Could a smart watch act as an early‑warning system for depression relapse? New research from McMaster University suggests that disruptions in a person's sleep and daily activity routine, as detected through a simple wrist-worn device, can signal when there is increased risk of relapsing into major depression. The new research highlights a simple, yet powerful way to passively monitor relapse risk in people living with major depressive disorder (MDD), often detecting the probability of a relapse weeks or months before the episode occurs. Advances in digital technology and AI algorithms have a great potential for relapse prevention in mental health. Benicio Frey, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on Feb. 11, 2026, followed 93 adults across Canada who had previously recovered from depression and wore a research-grade actigraphy device, similar to a Fitbit or Apple Watch. Participants wore the wearable device for one to two years, generating over 32,000 days of sleep and activity data. This research underscores the untapped potential of wearable technology for people recovering from MDD because it collects data passively and could provide continuous insight between clinical appointments. Current monitoring relies heavily on symptoms, which usually appear later than what can be detected through a wearable device. Researchers say there are opportunities for health system innovation, where wearable-derived alerts could help clinicians target care to those most at risk, improving outcomes and reducing the burden of recurrent episodes. "While it has been long recognized that abnormal sleep and activity patterns are associated with greater risk of depression relapse, the ability to passively detect these abnormal patterns using smart sensors opens an exciting new window of opportunity for personalizing the care of conditions that may reoccur, like depression". MDD is a common and serious medical condition that affects millions of people globally. Depression impacts how a person feels, thinks and functions, and can cause persistent symptoms like low mood, lack of appetite, feelings of guilt and loss of interest in activities. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

The mechanisms underlying menstrual cycle irregularities associated with PCOS, and how they may change after pregnancy remain incompletely understood. A recent study published in Life Metabolism, led by Prof. Chaojun Li from Nanjing Medical University, reveals that sustained high progesterone exposure during pregnancy can significantly improve menstrual cyclicity in PCOS patients and a PCOS-like mouse model, providing novel insights into the hormonal mechanisms underlying postpartum recovery.In a retrospective cohort of 186 PCOS patients who delivered after assisted reproductive technology (ART), 60.60% of those with irregular cycles showed improved menstrual regularity postpartum. Importantly, improvement was not associated with baseline clinical characteristics or ART procedures, supporting an association with pregnancy-related endocrine dynamics rather than specific ART interventions.To probe mechanism, the authors used a letrozole-induced PCOS-like mouse model, and administered progesterone for 3 weeks to mimic sustained gestational elevation. Histology showed fewer advanced follicles and a thinner endometrium during diestrus. Further investigation showed that progesterone depleted large follicles via granulosa cell apoptosis, facilitating a reset of ovarian function.At the cellular level, progesterone induced granulosa-cell apoptosis and reduced follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) expression in a GATA2-dependent manner. After progesterone withdrawal, progesterone pretreatment increased granulosa-cell steroidogenic responsiveness to FSH (e.g., upregulation of StAR, CYP11a1, HSD3B1, and CYP19a1), suggesting a dual role of progesterone: it transiently suppresses follicular activity during gestation-like exposure, and then enhances FSH-driven estrogen production after withdrawal, collectively supporting menstrual-cycle recovery.Overall, these findings provide a mechanistic framework linking gestational progesterone dynamics to postpartum menstrual-cycle improvement in PCOS, highlighting progesterone's role as a potential therapeutic agent for PCOS-related menstrual dysfunction. While further studies are needed to address confounding factors like prolactin, this research paves the way for hormone-based strategies mimicking pregnancy effects. Yang, Q., et al. (2026) Gestational progesterone restores menstrual cycle in PCOS patients via enhancing ovary estrogen production. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

