All posts by : Felistas

A new study reveals social isolation and loneliness can adversely affect mental and physical health, with researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) calling on Australians to look out for those who might be at risk.

Surviving extreme conditions in nature is no easy feat. Many species of mammals rely on special adaptations called daily torpor and hibernation to endure periods of scarcity. These states of dormancy are marked by a significant drop in body temperature, low metabolic activity, and reduced food intake—all of which help the animal conserve energy until conditions become favorable again.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered why some patients with a rare genetic disorder called primary ciliary dyskinesia have worse lung problems than others with the same disorder. The discovery, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that gene therapy to restore a missing protein complex could help treat the disease. Patients with the disorder who are treated at WashU Medicine participated in this research.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have successfully developed a supercharged iteration of CAR-T cell therapy that can enhance the effectiveness and longevity of the cells, particularly against cancer cells that are harder for prior CAR-T therapies to detect and fight.

The opioid epidemic has claimed more than half a million lives in the U.S. since 1999, about three-quarters of them men, according to the National Institutes of Health. Although men’s disproportionate rates of opioid abuse and overdose deaths are well-documented, the reasons for this gender disparity are not well understood.

Five years ago on Tuesday, the World Health Organization announced COVID-19 had become a pandemic—a moment when the world finally woke up to the unfolding disaster.

Hypophosphatasia is a relatively common skeletal disease that primarily affects bone and tooth strength. In the third national dental survey of hypophosphatasia in Japan, recently published in Scientific Reports, researchers analyzed the dental issues faced by Japanese patients in their largest survey to date. Their findings provide valuable information for dentists and medical doctors who treat this often misunderstood disease.

Empathy—the ability to share and understand the emotions of others—is a cornerstone of human social interactions. When we witness someone in pain, we often experience a mirrored emotional response, a phenomenon known as affect sharing. While this ability is essential for social bonding and survival, the precise neural mechanisms behind empathy remain largely unknown.

The measles outbreak in West Texas is nearing 200 cases, according to a Friday morning update from the state health department.

University of Florida researchers are addressing a critical gap in medical genetic research—ensuring it better represents and benefits people of all backgrounds.