Quitting time: Neurons that drive sociable behavior in children and teens turn off in adulthood

In the fitness class Jessie Syfko created for a nationwide gym chain, exercisers wear weighted vests that add a challenge to their workouts.

A new Northwestern Medicine study has uncovered a surprising molecular link between HIV-1 and a protein fragment associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For years, health authorities have warned against red meat consumption, with the World Health Organization's cancer research arm classifying it as "probably carcinogenic to humans." But a controversial new study challenges that position, suggesting that animal protein might protect against cancer deaths rather than cause them.

An international University of Helsinki study has found that adverse childhood circumstances increase the risk of suicidal ideation in later life.

A systematic review of research spanning 34 years has found a biological link between two common neurological conditions that can potentially save the NHS millions by streamlining treatments that currently cost the NHS about £2 billion a year.

They have been promoted as a remedy for anxiety and sleeplessness, with celebrities and influencers swearing by their calming effects. Weighted blankets—heavy throws filled with glass beads or plastic pellets—have gone from a niche therapeutic tool to a mainstream wellness must-have, promising better sleep and reduced stress for anyone struggling to unwind.

Cancer treatment is becoming more personalized. By considering a patient's unique genetic and molecular profile, along with their lifestyle and environmental factors, doctors can make more accurate treatment decisions. This approach, known as personalized or precision medicine, has been increasingly used in South Africa and has expanded to other African countries in recent decades. It requires doctors to rely more on genetic tests to guide decisions. But these tests don't always give clear answers. Functional genomics may offer a way to improve the interpretation of unclear genetic test results. We spoke to physiological scientist Claudia Christowitz about it.

Young people have a nuanced view of how their digital lives affect their mental health and want more support and involvement from the adults around them. This is shown in an international study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with UNICEF.

Basophils, a type of white blood cell, promote recovery from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in mice, according to researchers at Science Tokyo. In a mouse model of ARDS, basophils were found to release interleukin-4 (IL-4), which suppresses inflammatory neutrophils in the lungs during the recovery stage. The study suggests that targeting the basophil–IL-4–neutrophil pathway could offer a new therapeutic approach for ARDS, a condition with high mortality rates and no dedicated treatments.

A study discovered a circuit in the brain that connects stress with increased glucose and therefore may link stress to type 2 diabetes. In stressful situations, this circuit from the amygdala to the liver naturally provides a burst of energy. When introducing chronic stress and a fatty diet, researchers observed a disruption in the circuit's output, specifically, an excess of glucose production in the liver. Long-term elevations in glucose can cause hyperglycemia and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

An independent evaluation of measures introduced by the NHS in 2019 to reduce stillbirths in England has shown that most women have a positive experience with antenatal care, birth and labor.

Confiscating personal belongings during government-led dismantling of tent cities in Vancouver inflicts immediate harm and further destabilizes people already struggling to meet their basic needs, according to a new study from Simon Fraser University.

Metastasis, the primary cause of cancer-related mortality, is driven by alterations in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), characterized by the lack of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression, is notably aggressive and prone to recurrence and metastasis.

Researchers from University of California San Diego have found that Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC), a psychoactive compound often sold as a legal alternative to marijuana, is most commonly used in states where marijuana use remains illegal and delta-8 THC sales are unregulated. The findings, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, highlight how gaps in cannabis policy may be inadvertently steering people toward less-regulated substances and have allowed manufacturers to evade restrictions placed on marijuana products.

Although the material damage from 2012's Hurricane Sandy may have been repaired, the storm left a lasting impact on cardiovascular health, according to new findings from Weill Cornell Medicine and New York University researchers.

Obesity rates have climbed over the last several decades, as have mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. This is especially the case among children, but this particular population has not been closely researched when it comes to these issues.

In 2023, the opportunity to put her scholarship into practice led Vanessa Nicholson Robinson, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, to her home state of Mississippi. Working specifically in the Mississippi Delta, she joined a team of researchers engaging with the community to address nutritional challenges unique to the area.

How physicians feel about artificial intelligence in medicine has been studied many times. But what do patients think? A team led by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has investigated this in a large study spanning six continents.