This study is led by Dr. Lianyong Han and Dr. Tobias Stoeger in Germany (Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI), Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health). By analyzing multiple emphysema and COPD patient datasets, SPP1 is significantly upregulated in the lungs of patients, compared to healthy individuals. “These findings pointed out the clinical relevance of SPP1 induction during COPD development and has motivated us to understand their contributions ...

With New Year resolutions in full swing and health tracking apps at our fingertips, new research reveals concerning links between health and fitness apps and disordered eating, body image concerns and excessive exercise. “Diet and fitness apps are marketed as tools to improve health, however they may also have unintended negative consequences, such as creating pressure to meet goals, concerns about body image as well as provoking feelings of guilt if goals aren’t achieved,” says Ms Isabella Anderberg in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. “Whilst there is evidence that these tools can be effective in increasing physical activity, we’re ...

Singapore, 20 February 2025—A discovery at Duke-NUS Medical School offers new hope in the battle against pulmonary fibrosis, a debilitating lung condition that progressively makes it harder for patients to breathe. Scientists have pinpointed proteins in immune cells that, when blocked, could significantly reduce lung tissue scarring. Current treatments primarily manage symptoms and improving quality of life, without addressing the underlying cause of pulmonary fibrosis. Although macrophages, a type of immune cell, had previously been known to contribute to inflammation ...

Greaux Healthy—a public service initiative powered by Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in partnership with the State of Louisiana—is proud to announce the release of the Childhood Obesity Prevention, Evaluation and Treatment Toolkit, a comprehensive resource designed to equip healthcare providers with practical, evidence-based guidance for preventing, evaluating, and treating childhood obesity and its related comorbidities. Developed in alignment with the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical practice guidelines, the toolkit synthesizes the latest scientific evidence and ...

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital have announced a transformational collaboration dedicated solely to pediatric cancer care. Approved by the UT System Board of Regents and the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees, this new, first-of-its-kind joint venture will unite the nation’s largest comprehensive pediatric system and a top pediatric cancer program with the nation’s leading comprehensive cancer center. The collaboration has a single ...

HOUSTON, TX (February 19, 2025) – Texas Children’s Hospital and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have announced a transformational collaboration dedicated solely to pediatric cancer care. Approved by the Texas Children’s Board of Trustees and the UT System Board of Regents, this new, first-of-its-kind joint venture will unite the nation’s largest comprehensive pediatric system and a top pediatric cancer program with the nation’s leading comprehensive cancer center. The collaboration has a single mission: to end childhood cancer. “The scope and scale of our combined effort will build the world’s preeminent pediatric cancer ...

Patients affected by sinus thrombosis are treated with blood thinners. Traditionally, these patients are prescribed vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). In order to give the correct dosage, regular check-ups at the thrombosis service are necessary. A global study, coordinated by Amsterdam UMC, now shows that new medication, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), are equally safe and effective. The study was published today in The Lancet Neurology.  A big advantage is that this medication is more user-friendly because regular thrombosis monitoring is no longer ...

Every minute, four males and six females need inpatient treatment due to suicide attempts around the world. Males die from suicide at twice the rate of females, and their attempts result in death three times more often than female attempts. Globally, 10% of suicides by males and 3% by females were with guns. In the U.S., 55% by males and 31% by females were with guns. Between 1990 and 2021, the global age-standardized death rate for suicide declined by almost 40%, indicating that intervention and prevention are ...

Spine injections should not be given to adults with chronic back pain because they provide little or no pain relief compared with sham injections, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today. Their strong recommendations apply to procedures such as epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks for people living with chronic back pain (lasting at least 3 months) that is not associated with cancer, infection or inflammatory arthritis. Their advice is based on the latest evidence and is part of The BMJ’s ‘Rapid ...

Five years on since The BMJ’s special issue on racism in medicine, and a global pandemic, the landscape is very different, but has racism in the NHS and UK medicine got better or worse? In 2020, a BMJ investigation found that UK medical schools were failing to deal with complaints of racism. Another round of requests to the UK’s 46 medical schools has now found that eight in 10 (34 of 41 that responded) are collecting data on complaints about racism, up from half in 2020. And the number ...

The UK government should resist allowing AI companies to scrape all copyrighted works unless the holder has actively “opted out”, as it puts an unfair burden on up-and-coming creative talents who lack the skills and resources to meet legal requirements. This is according to a new report from University of Cambridge experts in economics, policy and machine learning, who also argue the UK government should clearly state that only a human author can hold copyright – even when AI has been heavily involved. A collaboration between three Cambridge initiatives – ...

New research shows almost 90% of people in England would agree to genetic testing to get the most effective medication and reduce the risk of side effects 85% thought that the NHS should offer pharmacogenomic testing to people with multiple health conditions 58% of people thought that the NHS should offer this testing to everyone 91% wanted access to their own pharmacogenomic data, with many wanting this via the NHS app Pharmacogenomics – an individual’s genetic response to medications – is an increasingly important strand of personalised healthcare but little is known about the public's views ...

University of Texas at Arlington research projects contributed $59 million to the national economy in 2024—an increase of 39% from 2023, according to a new report from the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science (IRIS). UTA has invested heavily in research infrastructure, purchasing cutting-edge scientific equipment and technology, such as North Texas’ most advanced gene sequencer and a super-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging machine for the Clinical Imaging Research Center. The funds also support collaboration with other research organizations. UTA worked through 1,144 unique ...