A wearable biosensor developed by Washington State University researchers could improve wireless glucose monitoring for people with diabetes, making it more cost-effective, accurate, and less invasive than current models. The WSU researchers have developed a wearable and user-friendly sensor that uses microneedles and sensors to measure sugar in the fluid around cells, providing an alternative to continuous glucose monitoring systems. We were able to amplify the signal through our new single-atom catalyst and make sensors that are smaller, smarter, and more sensitive. This is the future and provides a foundation for being able to detect other disease biomarkers in the body." Annie Du, research professor in WSU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and co-corresponding author on the work Measuring glucose levels is important for diabetes, helping to keep patients healthy and preventing complications. The researchers used 3D printing to create their sensor, which makes it relatively inexpensive compared to typical monitors. "Ours is much more benign for customers and users," said Kaiyan Qiu, Berry Assistant Professor in WSU's School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and corresponding author on the work. The hollow microneedle arrays are less than a millimeter in length as compared to typical glucose monitoring needles that are several times longer. "The hollow microneedles are painless and minimally invasive, making them next-generation medical devices," said Qiu. The glucose monitor is also highly sensitive because it uses a single-atom catalyst and enzymatic reactions, called nanozymes, to enhance the sugar's signal and measure low levels of the biomarkers. "The nanozymes make our signal much stronger and can detect a minimal amount of any biomarker," said Qiu. They are planning to test the glucose monitors on animals and are investigating its use with additional or multiple biomarkers. "My goal is to make advanced sensing technology more practical for everyday healthcare," said Yonghao Fu, co-first author on the paper and a PhD student in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. "I enjoy working on a project that can combine different technologies so that we can take advantage of their strengths." 3D-printed hollow microneedle-based electrochemical sensor for wireless glucose monitoring. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Prescribing daily aspirin at the first prenatal visit to all pregnant patients was associated with an overall reduction in the development of severe preeclampsia, according to new research presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting™. Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that includes persistently high blood pressure and signs of organ damage such as protein in the urine or liver abnormalities. SPE, or preeclampsia with severe features, is a life-threatening pregnancy complication with dangerously high blood pressure and signs of damage to vital organs (liver, kidneys, or brain). Hypertensive disorders accounted for 7.7% of all pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. in 2024, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Identification of preeclampsia involves blood pressure and symptom monitoring. Although low-dose aspirin therapy has been shown to help prevent preeclampsia among high-risk patients when started between 12 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, it remains underutilized and thus recent guidelines recommend consideration of universal aspirin use in high-risk pregnant populations. To understand the effect of universal aspirin therapy in reducing SPE among a pregnant population with a high rate of preeclampsia, researchers provided 162 mg of daily aspirin to all patients at their first prenatal visit at or before 16-weeks' gestation beginning in August 2022. The researchers found that pregnant patients who were given daily aspirin had a 29% lower rate of developing SPE compared with the group who did not receive aspirin. The study found no increase in maternal hemorrhage or placental abruption with aspirin therapy. Implementation of directly-dispensed aspirin in this high-risk pregnant population appeared to delay the onset, and for some patients completely prevent the development of preeclampsia with severe features. While we cannot be sure that similar effects will be observed in other patient populations, there was no evidence of harm caused by aspirin administration." Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Studies have reported on survival probabilities of people born with open spina bifida, a condition where the spinal cord and nerves are exposed through an opening in the back. Research published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology now provides life expectancies, with results reported by age, sex, and different levels of impairment. In the study of 1,659 patients with open spina bifida who received support from the California Department of Developmental Services in 1986–2019, survival varied significantly by walking and feeding ability and by bowel/bladder continence. Life expectancies also decreased markedly with age and were modestly lower for males compared with females. "This is the first long-term study of spina bifida patients to report life expectancies by age, sex, and severity of impairment," the authors wrote. "We hope the results... will aid patients and caregivers alike in the proper planning for and treatment of those living with spina bifida." Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. To start a conversation, please log into your AZoProfile account first, or create a new account. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

