Medical research

Exposure to air pollution–derived ultrafine particles alters gene transcription by epigenetic mechanisms, a new study shows. The changes affected, for example, cellular survival.

Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, have discovered a previously unknown type of connective tissue cells that surround cancer cells in pancreatic tumors. The newly discovered cells counteract tumor development and may therefore be a target for research into new treatments for pancreatic cancer, which is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. The work is published in the journal Cancer Research.

One in 10 people will have at least one seizure in their life, but effective treatments for seizures remain very limited, in part due to incomplete understanding of the brain mechanisms involved. Now, research in fruit flies has uncovered a role for two specific brain proteins that are necessary during brain development to prevent seizures.

Capitalizing on the flexibility of tiny cells inside the body’s smallest blood vessels may be a powerful spinal cord repair strategy, new research suggests.

A Cochrane review reveals significant gaps in the clinical rating scales used to assess pain in newborn babies, highlighting the urgent need for improved tools and global collaboration. The review is published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

A new, error-corrected method for detecting cancer from blood samples is much more sensitive and accurate than prior methods and may be useful for monitoring disease status in patients following treatment, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Genome Center investigators. The method, based on whole-genome sequencing of DNA, also represents an important step toward the goal of routine blood test-based screening for early cancer detection.

Traumatically injured women are considerably less likely to receive whole blood transfusions within the first four hours of injury compared to men, despite whole blood being associated with reduced mortality in both women and men, according to new research led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientists.

Federal cuts to funding could “decimate” medical research in the United States, delaying cures and costing countless lives, according to a leader in cancer research.

University of Florida scientists have helped identify a novel drug compound that selectively activates pain-altering receptors in the body, offering a potentially safer alternative to conventional pain medications.

In today’s interconnected world, infectious diseases pose an escalating threat, as demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic and outbreaks of H1N1, SARS, Ebola, Zika, and H5N1 (bird flu) viruses—all of which have had significant global health and economic impacts.