Author: healthadmin
A comprehensive new review led by Mayo Clinic focuses on the latest advances in personalized patient-centered care and precision oncology to help shape the way clinicians diagnose and treat meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumor. This review, published in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, brings together global expertise to chart the future of meningioma treatment, highlighting innovations aimed at improving patient outcomes and quality of life. “This study synthesizes rapidly evolving science to support more individualized care for meningioma patients,” said Ghelareh Zadeh, MD, chief of neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and senior author of the review. “With…
New guidance from the American College of Physicians (ACP) says all asymptomatic, average-risk women between the ages of 50 and 74 should undergo a mammogram every other year for breast cancer. Women ages 40 to 49 should discuss their breast cancer risks and the benefits and harms of screening with their doctors. This is because the harms of screening, such as false-positive results, resulting psychological distress, overdiagnosis, overtreatment, additional testing, and radiation exposure, may outweigh the uncertain benefits in this population. ACP’s advice, “Breast Cancer Screening in Asymptomatic Average-Risk Adult Women: Guidance Statement from the American Medical Association,” Annals of…
A quiet revolution is underway in modern medicine. Drug development aims to move from disease management to disease correction through RNA and gene editing therapies. However, safely and precisely delivering these therapies to the appropriate cells remains a major hurdle, especially in hard-to-target organs such as the brain and kidney. Now, researchers led by a team at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine have provided very convincing evidence that an elegant, natural solution resides in ultra-tiny bubble-like structures called small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Refined over millions of years of evolution, these metabolic messengers carry RNA (nucleic acids, a chemical…
Soft electrodes designed to perfectly match the surface of the human brain could help advance neural interfaces for monitoring and treating neurodegenerative diseases, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State University. The neural interface is powered by small sensors that can track biophysical signals, known as bioelectrodes. These sensors typically have a one-size-fits-all design and are made of rigid materials, making them difficult to adapt to the complex structure of the brain. Researchers have developed a new approach to 3D print bioelectrodes that can stretch and deform to accommodate the subtle differences that make every brain…
Higher cognitive abilities and better educational outcomes during adolescence strongly predict a lower risk of developing mental health conditions later in life. A national survey of Norwegian men demonstrated that those with lower test scores and less schooling were significantly more likely to experience psychological distress in adulthood. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science. Previous sociological research has demonstrated a strong association between educational attainment and overall mental health. Generally, people who earn advanced degrees experience fewer mood and anxiety disorders than people who leave school early. At the same time, academic success is closely related to…
Between the ages of three and four, children make a huge leap in their ability to use grammar. Recent studies provide evidence that this behavioral milestone corresponds to the maturation of specific neural pathways. New research published in Developmental cognitive neuroscience It has been suggested that white matter connections along upper brain pathways mature during this period and facilitate learning of grammatical rules. This structural change helps explain why children’s language skills develop so rapidly just before entering kindergarten. Learning their native language requires young children to acquire a huge vocabulary and understand complex rules for combining words. Although scientists…
Cells are covered by lipid membranes, which give them structure and provide a barrier between the cell and its environment. However, evidence has recently emerged suggesting that these membranes do more than just provide protection; they also influence the behavior of protein receptors embedded in the membranes. A new study by MIT chemists further supports that idea. Researchers have found that changing the composition of cell membranes can alter the function of membrane receptors that promote proliferation. Researchers have found that when the concentration of negatively charged lipids in cell membranes is higher than normal, the epidermal growth factor receptor…
The advent of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This Nobel Prize-winning technology is now being applied in the fight against cancer, with mRNA vaccines being tested in clinical trials against melanoma, small cell lung cancer and bladder cancer, among others, opening the door to new ways to prevent and treat the disease. Scientists hypothesized that mRNA vaccination requires one specific immune cell subtype to activate the immune system. But researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown in a new study in mice that even in the absence…
New research led by the University of Warwick shows that forests were already growing across Doggerland, now submerged under the North Sea, much earlier than scientists previously thought. The discovery suggests that this lost landscape may have served as a welcome haven for plants, animals, and perhaps humans, long before forests became commonplace in Britain and across northern Europe. This research Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)used deposited ancient DNA to discover evidence of temperate trees such as oak, elm and hazel that are more than 16,000 years old. The researchers also detected DNA from a genus of…
A study in Brazil found that people with good cardiorespiratory fitness tended to have lower levels of trait anxiety. They also tended to be more resilient in situations of emotional stress. The paper was published in Acta Psychologica. Cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles to efficiently supply and use oxygen during sustained physical activity. This reflects how well your body can perform activities such as walking, running, cycling, and swimming for long periods of time without becoming unduly fatigued. People with good cardiorespiratory fitness can usually exercise for longer periods of time and…