Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early detection of pulmonary nodules is crucial for timely diagnosis and effective treatment. Conventional computer-aided detection systems have shown limitations, including high false-positive rates and low sensitivity. Recent advances in deep learning, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have shown great potential in improving the accuracy and reliability of nodule detection and classification. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an automatic method for lung nodule detection and classification using a CNN-based architecture applied to computed tomography images from the publicly available LIDC-IDRI database. This retrospective study was conducted on 82 patients (10,496 computed tomography slices) selected from the LIDC-IDRI database. The proposed method consists of five main steps: image preprocessing, lung parenchyma segmentation using Otsu's thresholding and morphological operations, detection of nodule candidates, feature extraction, and classification using a CNN model. The CNN architecture includes two convolutional layers (20 and 30 filters, 3×3 kernel), ReLU activation, max-pooling layers, and a Softmax output layer. The network was trained with a mini-batch size of 32 for 50 epochs using the Stochastic Gradient Descent with Momentum optimizer (learning rate = 0.001, momentum = 0.9). Model performance was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, precision, and accuracy. Comparative analysis with recent studies, including hybrid CNN-long short-term memory and ResNet-based models, demonstrated that the proposed method provides competitive performance while maintaining lower computational complexity. Despite strong results, the study acknowledges limitations such as single-database validation and a relatively small training size. Future work will focus on validating the model across other datasets (e.g., ELCAP, NELSON) and optimizing multi-class classification performance to enhance generalizability and clinical applicability. Enhanced Pulmonary Nodule Detection and Classification Using Artificial Intelligence on LIDC-IDRI Data. 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 small team at OVACell is fighting ovarian cancer with hidden viral sequences and advanced immunotherapies. Featured in DeepSync, part of the EIC Communities project, these stories offer a unique opportunity to connect with fellow members and innovators. By showcasing the challenges and successes of each project's journey, these stories present key moments and insights that can raise visibility, foster deeper understanding, and encourage collective knowledge exchange across communities.A small team at ErVimmune, the company leading the European OVACell project, is pioneering innovative therapies for one of the deadliest cancers affecting women. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until late stages, leaving patients with limited treatment options. OVACell aims to change that, using T cell therapies that target unconventional antigens derived from human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs), viral sequences normally dormant in human DNA but abnormally expressed in tumour cells. "Founded in 2020 by Professor Stéphane Depil, a physician and academic oncologist, ErVimmune combines scientific expertise with patient-focused insight. Professor Depil's regular interactions with patients show the urgent need for therapies that truly make a difference. "Stéphane keeps us focused on impact, not just novelty," says Nathalie.OVACell's approach is both innovative and highly precise. The project first developed a vaccine for triple-negative breast cancer and ovarian cancer, targeting sequences shared across a wide patient population in Europe, North America, and ASEAN regions. Building on this success, OVACell is now advancing a T cell therapy for ovarian cancer, a disease with very high unmet medical need, where relapse is common and late diagnosis drastically reduces survival rates.Each therapy is carefully validated to avoid harming healthy tissue. OVACell uses a proprietary methodology including algorithms with AI-driven data analysis, immunopeptidomics, and in vitro testing to ensure the highest specificity and safety.Collaboration has been essential for progress. ErVimmune works with contract manufacturers in France to scale production, as well as regulatory and clinical partners to navigate complex safety and efficacy requirements. Yet the team's resilience and determination have driven significant milestones, from product development to early preclinical validation.For ErVimmune' team, the project is also close to home. "We all have friends and loved ones affected by cancer. Prevention, awareness and innovation are not abstract; they save lives. The project exemplifies how a small, committed team can address one of medicine's toughest challenges, combining cutting-edge science, careful validation and a human-first mission.OVACell's journey reminds the world that medical innovation is about more than technology; it is about empathy, courage, and the determination to give patients a real chance at life. 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.

