A blood test, performed when metastatic prostate cancer is first diagnosed, can predict which patients are likely to respond to treatment and survive the longest. It can help providers decide which patients should receive standard treatment versus who might stand to benefit from riskier, more aggressive new drug trials. The research, part of a phase 3 clinical trial funded in part by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health, was just published in JAMA Network Open. Before it spreads, prostate cancer can be cured with surgery or ...

October 7, 2024—(BRONX, NY)—Metastatic disease—when cancer spreads from the primary tumor to other parts of the body—is the cause of most cancer deaths. While researchers understand how cancer cells escape the primary site to seed new tumors, it’s not well understood why some of these wayward cancer cells spawn new tumors— sometimes decades later—while others do not.   Now, a research team at the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein ...

Since the 1950s, a chemotherapy drug known as 5-fluorouracil has been used to treat many types of cancer, including blood cancers and cancers of the digestive tract.  Doctors have long believed that this drug works by damaging the building blocks of DNA. However, a new study from MIT has found that in cancers of the colon and other gastrointestinal cancers, it actually kills cells by interfering with RNA synthesis.  The findings could have a significant effect on how doctors treat many cancer patients. Usually, 5-fluorouracil is given in combination with chemotherapy drugs that damage ...

(WASHINGTON – October 7, 2024) - A new study finds that preschool-aged children with sickle cell disease (SCD) who live in food deserts and have limited access to transportation are at greater risk for acute complications and hospitalizations, despite receiving free evidence-based therapy and social support, according to results published today in Blood Advances. “Despite the level of care received by the families and patients within our clinic, we still have a gap in terms of being able to address the barriers ...

Researchers have discovered the most distant Milky-Way-like galaxy yet observed. Dubbed REBELS-25, this disc galaxy seems as orderly as present-day galaxies, but we see it as it was when the Universe was only 700 million years old. This is surprising since, according to our current understanding of galaxy formation, such early galaxies are expected to appear more chaotic. The rotation and structure of REBELS-25 were revealed using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which the European ...

A common theory that guides financial investment strategies may be a handy tool to protect an endangered Puerto Rican frog. A new study uses modern portfolio theory to identify future “investments” in natural resource management that may help managers decide which actions to take to protect coquí llanero populations in Puerto Rico. The 17 species of coquí frogs, and their signature high-pitched chirp, are considered unofficial mascots of Puerto Rico. The entire population of coquí llanero frogs, the smallest and possibly most endangered of the island’s coquís, ...

Fusion researchers are increasingly turning to the element tungsten when looking for an ideal material for components that will directly face the plasma inside fusion reactors known as tokamaks and stellarators. But under the intense heat of fusion plasma, tungsten atoms from the wall can sputter off and enter the plasma. Too much tungsten in the plasma would substantially cool it, which would make sustaining fusion reactions very challenging. Now, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) have experimental results suggesting that sprinkling ...

Developing new cancer treatment tools, using imaging techniques such as PET-CT and MRI, and new radiopharmaceuticals for next-generation personalized therapies (“Theranostics”) to target cancer first at the “diagnosis” phase and then at the “therapy” phase, using the same biological targets (“see to treat”). Additionally, the project aims to develop and implement AI-based tools for data sharing among research and hospitals, supporting clinical decisions and predicting individual patient treatment response and outcome. This is the main ...

Vaccines to prevent common and serious infectious diseases have had a greater impact on improving human health than any other medical advance of the 20th century, surpassing even sanitation and potable water. From the global eradication of smallpox in 1980 to the unprecedented development of effective and safe mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, vaccinations have played crucial roles in preventing millions of premature deaths and hospitalizations in adults and children. These monumental efforts have involved coordinated local, regional, national and international organizations and dedicated clinical ...

With hundreds of observatories scattered throughout the world, there has never been a better time for astronomers to observe the infinite universe that lies beyond Earth. At any moment in time, a telescope pointed at the night sky can observe new transient phenomena, such as supernovae that brighten rapidly and then fade away over days to months, releasing massive amounts of energy in the process. These events are rare in any single galaxy and each gives researchers more insight into the dynamic time-domain sky. But what if these observatories could work even closer together to view these important astronomical events? The National ...

A research team from the International Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, has recently published a comprehensive review in the journal Health Data Science on the application of Brain Network Models (BNMs) in the medical field. This study summarizes recent advances and challenges in using BNMs to simulate brain activities, understand neuropathological mechanisms, evaluate therapeutic effects, and predict disease progression. Brain Network Models ...

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Four physicists affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have been selected by their peers for the distinct honor of Fellow of the American Physical Society. “Our staff power the science and innovation that are continuing to move the discipline of physics and this laboratory into the future,” said Jefferson Lab Director Kim Sawyer. “We’re very proud that the accomplishments and contributions of these four Jefferson Lab staff members to the field of physics are being recognized by their peers with this honor.” According to the APS, fellows have made ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Psychiatric drugs are reported to be about 50% more effective in clinical trials funded by the drug’s manufacturer than when trials of the same drug are sponsored by other groups, new research shows.   While many studies have found more favorable results for drugs in clinical trials funded by their manufacturers, these studies normally just compare a set of manufacturer-funded studies with a set of studies funded in other ways, said Tamar Oostrom, assistant professor of economics at The Ohio State University, who conducted this new research.   This ...

