith ...

A new method pioneered to optimally cook both the yolk and white (or albumen) of a boiled chicken egg has been published in Communications Engineering. The approach, which the authors call periodic cooking, yields an evenly-cooked egg with a higher nutritional content than shell-on eggs cooked by conventional boiling or sous vide methods. The yolk and white in chicken eggs cook at two different temperatures: the albumen cooks at 85 degrees Celsius, while the yolk cooks at 65 degrees Celsius. Conventional methods for cooking ...

About The Study: In this cohort study of all residents of Ontario, Canada, individuals with incident hospital-based cannabis use disorder care were at markedly increased risk of death compared with the general population. These findings suggest important clinical and policy implications, given global trends toward cannabis legalization and market commercialization accompanied by increasing cannabis use and cannabis use disorders.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Daniel ...

About The Study: The results of this study show that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a notable drop in the number of common ophthalmic procedures among Medicare beneficiaries, especially in laser peripheral iridotomy, while eye drug injections saw minimal changes. The Northeast experienced the largest reductions, highlighting the pandemic’s association with changes in eye care and indicating a need for focused recovery efforts in the hardest hit areas.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Jessica D. Randolph, MD, email jessica.randolph@vcuhealth.org. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.6065) Editor’s ...

A clinical trial comparing a one-page medication handout proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with an updated version developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh that quantifies a drug’s risk and benefits showed that the latter was more informative and helped patients feel better equipped to make decisions. Published today in JAMA Network Open, the study, which used the drug mifepristone as an example, highlights the importance of communicating risks and benefits of prescription medications – ...

From decades of astronomical observations scientists know that most galaxies contain massive black holes at their centers. The gas and dust falling into these black holes liberates an enormous amount of energy as a result of friction, forming luminous galactic cores, called quasars, that expel jets of energetic matter. These jets can be detected with radio telescopes up to large distances. In our local Universe these radio jets are not uncommon, with a small fraction being found in nearby galaxies, but they have remained elusive in the distant, early Universe until now.  Using a combination of telescopes, astronomers have discovered a distant, two-lobed radio ...

Our immune system is armed with an array of defenses designed to detect and eliminate harmful threats. One of its most powerful defense mechanisms is the complement system—a group of proteins that patrols our body, ever vigilant for signs of infection or injury. Now, over 100 years after the complement system was first described, researchers at Mass General Brigham have discovered that a protein known as granzyme K (GZMK) drives tissue damage and inflammation by activating the complement system against our own tissues. Their findings not only reshape the century-old understanding of the complement system but also open new avenues for therapies that could specifically ...

Alcohol use disorder, which affects over 10% of Americans, can lead to persistent and serious insomnia. Difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep can last even after months of sobriety, increasing the risk of relapse. But treating withdrawal-related insomnia is difficult, partly because what’s going on in the brain in this condition remains largely mysterious. Now, research in fruit flies has identified specific brain signals and groups of brain cells that are involved in alcohol-induced insomnia. This work could ultimately lead ...

Key Takeaways: Appalachia is not uniform: There are important distinctions in cancer diagnoses and deaths among different regions of Appalachia, with certain areas of Central Appalachia experiencing the highest rates of cancer incidence and deaths among the greater Appalachian region. Higher death rates from cancers that can be caught early with screening: Although the region has improved in screening rates, people in Appalachia still die more frequently from cancers that can be caught early with routine screening than elsewhere in the  United States. Reason for hope: Research can pave the way for targeted interventions that can reduce these ...

LOS ANGELES — Why do some people who consume a few glasses of alcohol a day develop advanced liver disease while others who drink the same amount don’t?   The answer may lie in three common underlying medical conditions, according to a new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology from Keck Medicine of USC. The research found that heavy drinkers with either diabetes, high blood pressure or a high waist circumference are as much as 2.4 times more likely to develop advanced liver disease.   “The results ...

ROCHESTER, Minnesota — Mayo Clinic researchers have pioneered an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, called OmicsFootPrint, that helps convert vast amounts of complex biological data into two-dimensional circular images. The details of the tool are published in a study in Nucleic Acids Research.   Omics is the study of genes, proteins and other molecular data to help uncover how the body functions and how diseases develop. By mapping this data, the OmicsFootPrint may provide clinicians and researchers with a new way to visualize ...

