Medical

Research has revealed how genetic changes in a specialized population of brain cells called microglia contribute to neuroinflammation and, in turn, to Alzheimer’s disease. The findings could lead to more effective, targeted therapeutics.

Researchers have developed a handheld device that shines a safe laser into the eye to detect biomarkers of brain damage following a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, providing rapid, on-site diagnosis at the time of injury.

A study has found that a fatty acid found in meat and dairy may boost the cancer-killing abilities of the immune system’s T cells. Also found to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy, the nutrient could be used to complement cancer treatments.

Most of us have woken up with an aching back after a sleepless night, only for that pain to then keep us awake the next night. Now Harvard scientists have discovered a possible link between pain and poor sleep, and maybe even a way to break the loop.

Researchers have developed a biodegradable patch engineered from human cells that could be used to correct infant congenital heart defects, limiting the need for multiple invasive surgeries and outlasting current non-living, non-degradable patches.

New research found that patients taking the weight-loss and diabetes drug semaglutide had significantly reduced symptoms of alcohol use disorder. Larger studies are currently underway to see whether the drug is an effective treatment for addiction.

No-one enjoys idling in peak-hour traffic, yet scientists have identified that a blood pressure spike during it doesn't come from frustration but from ultrafine particles flowing into the car. And the average 4.5 mm Hg spike lasts for an entire day.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease with few treatment options. But in a new clinical trial, scientists have tested a promising new therapy involving injections of stem cells, which seems to slow progression of the disease.

A new study has identified, for the first time, how the mutated protein p53, present in half of all human cancers, drives tumor growth. The discovery will not only facilitate a rethink of the way cancer is treated but may lead to new therapeutics.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have developed a new spinal stimulator that can help restore lower limb function to paralyzed patients. The tiny device can be non-invasively implanted through a syringe.

A study has uncovered how the commonly used local anesthetic drug lidocaine exerts an anti-cancer effect in head and neck cancers. Given its low cost and ready availability, the drug could easily be incorporated into treatment.

A Phase 2 clinical trial of immunotherapy drug tarlatamab, produced promising results in patients with small cell lung cancer, a particularly aggressive form of cancer, for whom previous treatments haven't worked.

New research is the first to reveal microstructural brain changes in long COVID patients compared to fully recovered patients and uninfected subjects. The findings indicate long COVID symptoms can be associated with changes to specific cerebral networks.

The term ‘personalized medicine’ is being used more and more frequently. But what does it mean? This explainer outlines what personalized medicine is, its advantages and some concerns that have been raised in relation to it.

You don't have to be a chemistry whiz to know that making a drug for $3 is a damn sight better than its current price tag of $3,200. The scientists behind this never-before-seen method centered around copper and oxygen say it's an industry game-changer.