Vaccine situation will be complicated this year, experts warn

When we think of the age-old adage about getting old, "What new ache or pain will each new day bring?" we often imagine ailments such as joint or bone pain, a hyperactive bladder, or even memory loss, but Kevin Schey, Stevenson Professor of Biochemistry at the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, thinks a lot about the loss of eyesight.

Living cells contain a world of complex parts, which are constantly in motion. Many functions of these parts are still not fully understood, but likely harbor answers to many of our questions about how diseases work and how we might reverse them. One such case has been brought to light.

An evolving form of therapy to treat devastating neurodegenerative disorders by injecting fresh immune cells—microglia—directly into the brain, promises a new lease on health by slowing the progression of mind-robbing conditions.

While exercise is great for both your mental and physical health, new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that exercise intensity could result in changes to the internal gut biome.

"My stomach hurts." It's one of the most common complaints from school-aged children and young teens. Occasional stomach pain in kids is normal, but when it happens often, it's important to know the most common causes—and when to call your pediatrician.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Chan Medical School is completing the first phase of data collection for a longitudinal study of the baby's developing social brain.

For the first time, a research team at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities demonstrated a process that combines 3D printing, stem cell biology, and lab-grown tissues for spinal cord injury recovery.

New Swinburne research published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society is challenging the long-held belief that all ultra-processed foods are bad for you.

A new study from Monash University has revealed that long-term back problems will cost the Australian economy an estimated $638 billion in lost productivity over the next decade unless urgent action is taken.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has developed and validated a patient-reported outcome tool for use in a clinical setting to monitor treatment response and longitudinal symptom progression in adults who have obstructive sleep apnea.

Maybe you shouldn't always listen to your gut.

People often bond with strangers over the books they read or the movies they watch and build friendships that last. Scientists may now have some insight into why this happens. A study published in Nature Human Behaviour found that participants who responded similarly to the same movie clips even before meeting were more likely to become friends later.

In recent years, binge drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD) rates during pregnancy have increased significantly in the United States, eclipsing even opioids. Evidence-based treatments for AUD include medications and counseling. Still, these are underused, including during pregnancy when both the health of the parent and the development of the fetus are at risk from alcohol consumption. This reflects, in part, the absence of clinical treatment guidelines, insufficient data on the safety of AUD medicines for the fetus, and stigma around substance use during pregnancy.

Changes in unhealthy alcohol use over time can be measured by a simple questionnaire at annual primary care visits. A study published in Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research found that in a primary care population that is regularly screened for alcohol use, decreased alcohol use scores are associated with reduced utilization of urgent care, emergency department, or inpatient treatments for mental health concerns. The findings may encourage clinicians to advise patients of the benefits of reducing their drinking and incentivize health care systems to invest in treatments for unhealthy alcohol use.

Abortion rights groups are backing California Democrats in the escalating battle to redraw congressional maps, warning that Republicans are rigging seats on the heels of deeply unpopular cuts to safety net health programs and restrictions on reproductive care.

Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a "universal" chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) platform that offers enhanced safety, adaptability, and the potential to overcome long-standing barriers in cancer immunotherapy. Promising initial testing results, published in Science Advances, suggest that this new form of CAR-T cell therapy could dramatically change the treatment landscape for certain cancers.

For most broken bones, bone cells regrow on their own while patients wear a cast or brace to keep the injury steady. But for complex or severe fractures, surgeons may intervene by placing grafts or scaffolds made of biocompatible materials, or by using metal fixation devices to ensure proper bone healing and alignment.

The Maryland Department of Health confirmed the state's first human case of West Nile virus this year in an adult living in the central part of the state.