A prior abortion or miscarriage was not linked with an increased risk of developing pre- or postmenopausal breast cancer in a study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. In the nationwide Finnish registry-based study, investigators analyzed data on 31,687 women with breast cancer diagnosed in 1972–2021 and 158,433 women without breast cancer. Risks were also similar among women with and without a past miscarriage. In addition, breast cancer risks did not vary significantly by the number of abortions or miscarriages, nor by the time of first abortion or miscarriage. Miscarriage or induced abortion as potential risk factors for breast cancer has continued to raise concerns and has led to the spread of misinformation. In this study using high-quality Finnish registry data, we can reliably eliminate these concerns. Induced abortion or miscarriage are not risk factors for breast cancer, even if there are several of them. This information is important and reassuring for millions of women around the world." Induced abortion, miscarriage, and the risk of breast cancer—A registry‐based study from Finland. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

In 2016, Poland introduced a nationwide policy eliminating all out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs prescribed by healthcare professionals to individuals aged 75 and older. A new study published in Health Economics finds that the policy reduced average out-of-pocket medication spending by 23% and cut catastrophic drug expenses by 62%, indicating substantial financial protection during major health shocks. The financial gains, however, were not evenly distributed. With lower medication costs and greater insurance against future health shocks, some older adults increased spending on goods such as unhealthy food, alcohol, and cigarettes. The program reduced financial stress for many older adults, which is good news. But when people feel more insured against health costs, they may change other spending habits in ways that can partially offset the policy's overall impact." Krzysztof Zaremba, PhD, corresponding author of Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) The Financial and Behavioral Effects of Free Prescription Drugs: Evidence From a Policy Discontinuity in Poland. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Australian scientists have discovered that DNA barcoding can be used to track cancer cells in solid and liquid biopsies, empowering future research into more reliable breast cancer diagnosis and treatment strategies. Tumors are composed of different cancer cells that vary in their aggressiveness and sensitivity to treatments, and further research is needed to understand how solid biopsies (from the tumor), or liquid biopsies (from the blood), can capture this diversity. DNA barcoding technology is a powerful tool to study cancer heterogeneity using lentiviruses to label individual cancer cells with DNA tags. Using an optimised DNA barcoding technique, researchers at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI), WEHI and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre found that tumours in different models shed different amounts of DNA into the bloodstream, even when their cancer cell makeup looks similar. The discovery that DNA tag detectability varies across models, with some showing low recovery even when highly metastatic, indicates that DNA shedding is model-specific and could contribute to false-negative liquid biopsy results. We were then able to accurately quantify how much tumorheterogeneity is captured in biopsies. "We found that DNA shedding in the bloodstream varied widely, not only depending on necrosis and tumor burden, but also across preclinical models. Prof Delphine Merino, Laboratory Head at ONJCRI and senior author of the Molecular Systems Biology paper published today, says: "Our results suggest that both liquid and solid biopsies are, overall, representative of tumorcomposition, but the results vary between tumours, suggesting that combining both strategies may provide a more accurate representation of the disease." "Liquid biopsies are a non-invasive way to monitor disease progression. This research will help us understand why some tumors are shedding more DNA than others, and could ultimately lead to a better use of liquid biopsies in the clinic." Dr Tom Weber (WEHI) is a co-first author, and Prof Shalin Naik (WEHI) is a co-senior author of the Molecular Systems Biology paper. Serrano, A., et al. (2026) Genetic barcoding uncovers the clonal makeup of solid and liquid biopsies and their ability to capture intra-tumoral heterogeneity. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Eppendorf, a leading international life science company that develops, manufactures, and distributes instruments, consumables, and services for use in laboratories around the world, today announced a collaboration with Dubai Police to advance the scientific capabilities of the city's justice system. Under the agreement, Dubai Police will integrate Eppendorf's automated laboratory platforms into forensics workflows, supporting faster crime detection and the delivery of conclusive evidence to judicial authorities. Eppendorf will provide Dubai Police with automated liquid handling platforms, including the Eppendorf epMotion® 5075t and 5073t NGS Solutions. In addition, Eppendorf will provide specialized training programs to ensure seamless implementation and integration with existing instrumentation. This collaboration aims to support high-precision forensic analysis based on data processing, while ensuring smooth and sustainable workflows. The implementation of automated systems will reduce requirements for human intervention, and will accelerate processing times, analytical capacity and accuracy, facilitating more efficient criminal identification, optimizing Dubai's judicial processes. We are proud to be partnering with Dubai Police, playing a critical role in enhancing analytical efficiency of Dubai's forensic facilities. Combining Eppendorf's automation technologies with Dubai Police's forensic expertise will set a new standard for forensic excellence.” H.E Major General Ahmad Thani bin Ghalita, Director of the General Department of Forensic Evidence and Criminology, Dubai Police, added: “This partnership reflects our strategic commitment to enhancing forensic readiness through innovation and international collaboration. The agreement aims to elevate laboratory performance, improve operational efficiency and ensure highly accurate forensic results in line with global standards.” Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report: Eppendorf collaborates with Dubai Police to automate forensics laboratories. "Eppendorf collaborates with Dubai Police to automate forensics laboratories". "Eppendorf collaborates with Dubai Police to automate forensics laboratories". Eppendorf collaborates with Dubai Police to automate forensics laboratories. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. To start a conversation, please log into your AZoProfile account first, or create a new account. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. Please check the box above to proceed. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Dementia Care Aware (DCA) is collaborating with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to support its March 2026 Action Community, a community learning experience that helps health systems across the country implement the 4Ms Framework of an Age-Friendly Health System. This new collaboration advances DCA's and IHI's shared goals of ensuring older adults receive evidence-based care for dementia. We're thrilled for this landmark opportunity to collaborate with IHI, a leader in accelerating quality of care, to improve dementia care for older adults. As America's aging population grows, adopting age-friendly frameworks across health systems is more important than ever, and we are proud to contribute our expertise in dementia care and brain health to help make this a reality." IHI's Action Community connects organizations with expert faculty and peers to test and adopt the 4Ms Framework of an Age-Friendly Health System - a proven approach to improving outcomes for older adults by focusing on four key areas: "As we prepare to launch our Action Community this year, Dementia Care Aware is essential to expanding the reach and impact of Age-Friendly Health Systems," said Camille Burnett, PhD, MPA, RN, Vice President of Health Equity, IHI. "DCA brings invaluable knowledge and experience in evidence-based dementia care, helping Action Community participants integrate best practices that will elevate care for older adults nationwide." Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Researchers at Oregon State University have developed and tested in a mouse model a new type of nanoparticle that enables the removal of melanoma tumors with a low-power laser. After the systemically administered nanoparticles accumulate in cancerous tissue, exposure to near-infrared light causes them to heat up and destroy the melanoma cells, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. The study led by Olena Taratula and Prem Singh of the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy represents a huge step toward solving a persistent problem with using photothermal therapy to treat melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer: Conventional nanoparticles require lasers with power densities that are unsafe for the skin. Taratula, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Singh, a postdoctoral researcher in Taratula's lab, based their new theranostic platform – it can be used for both treatment and diagnosis – on gold nanorods. The nanorods are coated with an iron-cobalt shell and tightly loaded with a dye that heats up upon exposure to near-infrared light – invisible, low-frequency radiation able to penetrate deeply into human tissue. A key feature of the platform is its use of resonance energy transfer, a nanoscale process in which energy moves directly from one molecule to another. The safety limit is 0.33 watts per centimeter squared. When we used 0.25 watts per centimeter squared with our nanoparticles, a single treatment of an aggressive melanoma mouse model, developed in the lab of our OSU colleague Adam Alani, completely ablated the tumor." Melanoma, which starts in the skin's pigment-producing cells and is typically caused by exposure to ultraviolet light, accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers but is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths. More than 8,000 people in the U.S. died of melanoma in 2025, according to the National Institutes of Health, and more than 100,000 new cases were diagnosed. "Many of those cases likely were treated with a surgical procedure that required a big incision and a significant amount of tissue removal to help ensure no cancerous cells were left behind," Singh said. "Photothermal therapy on the other hand is a minimally invasive treatment, and our work establishes resonance energy transfer as a truly transformative strategy for coming up with next-generation photothermal therapy agents." The design of the nanoparticle presented in this research, he added, allows it to also act as an imaging agent that enables fluorescence-guided ablation therapy – an imaging system shows where to focus the laser during tumor removal. The collaboration included Oregon State's Constanze Raitmayr, Syed Zaki Husain Rizvi, Ammar Salem, Vladislav Grigoriev, Tetiana Korzun, Karthickraja Duraisamy, Akshay Vyawahare, Kongbrailatpam Shitaljit Sharma, Ana Paula Mesquita Souza, Yoon Tae Goo, Manali Phawde, Chrissa Kioussi and Oleh Taratula, and Yitayal Admassu Workie of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University. Resonance Energy Transfer–Driven Photothermal Nanoagent Enables Melanoma Ablation Under Low‐Power Near‐Infrared Irradiation. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Researchers have uncovered the mechanisms behind three unique subtypes of mismatch repair deficient high-grade gliomas. The findings provide a clearer understanding of how these tumors develop, explain why patients respond differently to immunotherapy, and are already helping guide more precise therapies. High-grade gliomas are a group of aggressive brain tumors and one of the deadliest tumors in children and young adults. In some children, the tumors are driven by mismatch repair deficiency (MMRD), which is characterized by hypermutation (a large and quickly accumulating number of mutations in tumour cells) and resistance to standard treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Because priMMRD-HGG have high numbers of mutations, treatment has shifted to immunotherapy, which uses the body's own immune system to fight cancer by targeting cancer cells. While immunotherapy has improved survival rates, clinicians observed three types of responses to treatment among patients, as well as differences in imaging and age of onset. Published in Nature Genetics, the study was led by Dr. Uri Tabori and a team of researchers including Drs. "This rare population of mismatch repair deficient gliomas offers unique insight into how genome instability drives all gliomas, and is already leading to new treatment strategies and clinical trials for patients," explains Nicholas Fernandez, first author and Research Fellow in the Tabori Lab. Using a unique global cohort of patients from the International Replication Repair Deficiency Consortium, led out of SickKids, the team classified 162 priMMRD-HGG from 152 patients into three subgroups: These tumors are the most common, with 62 per cent of tumors having both MMRD mutations and polymerase proofreading deficiency (PPD), making them extremely sensitive to immunotherapy. A first-in-kind clinical trial called U-R-Immune Glioma, led by Drs. Eric Bouffet and Das at SickKids, is already pursuing an immunotherapy-first approach for these patients, sparing initial radiation therapy. These tumors account for 19 per cent of the gliomas studied and have MMRD mutations without PPD or IDH1 gene alterations. While they often have poor responses to immunotherapy alone, SickKids clinicians and scientists are working toward a clinical trial to pair targeted immunotherapies with a IDH1 inhibitor to provide more tailored care for this subgroup of patients. This reclassification would better reflect their molecular and clinical behavior, which the research team says will help to propel future research efforts and collaborations with scientists around the world for these ultra-rare and distinct tumor subtypes. One effort already underway is an investigation into a possible vaccine to target cancer cells earlier using a strategy called immune interception. This means the tumors share mutations that can be intercepted earlier to prevent their progression with approaches such as vaccines. Dr. Uri Tabori, Section Head of Neuro-Oncology, Senior Scientist in the Genetics & Genome Biology program and Garron Family Cancer Centre Chair While still is in its early phases, the research team is hopeful that with more precise knowledge about these tumor subtypes, treatment can become increasingly proactive and tailored to each child's unique tumor, forming the basis of the new immune cancer interception program led by Drs. Peter Dirks, James Rutka, Hawkins and Tabori in the Brain Tumour Research Centre at SickKids. Patterns of hypermutation shape tumorigenesis and immunotherapy response in mismatch-repair-deficient glioma. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. 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New real-world evidence links shingles vaccination with reduced dementia risk, raising important questions about viral triggers, inflammation, and future prevention strategies. Study: Recombinant zoster vaccine is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers investigated the observational association between the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, colloquially “Shingrix”) and dementia risk, a non-target condition, in adults aged 65 years and older. The study analyzed records from more than 300,000 individuals and found that Shingrix was associated with a 51 percent lower observed risk of dementia in the sampled cohort. Specifically, study findings revealed that two doses of the vaccine were associated with significantly lower hazards of both Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. These findings remained robust after multiple sensitivity analyses designed to address potential confounding, including healthy-vaccinee effects, suggesting a reduced dementia risk that requires confirmation rather than a demonstrated neuroprotective effect. Dementia is an umbrella term for a spectrum of progressive neurological conditions severe enough to disrupt daily life. While age, genetics, health behaviors, and environmental exposures are established risk factors, scientists have long suspected that