“Here we present a case of a patient with stage IV CD-74-ROS1 fusion NSCLC discovered initially with RNA next generation sequencing (NGS) who acquired resistance to lorlatinib after 6 months on therapy through a novel RUFY1-RET fusion, detected only through RNA NGS.” BUFFALO, NY - February 6, 2025 – A new case report was published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget on February 5, 2025, titled “Acquired RUFY1-RET rearrangement as a mechanism of resistance to lorlatinib in a patient with CD74-ROS1 rearranged non-small cell lung cancer: A case report." In this case report, Jenny L. ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have designed a single-photon time-of-flight LiDAR system that can acquire a high-resolution 3D image of an object or scene up to 1 kilometer away. The new system could help enhance security, monitoring, and remote sensing by enabling detailed imaging even in challenging environmental conditions or when objects are obscured by foliage or camouflage netting. “Our system uses a single-photon detector approximately twice as efficient as detectors deployed in similar LiDAR systems ...

INDIANAPOLIS – Breast cancer is the world’s most prevalent cancer. Although earlier detection and targeted treatment have resulted in high survival rates, many breast cancer survivors experience fear of cancer recurrence. For some survivors this fear is occasional, for others it is persistent and often debilitating. A new study of breast cancer survivors has found this psychosocial challenge impacts almost every important domain of their lives – the emotional, behavioral, cognitive, relational and professional. A larger number of domains was affected, ...

Korea University Researchers Analysis of Income-Related Disparities in Mortality Among Young Adults with Diabetes   Type 2 diabetics (T2D) under 40 years of age with low income have a threefold higher risk of mortality   Young people with T2D are more affected by income than elderly people with T2D   The research team of Professor Sin Gon Kim and Professor Nam Hoon Kim of department of internal medicine (Endocrinology and Metabolism) of Korea University Anam Hospital, and Professor Ji Yoon Kim of Samsung Medical Center confirmed that young adults with T2D with low income have 3 times higher mortality ...

New research forthcoming in Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that when people understand how income inequality creates disparities in healthcare and education access, they become more likely to support policies addressing economic inequality. Across four studies, the research shows that highlighting connections between income gaps and inequalities in health and education access decreases acceptance of economic disparities and increase support for redistributive actions. "Research has shown that people often tolerate income inequality. However, our study shows that when people perceive ...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Feb. 6, 2025 — Michael S. Gordon, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of HonorHealth Research Institute, today was named a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO), the world’s leading professional organization for physicians and oncology professionals caring for people with cancer. “The title of FASCO is a recognition bestowed upon ASCO members who have shown extraordinary dedication for their voluntary efforts that benefit the Society, the specialty of oncology, and most importantly, the patients whom we serve,” according to a letter ...

AMES, Iowa – A farmer notices an unfamiliar insect on a leaf.   Is this a pollinator? Or a pest? Good news at harvest time? Or bad? Need to be controlled? Or not?   That farmer can snap a picture, use a smartphone or computer to feed the photo into a web-based application called InsectNet and, with the help of machine learning technology, get back real-time information.   “The app identifies the insect and returns a prediction of its taxonomic classification and role in the ecosystem as a pest, predator, pollinator, parasitoid, decomposer, herbivore, indicator ...

Restoring Predators, Restoring Ecosystems: Yellowstone Wolves and other Carnivores Drive Strong Trophic Cascade Corvallis, OR — February 6, 2025 — A new study reveals the profound ecological effects of wolves and other large carnivores in Yellowstone National Park, showcasing the cascading effects predators can have on ecosystems. In Yellowstone, this involves wolves and other large carnivores, elk, and willows. The research, which utilized previously published data from 25 riparian (streamside) ...

The domestication of maize is one of the greatest examples of humankind’s impact on evolution. Early farmers’ pre-industrial plant breeding choices turned corn from a nearly inedible crop into the major global food source it is today. Now, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professors Rob Martienssen and Thomas Gingeras are uncovering the genetics behind choices farmers made 9,000 years ago. They aim to better understand how evolution works and to help today’s farmers update corn so it can grow in harsh conditions. To ...

Boston, MA – Today, the Kraft Center for Community Health at Mass General Brigham announced the launch of the inaugural Kraft Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Community Health. This national prize seeks to honor a transformative organization, program or innovation that is making a measurable impact on health outcomes and has the potential to become a scalable model for addressing community health. “We established The Kraft Center for Community Health with a mission to expand access to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare for medically underserved patients, families, and communities,” ...