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – February 19, 2025) Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder set in motion before birth. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital led the first in uterotreatment of SMA with the orally administered drug risdiplam. More than two years after the child was born, no identifiable features of SMA have been observed. This study demonstrates the feasibility of treating SMA prenatally and supports further investigation into the approach. The findings were published ...

How on Earth? It has puzzled scientists for years whether and how bacteria, that live from dissolved organic matter in marine waters, can carry out N2 fixation. It was assumed that the high levels of oxygen combined with the low amount of dissolved organic matter in the marine water column would prevent the anaerobic and energy consuming N2 fixation. Already in the 1980s it was suggested that aggregates, so-called “marine snow particles”, could possibly be suitable sites for N2fixation, ...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vimseltinib (RomvimzaTM) for adult patients with a rare condition called tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). TGCT is a tumor of the tissue that lines the joints.  Sarcoma oncologist William Tap, MD, Chief of the Sarcoma Medical Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), led the international phase 3 MOTION trial that resulted in the drug’s approval. Vimseltinib is a type of targeted therapy called a kinase inhibitor and is taken as a pill.  “This approval is an exciting advance for ...

The Columbia Climate School has announced the first master’s degree program in the United States for climate finance. In close collaboration with the Columbia Business School, this interdisciplinary degree will drive impactful solutions to the climate crisis through advanced financial tools and scientific knowledge. This is the third master’s program announced by the Climate School, in addition to an M.A. in Climate and Society and an M.S. in Climate degree. “The world needs problem-solvers to address the global climate crisis,” said Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia Climate School. “Everyone ...

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today was awarded nearly $23 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in support of 20 cancer research projects to advance new breakthroughs in discovery, translational, clinical and prevention science. In addition, CPRIT awarded $2 million for the recruitment of one first-time, tenure-track faculty member. “We sincerely appreciate CPRIT’s continued funding of impactful cancer research that will help us achieve our mission to end cancer,” said ...

Electrons oscillate around the nucleus of an atom on extremely short timescales, typically completing a cycle in just a few hundred attoseconds (one attosecond is a quintillionth of a second). Because of their ultrafast motions, directly observing electron behavior in molecules has been challenging. Now researchers from UC San Diego’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry have suggested a new method to make visualizing electron motion a reality. This new method describes an experimental concept called ultrafast vortex electron diffraction, which allows ...

New London, Conn. — A new study by Connecticut College provides strong evidence that palm trees once thrived in subarctic Canada, reshaping scientific understanding of past Arctic climates. Conn Professor Peter Siver’s research, published in the journal Annals of Botany, confirms that during the late early Eocene—approximately 48 million years ago—this region maintained warm temperatures year-round, even during months of winter darkness. The work was done in collaboration with colleagues from Canada and Poland. Siver’s team identified fossilized phytoliths—microscopic ...

MINNEAPOLIS — Smoking, particularly heavy smoking, is linked to some unexplained strokes in younger adults, mainly in male individuals and in people ages 45 to 49, according to a study published in the February 19, 2025, online issue of Neurology® Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. A stroke with no known cause, called a cryptogenic stroke, is a type of ischemic stroke caused by a blockage of blood flow, but it is unclear what has caused the blockage. Symptoms include weakness, trouble speaking and vision problems. Strokes can be fatal. Most strokes occur after age 65. “While smoking has long been linked to ischemic stroke, ...

For decades, scientists have sought ways to counter our dependence on lithium-ion batteries. These traditional, rechargeable batteries energize today’s most ubiquitous consumer electronics – from laptops to cell phones to electric cars. But raw lithium is expensive and is often sourced through fragile geopolitical networks. This month, Princeton University’s Dincă Group announces an exciting alternative that relies on an organic, high-energy cathode material to make sodium-ion batteries, advancing the likelihood that this technology will find commercialization with safe, cheaper, more sustainable components. While scientists ...

DENVER -  A new research study highlights the significant health risks associated with dust storms, revealing an increase in emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, as well as motor vehicle accidents, in three Southwestern U.S. states. The study, which was led at National Jewish Health was published this month in JAMA Network Open. Researchers at National Jewish Health, Emory University and the University of Colorado analyzed over 33,500 ED visits across Arizona, California and Utah from 2005 to 2018. The findings ...

LA JOLLA, CA—Current asthma treatments don't work in all patients, and they don't provide long-term relief from potentially deadly asthma attacks. Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are advancing a new kind of therapy. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, their approach holds promise for providing long-lasting relief for people with asthma—and it may be useful for dampening immune inflammation in general. The researchers have developed two therapeutic ...

Treatment plants use a combination of tools to keep toxins and contaminants out of drinking water. Researchers with the University of Cincinnati examined two such tools in addressing a toxin produced by harmful algae blooms, which are becoming increasingly common in waters around the world. Blue green algae can reproduce en masse in waters laden with nitrogen, phosphorus or other excess nutrients. These algae “blooms” also can form when water levels drop during droughts or when bottom sediments heavy with nutrients get churned up in a storm, said Minghao Kong, a doctoral graduate of UC’s ...