New data sheds light on immunotherapy failure, bringing hope to patients with cancer

Getting out of bed in the morning without the risk of passing out is a game-changer for 32-year-old Cody Krebs. In 2022, Krebs experienced a severe spinal cord injury (SCI) in a motor vehicle accident. Since that time, Krebs requires the use of a wheelchair. The damage to his spinal cord means his brain can no longer control blood pressure in his body. He was vulnerable to blood pressure drops where he was at risk of losing consciousness, and spikes placing him at risk of a heart attack and stroke.

All current local anesthetics block sensory signals—pain—but they also interrupt motor signals, which can be problematic. For example, too much epidural anesthesia can prevent mothers in labor from being able to push. Prolonged local anesthesia after orthopedic surgery can leave patients unable to participate in rehab.

The cumulative influenza-associated hospitalization rate for the 2024 to 2025 season surpassed all end-of-season rates during the period beginning with the 2010 to 2011 season, according to research published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Bariatric surgery is associated with a significantly lower risk for developing major metabolic comorbidities compared with a medical weight management program for adults with obesity, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in JAMA Network Open.

People who have experienced more than one tattoo session may have a decreased risk of the skin cancer melanoma—with one key caveat, according to research from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U).

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the biggest challenges in the field of oncology. Numbers of cases are increasing, and the latest personalized therapies and immunotherapy are not yet yielding results. Much of the effort is focused on detecting the tumor as early as possible, because the majority of cases are diagnosed at a late stage. But the research also aims to help make the best clinical decision after diagnosis.

A powder based on morin, a natural compound extracted from plants such as guava leaves, apple and fig peels, certain teas, and almonds, has shown antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects against bacteria that cause periodontal disease. It is expected that the substance, released in a controlled manner through polymers, will help with nonsurgical treatments as an alternative to antibiotics for controlling microorganisms.

Concussion and other traumatic brain injuries impact an estimated 69 million people every year, as a result of sports collisions, falls, road accidents and interpersonal violence. There are few treatments, and no approved and effective pharmacotherapies.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham's Bladder Cancer Research Center have used a new method to detect chemical changes in the DNA in an individual's urine sample; epigenetic changes, called methylation.

Researchers in Berlin have used base editing to repair mutations that cause the kidney disorder ADPKD in cells from both mice and humans. In mice, a team led by Michael Kaminski was able to ease a key symptom of the difficult-to-treat disease.

In the cancer type multiple myeloma, the malignant cells differ significantly from normal cells regarding the layer of chemical "tags" on DNA and proteins that control whether genes are turned on or off. These "tags" affect growth and survival of the tumor cells, and could be utilized for developing new treatment strategies against multiple myeloma.

A research team led by Prof. Wang Yi and Wei Haiming from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), in collaboration with Prof. Ding Chen's team from Human Phenome Institute at Fudan University, has elucidated the role of lactate-induced lysine lactylation (Kla) in modulating natural killer (NK) cell anti-tumor responses within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The study was published in Nature Immunology on June 10.

A new study reveals that small cell lung cancer (SCLC) likely begins in basal stem-like cells rather than in neuroendocrine cells, marking a major shift in the understanding of this aggressive disease that is often associated with smoking.

A new review of existing practice and policy, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has highlighted the need to improve hospital doctors' understanding of how GPs operate as "expert generalists" as the key to tackling long-term issues around communication at hospital discharge.

An international study led by Dr. Malu Martínez-Chantar, principal investigator at CIC bioGUNE and CIBERehd, has identified a new therapeutic target for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a rare but highly aggressive liver cancer with very limited treatment options. The findings, recently published in the journal Gut, open the door to developing safe and effective personalized therapies. Importantly, the study has been highlighted with a dedicated editorial. The work was carried out with Dr. Naroa Goikoetxea and Dr. María Mercado as co–first authors, in collaboration with several international research centers.

People with temporal lobe epilepsy in particular often wander around aimlessly and unconsciously after a seizure. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn, and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) have identified a neurobiological mechanism that could be responsible for this so-called post-ictal wandering and potentially other postictal symptoms.

Musical people find it easier to focus their attention on the right sounds in noisy environments.

New York City offers nearly every type of medical specialist but provides fewer specialty health care providers per capita than smaller cities, according to a new study that challenges conventional assumptions about urban health care advantages and reveals a troubling paradox across America's largest metropolitan areas.