Johns Hopkins Medicine

Affecting more than 51 million Americans, chronic pain is more common than depression and diabetes, yet there are few medical interventions that offer safe, long-term relief. Scientists are hoping this non-invasive method can change that.

Researchers have designed a new nanoparticle that was shown to more effectively deliver a cancer-fighting mRNA vaccine to mice. The study’s results may lead to the development of better vaccines to treat cancer and infectious diseases like COVID-19.

Researchers have used microparticle therapy to boost the number of ‘good’ immune cells, reversing nerve cell damage in mice with MS-like symptoms. The finding may to lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.

Clumps of misfolded proteins that gather in the brain have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Now, newly identified nanobodies show promise in destabilizing the structure of these clumps, potentially leading to new treatments.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have identified a previously unknown mechanism of cocaine’s activity in the brain, which could open new types of treatment for addiction to the drug. Intriguingly, it seems to work differently in male and female mice.

New research has found no evidence statin use can reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 or death. Countering studies suggesting statins may protect against severe COVID-19, the study indicates statins could slightly increase the risk of serious illness.

If someone suffers from bilateral vestibular hypofunction, it means that their inner ear doesn't maintain their sense balance. As a result, they get dizzy easily. A new implant, however, appears to bypass the problem, significantly reducing vertigo.

Glaucoma can cause vision loss that's currently irreversible. But now scientists have found that removing a membrane in the eye could help transplanted cells migrate into the optic nerve and repair the connections, potentially restoring lost vision.

A new study is presenting the first published data from preliminary human trials investigating the effect of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). The incredibly positive results have been described as just a “taste of things to come” with larger a Phase 2 trial well underway.

When someone is recovering from surgery, they're typically encouraged to go for walks down the hospital hallways. Scientists have now found that by repurposing an existing device, it's possible to ascertain how much patients are heeding that advice.

Last week the FDA approved the experimental use of blood from recovered COVID-19 subjects as a treatment for newly infected patients. The therapy harks back to the 1890s, and it may be the stop-gap we need while other treatments are in development.

Statin drugs are commonly taken to help manage cholesterol levels. But now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that they may also kill some cancer cells by starving them of nutrients, and uncovered the mechanism for how that can happen.