the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the virus responsible for chickenpox and shingles, may also play a role. Studies have shown that when VZV reactivates in older adults, it causes shingles, a painful rash that has been linked to increased risks of neuroinflammation and brain damage. Notably, data from earlier shingles vaccines, such as the live-attenuated zoster vaccine (ZVL), suggested a potential benefit in reducing dementia risk. However, evidence regarding the newer and more effective recombinant zoster vaccine has remained limited. The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting a retrospective matched cohort analysis using electronic health records from Kaiser Permanente Southern California. The study population included 65,800 individuals aged 65 years or older who received two doses of RZV between April 2018 and December 2020, with a mean follow-up of approximately 3.4 years. These individuals were matched at a 1:4 ratio to 263,200 unvaccinated peers based on age, sex, race, ethnicity, prior ZVL vaccination history, and extensive clinical covariates. Follow-up began six months after vaccination to reduce misclassification from pre-existing dementia. The primary endpoint was all-cause dementia, defined using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD 10) diagnostic codes. Diagnostic validity was strengthened through targeted medical record review of coded dementia and MCI cases. To address potential healthy vaccinee bias, the researchers compared RZV recipients with a separate cohort of 65,800 individuals who received the tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine. This comparison helped ensure that vaccinated groups were similarly health-seeking, although residual confounding cannot be fully excluded. Results were otherwise consistent across age groups and racial or ethnic categories, though the biological basis for the sex difference remains unclear. RZV administration was also associated with a 16 percent reduction in the risk of incident MCI, particularly among individuals followed for less than 3.5 years. Among those who developed MCI, vaccinated individuals experienced a longer median time to progression to dementia, with an average delay of approximately 68 days. This large real-world observational study provides evidence that recombinant zoster vaccination is associated with a statistically significant reduction in dementia risk. However, causality cannot be established, and a longer follow-up is required, given the slow development of dementia. The authors hypothesize that vaccination may reduce viral reactivation, which could otherwise trigger neuroinflammation or damage cerebral blood vessels, thereby contributing to progressive neurological decline. Future research should examine whether these cognitive associations are unique to RZV, explore optimal timing and dosing, and evaluate how shingles vaccination might be incorporated into broader dementia risk reduction strategies. A longer longitudinal follow-up will be essential to clarify durability and clinical relevance. Hugo Francisco de Souza is a scientific writer based in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. His academic passions lie in biogeography, evolutionary biology, and herpetology. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, where he studies the origins, dispersal, and speciation of wetland-associated snakes. Hugo has received, amongst others, the DST-INSPIRE fellowship for his doctoral research and the Gold Medal from Pondicherry University for academic excellence during his Masters. His research has been published in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, including PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases and Systematic Biology. When not working or writing, Hugo can be found consuming copious amounts of anime and manga, composing and making music with his bass guitar, shredding trails on his MTB, playing video games (he prefers the term ‘gaming'), or tinkering with all things tech. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report: Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer's and dementia risk. "Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer's and dementia risk". "Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer's and dementia risk". Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer's and dementia risk. Brain microphysiological systems are reshaping in vitro neurotoxicity testing through functional validation and advanced disease modeling. Targeted protein degradation presents a promising strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, focusing on innovative approaches for gram-negative bacteria. In our latest interview, News-Medical speaks with Rosanna Zhang from ACROBiosystems about utilizing organoids for disease modeling in the field of neuroscience research. News-Medical.Net provides this medical information service in accordance with these terms and conditions. Please note that medical information found on this website is designed to support, not to replace the relationship between patient and physician/doctor and the medical advice they may provide. Hi, I'm Azthena, you can trust me to find commercial scientific answers from News-Medical.net. Registered members can chat with Azthena, request quotations, download pdf's, brochures and subscribe to our related newsletter content. A few things you need to know before we start. While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.