UTSA was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to lead a multimillion-dollar project that will stimulate nuclear energy research at UTSA, leverage novel experimental data to bolster computational efforts at the university, and provide professional training to prepare undergraduate and graduate students for careers in nuclear energy science. UTSA researchers will collaborate with a leading nuclear energy laboratory as well as across academic institutions. The award is part of the DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program’s Integrated Research Projects (IRPs). These projects aim to provide research and development solutions ...

The accumulation of fats in the liver is driven by high-fat diets and obesity, and is becoming an increasingly prevalent global health concern. Characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver, this condition poses significant risks for various metabolic disorders. While much of the existing research has focused on fat metabolism within the liver itself, emerging findings emphasize the critical role of the gut in this complex process. Proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs), including glucagon, GLP-1, and GLP-2, are known to be the key hormones that regulate lipid metabolism in the liver. Derived from the same precursor—proglucagon, previous studies ...

The surge in the adoption of renewable energy, coupled with the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market in recent years has significantly increased the demand for high-performance, all-solid-state batteries. Compared to conventional liquid electrolyte-based batteries, solid-state batteries offer higher energy density, improved safety, longer lifespan, and reliable operation over a wide temperature range. However, there are still challenges to their widespread applications, including low ionic conductivity, high interfacial resistance, and the presence of particle-particle interfaces in the electrolyte, which leads to increased resistance and lower energy density.   Notably, ...

The human microbiome plays a critical role in our health, influencing everything from disease development to treatment responses. This connection has captured the attention of scientists worldwide, eager to unlock its secrets.  While traditional metagenomics has provided valuable insights, it falls short in resolving microbial diversity at the strain level and accurately profiling genes involved in antibiotic resistance. These limitations highlight the need for more advanced approaches. To address this, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Masahito Hosokawa, from Waseda University, in collaboration with bitBiome, Inc., developed a groundbreaking single-cell ...

The winner of one of the UK’s biggest academic prizes has discovered what he believes is the key to long-term innovation and economic growth: unplanned intellectual friendships – like Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle, or DNA pioneers James Watson and Francis Crick. Professor Kirk Doran, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana in the United States, has been researching what drives innovation for 14 years – and has made his discovery by forensically analysing data including published research and census, tax, migration and historical data. Professor Doran has ...

Australians under 50 are experiencing stagnating life expectancy while older cohorts, especially men, are living longer, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). The study examined longevity trends and patterns in six English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) and compared them with other high-income countries. The results show striking similarities between English-speaking countries in terms of adverse health outcomes for young and middle-aged adults under fifty. Lead author and ANU demographer, Dr Sergey Timonin, said the study ...

Osaka, Japan – Plastics underpin much of modern life—areas like medicine, technology, and food safety would be unrecognizable without plastics and their useful properties. However, the toughness of plastics, which is often desirable, also makes them a dangerous pollutant and difficult to recycle. The solution to this serious and growing problem is making plastics easier to recycle. In a study recently published in Chemical Science, researchers at Osaka University have found a way to make tough, high-performance polymers, the main component of plastics, that can be broken down easily and precisely into their component parts and ...

Tobacco use remains a significant global health challenge, despite extensive control measures at both national and international levels. Smoking continues to be a leading cause of premature death, with exposure to tobacco—whether through active smoking or secondhand smoke—significantly increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory conditions, and diabetes. These NCDs account for nearly 75% of annual global deaths. A wide range of strategies has been developed to combat smoking and promote public health, including taxation, mass media campaigns, health warnings on packaging, marketing ...

Targeting failure with new polymer technology to enhance sustainability   Sustainability is a complex problem with many different players and influenced by policies, society, and technical perspective.   We are reminded every day in the media of the unnecessary amount of waste that we are generating with pervasive pictures of plastic garbage patches floating in the oceans or stranded on our beaches. Scientists within ASU’s  School of Molecular Sciences  (SMS) and the Biodesign Institute’s Center ...

A new article published in Nature Reviews Disease Primers underscores the profound role that stigma can play in health care -- and how addressing stigma-related barriers can significantly improve health outcomes for individuals and communities around the world.  “Stigma has harmful effects on health, equity and justice,” says lead author Carmen Logie, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW). "And while we need more rigorous evaluation of interventions ...

The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed in 2010 includes a Dependent Coverage Expansion (DCE) provision that permits dependents to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans from age 19 to 25 years, the age group that has historically had the highest uninsured rate in the United States. A recent analysis reveals that during the ACA’s first decade, survival rates of DCE-eligible young adults with cancer have improved. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. To examine whether young adults with cancer diagnoses have ...

A team of researchers from the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), and the Instituto de Ciencias de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) has made a significant breakthrough in understanding the underlying causes of cardiovascular disease in patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), an ultra-rare genetic disorder that accelerates the aging process. The most serious consequence of HGPS is the early onset of cardiovascular disease, leading to premature death at an average age of 14.5 years.     The study was led by Dr. Vicente Andrés, ...