Research in mice shows that inflammatory molecules influence mood and behavior by acting on specific brain regions. The findings help explain why some people experience lasting mood changes after infections or autoimmune disease flare-ups. The research could lead to new therapies for anxiety disorders and autism spectrum disorders
New research shows how small shifts in the molecular makeup of a virus can profoundly alter its fate. These shifts could turn a deadly pathogen into a harmless bug or supercharge a relatively benign virus, influencing its ability to infect humans and cause dangerous outbreaks.
For years, an unnamed disease slowly stole one man's sight—until his son’s diagnosis finally provided the answer. Their journey highlights how rare disease research can unravel medicine's most elusive mysteries and, in doing so, can help reshape the future of medicine.
Research in mice identifies protein responsible for regulating gut movement in response to pressure, exercise, and inflammation. The findings can inform precision-targeted treatments for intestinal inflammation and disorders of gut motility. The results add to a growing body of research showing the nervous and immune systems interact in various organs, including the brain, lungs, and skin.
Open-source AI model performed on par with leading proprietary AI tool in solving tough medical cases that require complex clinical reasoning. AI can optimize clinicians’ performance and help reduce diagnostic errors and delays. Greater competition, more choice in AI diagnostic tools to better serve patients, clinicians, and health care systems.
Research in mice identifies brain circuitry that supports certain reward-based decisions
Scientists uncover an enzyme that boosts cancer cell metabolism to fuel growth
The article highlights some of the most tantalizing insights that science has gleaned about a behavior that so intensely captivates our collective imagination but continues to defy understanding.
• Study finds three new safe and effective drug regimens to fight multidrug-resistant TB • The treatments, which include recently discovered TB drugs, give new options for shorter, personalized treatment and are cleared for use for more people than ever
Harvard Medical School research reveals highly specialized regulatory T cells that curb inflammation and act as gatekeepers to protect the inner regions of the brain.
Researchers have profiled the molecular structure and features of a key part of the deadly Nipah virus. Experiments in cells showed how changes in the viral polymerase — a protein involved in viral replication — can alter the virus’s ability to make copies of itself and infect cells. Further analysis revealed parts of the Nipah virus polymerase that may render the pathogen susceptible to drugs.
Researchers design a new way to more reliably evaluate AI models’ ability to make clinical decisions in realistic scenarios that closely mimic real-life interactions. The analysis finds that large-language models excel at making diagnoses from exam-style questions but struggle to do so from conversational notes. The researchers propose set of guidelines to optimize AI tools’ performance and align them with real-world practice before integrating them into the clinic.
Study in mice reveals high-frequency mechanical vibrations detected by nerve endings on the skin are processed in a brain region deemed to be involved primarily in sound perception. Neurons in this brain region respond more strongly to sound and mechanical vibrations combined than to either one alone, resulting in an enhanced sensory experience.
Decades of scientific work turned the tide on a fatal disease and yielded insights into immunity, vaccines, and more
Up until recently, habituation — a simple form of learning — was deemed the exclusive domain of complex organisms with brains and nervous systems, such as worms, insects, birds, and mammals. But a new study, published Nov. 19 in Current Biology, offers compelling evidence that even tiny single-cell creatures such as ciliates and amoebae, as well as the cells in our own bodies, could exhibit habituation akin to that seen in more complex organisms with brains.
At a glance: A new study in mice explains how even a single faulty copy of the BRCA1 gene can fuel tumor growth. The findings suggest the dominant “two-hit” hypothesis of cancer development may not tell the full story behind how cancer arises. Study identifies cellular changes that prime cancer-related genes for action and render cells vulnerable to tumor growth. The findings can inform new treatments that block the priming effect to prevent breast cancer formation.
An international team led by scientists at Harvard Medical School, the University of Florence, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology analyzed DNA from the remains of five people who died in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE and were cast in plaster nearly two millennia later. Researchers retrieved the DNA in conjunction with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii during restoration of 86 damaged casts in 2015.
At a glance: Study in mice reveals rapid release of dopamine is not needed for initiating movement but is important for activities related to reward-seeking and motivation. The findings help explain why the widely used Parkinson’s drug levodopa improves movement-related symptoms but often fails to ameliorate some cognitive ones. The work may inform the development of new therapies that restore both slow and fast dopamine action to treat multiple symptoms.
New AI model identifies possible therapies from existing medicines for thousands of diseases, including rare ones with no current treatments. The AI tool generates new insights on its own, applies them to conditions it was not trained for, and offers explanations for its predictions.
Three new studies pinpoint challenges and opportunities for closing health disparities for LGBTQ+ people, showing how the convergence of political and social environments, structural inequities, and implicit and explicit bias within the medical system erode LGBTQ+ well-being.
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