All posts by : Felistas

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered how specific protein regions contribute to breast cancer. Their study, published recently in Nature, focuses on what is known as the estrogen receptor, a protein linked in previous research to the development of roughly 70% of all breast tumors.

In early December 2024, a group of researchers published an article in the journal Science, entitled “A single mutation in bovine influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin switches specificity to human receptors”. Some media outlets somewhat exaggeratedly took this to mean that we are one mutation away from bird flu “becoming the next COVID.”

Osteosarcoma is a type of aggressive bone cancer that most commonly affects children and young adults between the ages of 10 and 20, during times of rapid bone growth. Although rare, it has a significant impact on young people and their families as treatment can require surgery or amputation.

As the privatized form of Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans advertise dental, vision, and hearing benefits not covered by traditional Medicare, but a recent analysis found that Medicare Advantage beneficiaries do not typically receive more of these supplemental services than traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, out-of-pocket spending was similar for most supplemental services.

Online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic left many radiography and radiation therapy students unready to enter the workforce, a nation-wide survey of clinical educators published in the Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences has found. Students missed out on clinical time, patient interaction, and exposure to a variety of clinical experiences.

Painful skin and trouble sleeping are among the problems reported when tapering cortisone cream for atopic eczema. This has been shown by a study headed by the University of Gothenburg. Many users consider the problems to be caused by cortisone dependence.

Vaping is often marketed as a healthier alternative to smoking or a tool to quit smoking. But it’s not a safe habit—the health effects of vaping can be irreversible and sometimes deadly.

A research team has successfully utilized human respiratory organoids (mini-organs) to propagate human rhinovirus C (HRV-C), which had previously been refractory to conventional virus cultivation. This breakthrough opens new avenues for understanding these common respiratory viruses and expediting the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs. The findings are published in the latest issue of Nature Communications.

Hepatitis E, a potentially serious viral liver disease, is transmitted through contaminated water. The risk is particularly high in populations with limited access to safe water and sanitation. In South Sudan, outbreaks have regularly ravaged camps for internally displaced persons and their host populations.

Poorer cardiovascular health in childhood and adolescence may be linked to early differences in brain structure, particularly in areas of the brain known to be affected in dementia in later life, according to a new scientific study.