Author: healthadmin

Although BMI has its limitations, it is currently the metric that medicine often defaults to when predicting weight-related health problems. The new tool is expected to more accurately define who is at risk of obesity complications, based not only on BMI but also on measures such as family history, diet, current illnesses and socio-economic factors extracted from medical records. One of the goals of this study is to better understand candidates for obesity drugs, which are often prescribed based on BMI alone or in combination with BMI and another disease. The initial target was type 2 diabetes, but over time…

A large trial conducted at community health centers in the United States shows that mailed FIT-DNA kits outperform FIT in facilitating colorectal cancer screening. Nevertheless, fewer than 4 in 10 patients with abnormal results complete a follow-up colonoscopy. Study: Mailed Outreach for Colorectal Cancer Screening in Community Health Centers. Image credit: Orawan Pattarawimonchai/Shutterstock.com Fecal immunochemical testing-DNA may be a more effective mail outreach approach than fecal immunochemical testing to increase colorectal cancer screening rates among adults receiving primary care at community health centers, reports a new study published in 2016. JAMA Internal Medicine. Colon cancer screening gaps persist in underserved…

A child’s early exposure can leave a lasting biological mark. This study shows how tiny layers in baby teeth can identify when metals can affect brain development and behavior years later. Research: Changes in brain function related to fetal and postnatal metal metabolism are associated with behavioral disorders in childhood. Image credit: Onjira Leibe/Shutterstock.com A new study using deciduous dental biomarkers to track metal exposure throughout fetal and early infancy has identified a critical period in early neurodevelopment where such exposure is associated with long-term differences in behavior and brain measures observed in late childhood and adolescence. The study was…

Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes act as specialized “killer” cells of the immune system, seeking out and eliminating infected and cancerous cells with remarkable precision. Its effectiveness relies on tightly controlled contact points called “immune synapses,” where it releases toxic molecules that destroy targets while keeping surrounding healthy cells intact. Until recently, scientists have struggled to observe the fine structure of this process in detail. Now, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) have succeeded in visualizing these mechanisms in three dimensions under near-natural conditions. Their findings were; cell reportshed new light on how the internal organization of…

Scent shapes how we experience the world every day. It helps detect danger, adds depth to flavor, and is strongly associated with memories and emotions. Despite its importance, scientists have struggled to fully understand how this sense works at a biological level. “The sense of smell is very mysterious,” says Sandeep (Robert) Dutta, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School’s Blavatnik Institute. Compared to vision, hearing, and touch, the basic biology of smell remains poorly understood. Scientists create first detailed map of odor receptors In a new study in mice, Dutta and his colleagues have created the first detailed…

Sapio Sciences, an AI lab informatics company, today announced that Claude Cowork, Anthropic’s agent AI assistant, has been integrated into the Sapio platform through AI co-scientist Sapio Elain. This integration provides a single conversational interface for scientists and project leaders to search, retrieve, and analyze data held across their R&D organization and take actions directly within Sapio ELN and LIMS. Working autonomously on your behalf, Claude Cowork searches across data sources, collates results, and returns verified, structured output, reports, and dashboards. Connected to the Sapio platform, Claude Cowork can also perform actions on your behalf to manipulate ELN experiments and…

DeNovix Inc. has introduced a new product to its innovative collection of life science devices, the Squid™ full-range pipette. Image credit: DeNovix Inc. With an unprecedented 1-1000 µL volume range, Squid Pipette simplifies your laboratory by performing the tasks of traditional 3-5 pipettes in one device. Squid replaces switching pipettes during experiments and facilitates an efficient, distraction-free workflow. Squid’s unique performance is achieved through Dynamic Volume Control™, which combines a patented chip selector mechanism with DeNovix’s expertise in microvolume motor control. Two built-in tip modes, large (100 – 1000 μL) and small (1 – 200 μL), allow Squid to use…

A review of the extensive clinical trial landscape shows how CAR T therapies are moving beyond single-target designs to multifunctional “living drugs” designed to improve safety, overcome tumor escape, and tackle difficult-to-treat cancers. Review: Mapping the clinical landscape of multifunctional CAR T cells: targets, trends, and synergies In a comprehensive review recently published in the magazine molecular therapyGerman researchers analyzed 1,801 registered clinical trials to map the evolution of “next generation” chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell products. The review found that multifunctional CAR T-cell therapies accounted for 533 of 1,801 CAR T trials, representing 33% of new CAR T…

Patient groups’ perceptions of drug companies with large U.S. footprints have changed over the past year as companies battle political pressure, PatientView said. The findings come from PatientView’s annual survey of more than 2,000 patient groups worldwide. The research firm found that patient groups “significantly changed their perceptions of the corporate reputations of many individual drug companies.” PatientView said such large year-over-year changes are rare and feedback suggests that “rapid changes in market conditions are the primary cause of the divergence.” The reputation rankings of pharmaceutical companies fluctuate, centering on companies with large bases in the United States. The change…

By mapping CAR-T cells one by one, researchers are uncovering cell characteristics that may differentiate between a sustained cancer response and recurrence. Review: Clinical CAR-T cell mapping: insights from scRNA-seq. Image credit: Nemes Laszlo / Shutterstock In a recent review published in a magazine Trends in molecular medicineUS researchers synthesized results from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq; n = 44 studies) to identify transcriptional patterns associated with how well patients respond to CAR-T cell therapy. Single cell analysis of CAR-T responses Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is considered one of the breakthroughs of modern medicine. This treatment involves harvesting…