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Marathon running alters brain myelin for energy use

According to a study published by Nature Metabolism, marathon runners experience reversible changes in their brain myelin.

8 Apr 2025

Experts warn of rising HIV deaths with planned aid cuts

Global deaths from HIV/AIDS and new infections could soar to levels unseen since the start of the century if planned funding cuts to foreign aid are sustained, undermining years of progress, experts warn.

8 Apr 2025

Cannabis extract can improve behavior of children and teens with autism spectrum disorder

New research presented at the 2025 European Congress of Psychiatry reveals that the use of cannabidiol (CBD) cannabis extract can lead to meaningful benefits and improve the behavior of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

8 Apr 2025

Semaglutide linked to higher risk of vision problems, FDA data analysis shows

Researchers from the University of Bern analyzed over 300,000 FDA reports and found semaglutide use was linked to a higher reporting rate of vision impairment. The findings call for further study into the ocular risks of this widely prescribed diabetes and weight loss drug.

8 Apr 2025

AI boosts liver cancer detection by highlighting doubtful areas

A new editorial was published in Oncotarget, Volume 16, on April 4, 2025, titled "Deep learning-based uncertainty quantification for quality assurance in hepatobiliary imaging-based techniques."

8 Apr 2025

Genetic tendency to sedentary behavior linked to higher heart disease risk

Although sedentary behavior may be an evolutionarily selected trait, it is still important to try to be physically active, says a new study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.

8 Apr 2025

Single dose of osanetant reduces fear response in female mice after trauma

A new Brevia (peer-reviewed research report) published in Brain Medicine reveals that a single dose of the drug Osanetant, administered shortly after a traumatic event, significantly dampens fear expression in female mice.

8 Apr 2025

GP38 identified as key viral toxin and vaccine target in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus research

A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine involving scientists from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in collaboration with scientists from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the University of California-Berkeley have advanced discoveries surrounding the viral glycoprotein GP38 expressed by the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV).

8 Apr 2025

Unexpected function of gene network in gut microbes revealed

Could a gene regulatory network in gut microbes have evolved its elaborate and tightly regulated molecular machinery only to pump out antibiotics indiscriminately? Researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) show this is an auxiliary function.

8 Apr 2025

Perimenopause can begin in the thirties yet remains widely misunderstood

Hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and insomnia are all signs of hormonal changes and symptoms of menopause, when a woman no longer has menstrual cycles. They can also signal perimenopause, when the body is preparing for this next season of life.

8 Apr 2025

Shingles vaccination associated with reduction in probability of new dementia diagnosis

Vaccination to prevent shingles also reduces the risk of developing dementia in later life, according to a research paper published recently in Nature.

8 Apr 2025

Study links gut microbe shifts in migrants to cardiovascular risk

An Amsterdam UMC-led study has found that migrants, this case from West Africa to Europe, experience a 'clear change' in their microbiome composition as compared to their non-migrant peers in West Africa, which expose them to an increase of cardiovascular disease.

8 Apr 2025

Babies as young as three months can sense their own heartbeat

Body signals such as heartbeat and breathing accompany us constantly, often unnoticed as background noise of our perception. Even in the earliest years of life, these signals are important as they contribute to the development of self-awareness and identity. However, until know little has been known about whether and how babies can perceive their own body signals. A recent study from Wiener Kinderstudien Lab at the University of Vienna demonstrates for the first time that babies as young as 3 months can perceive their own heartbeat. In addition, the team, headed by researchers from the University of Vienna, together with colleagues from the University of Potsdam and Royal Holloway University of London, also investigated for the first-time infants' perception of their own breathing and found developments during the first two years of life. The results are now published in the prestigious journal eLife. The perception of internal body signals is closely linked to emotional awareness, mental health, and self-perception. Early in life the ability to perceive one's own body signals may be particularly important, as it often forms the basis for interactions with caregivers - for example babies rely on their caregivers to respond appropriately to signs of hunger or discomfort. Moreover, the development of self-awareness and identity partly depends on the perception and experience of one's own body. The study shows that even 3-month-old babies can perceive their own heartbeat and that this ability remains relatively stable during the first two years of life. At the same time, the findings indicate that the perception of breathing improves significantly during the second year. Interestingly, the ability to perceive the heartbeat and breathing does not appear to be related - much like in adults. Measuring body awareness in babies is challenging, as, unlike adults, you cannot simply rely on verbal report. Therefore, the research team used innovative methods by tracking the infants' eye movements as they watched child-friendly figures. These figures moved either in synchrony with the child's heartbeat or breathing, or with a slight time delay. Results showed that even at an early age, babies recognize the correspondence between their own heartbeat or breathing rhythm and the animated figures. They looked longer at the screen when the figures were in synchrony than when they were delayed. "The babies must have recognized that the figures moved simultaneously with their heartbeat or breathing, and then they paid more attention," said the study's lead author, Markus Tünte from the University of Vienna. These findings open up exciting perspectives for future developmental psychology research. In particular, it is important to explore how early body awareness relates to the development of emotional and social skills, as well as the role parents play in shaping early body perception. In the long term, such research could be used to promote healthy body awareness and, consequently, the mental health of children.

8 Apr 2025

New drug compound offers pain relief without opioid side effects

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.

8 Apr 2025

Scientists find early signs of T cell exhaustion in early infection stages

Even in the case of uncomplicated infections, the body prepares itself early on for the possibility of a more severe course. A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Munich has now uncovered this mechanism.

8 Apr 2025

Scalable, Smart, and Accessible: The Future of Lab Automation

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From Trilobio 8 Apr 2025

Proteins linked to Parkinson's and ALS found to protect mitochondria

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have discovered how a group of proteins linked to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis act as "guardians" of mitochondria, small organelles, or subunits, within a cell that make and store energy and are found in almost all plants and animals.

8 Apr 2025

Medically tailored meals could save billions and prevent millions of hospitalizations

While Food is Medicine programs are successfully helping patients manage their health, many initiatives are small-scale pilots, providing treatment to several hundred or several thousand patients.

8 Apr 2025

New 3D imaging technique enhances basal cell carcinoma diagnosis

Researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National Healthcare Group (NHG) have jointly pioneered an innovative imaging technique combining Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) with artificial intelligence (AI) that could significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer worldwide.

8 Apr 2025

Public health risks of urban wildfire smoke prompt push for more monitoring

When the catastrophic Los Angeles fires broke out, John Volckens suspected firefighters and residents were breathing toxic air from the burning homes, buildings, and cars, but it was unclear how much risk the public faced.

8 Apr 2025