Late in the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality rates were elevated for Medicare beneficiaries with cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease compared with the prepandemic period. “Patients with cardiovascular disease are very vulnerable to both the acute and long-term effects of COVID — on their bodies and on the health system that cares for them,” study researcher Karen Joynt Maddox, MD, MPH, told Medscape Medical News. Despite the first waves of COVID causing immense morbidity and mortality and healthcare avoidance for older adults, little is known about what happened on a population level as the pandemic dragged on, said Joynt Maddox, who is a cardiologist at WashU Medicine in St Louis, Missouri. “Did people return to their pre-COVID habits in seeking care?” she said. These unknowns led Joynt Maddox, Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues to conduct the study. Their analysis involved all Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with cardiovascular risk factors or established cardiovascular disease from January 2018 to December 2022. Data showed that hospital visit rates dropped in the late pandemic period compared with the prepandemic period (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 0.918; 95% CI, 0.915-0.922). Conversely, use of outpatient visits during the late pandemic period rose (aIRR, 1.141; 95% CI, 1.134-1.149). Increases were higher on average among urban communities and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. The greatest increase in all-cause mortality was observed among beneficiaries in the most socially vulnerable communities (aIRR, 1.116; 95% CI, 1.106-1.124) and those covered by Medicare Advantage (aIRR, 1.342; 95% CI, 1.329-1.356). “With more than 1 million aggregate deaths due to COVID-19, this calculus may simply reflect the overall burden of mortality during the pandemic,” Yancy told Medscape Medical News. Although Joynt Maddox noted that she and fellow researchers do not know the exact reason behind these patterns, she believes there are at least three contributing factors: biology, behavior, and system strain. Regarding behavior, she said some people avoided healthcare in the early days of COVID, and emergency department and hospital utilization didn't fully rebound, which could have had negative consequences. “Finally, there have been real changes to the healthcare system,” Joynt Maddox said. “It's impossible to say which of these drove the results (probably all did), but it does suggest a few places where we need a deeper dive.” Joynt Maddox has received research support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute on Aging, and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; has served as an Associate Editor for JAMA; has served on the Health Policy Advisory Council for the Centene Corporation (St Louis, Missouri); and has received research funding from Humana. Brian Ellis is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Southwest Virginia.

More than 120 peer-reviewed cell types have already been successfully cryopreserved using Bambanker™, all consolidated in one place for easy access and reference. Cryopreservation is central to how most labs manage their cell workflows today. By pairing a cryoprotectant with controlled cooling and ultra-low-temperature storage, researchers can effectively pause cellular activity while maintaining important phenotypes so experiments can be resumed later with confidence and continuity. With increasing pressure to improve study reproducibility and a growing need to store and share well-characterized cells (from standard cell lines to more advanced programs), many researchers are making standardized, publication-supported freezing conditions a priority. To make that evidence easy to verify, a DOI-linked overview brings together cell types reported in peer-reviewed studies as cryopreserved with Bambanker™. Because these variables can vary from one lab to another, and even between closely related cell types, having published examples to refer to makes a real difference. They offer a practical starting point, help reduce uncertainty, and give you a clearer sense of what has already worked under comparable conditions. The DOI-linked article below brings together peer-reviewed reports of cell types cryopreserved with Bambanker™, so you can quickly find relevant references and see how others have approached similar workflows. Bambanker™ is a ready-to-use cryoprotectant designed to streamline mammalian cell freezing by: Its performance has been documented in over 120 peer-reviewed publications, spanning a diverse range of cell and sample types. This table is reviewed and updated annually to incorporate newly published data. The current version includes literature published up to December 2025. The Full Cell Line List is available for download here. NIPPON Genetics EUROPE is a global biotech company founded in 2005 with its own research, development and production based in Germany. By providing an extensive range of selected and groundbreaking products for the life science sector, we would like to be a reliable partner and contribute to achieving our customers' individual goals. The majority of our employees have a scientific background because we want to understand which problem solutions our customers care about. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.net, which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report: Comprehensive overview of cell types successfully cryopreserved using Bambanker™. "Comprehensive overview of cell types successfully cryopreserved using Bambanker™". "Comprehensive overview of cell types successfully cryopreserved using Bambanker™". Comprehensive overview of cell types successfully cryopreserved using Bambanker™. 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.

Announcing a new article publication for BIO Integration journal. In recent years, phytochemicals and medicinal plants have increasingly been used to treat autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA, a systemic inflammatory disease, is a chronic condition that affects primarily the joints, which are lined by synovial membranes, and leads to pain, diminished mobility, and joint deterioration. Oxidative stress, synovial hyperplasia, immune cell infiltration, and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and IL-6, are key factors in RA development. Herbal medicine is an effective alternative to conventional treatments, such as biologics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, which are commonly used but can lose effectiveness or cause adverse effects. Phytotherapy therefore provides a promising complementary approach. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the pathophysiology of RA, therapeutic targets, drug resistance, and current therapeutic boundaries, with a focus on the roles of phytochemicals such as lignans, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. Bala, V. C., & Gupta, A. K. (2026) Phytochemicals as a Promising Approach to Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Perspectives. 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.

Healthcare systems worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of environmental sustainability, yet little is known about how healthcare professionals perceive and implement sustainable practices in Kazakhstan. A new qualitative study explores the perspectives of Kazakhstani healthcare practitioners on environmental sustainability in healthcare and highlights key opportunities and challenges for building greener health systems. Environmental sustainability has become a critical priority for healthcare organizations aiming to reduce their ecological footprint while maintaining high standards of patient care. Understanding the views of frontline healthcare professionals is essential for designing effective and realistic sustainability policies. The study aimed to explore the perspectives of healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan regarding environmental sustainability in healthcare settings. Four focus group discussions were conducted between June and August 2023 in three cities of Kazakhstan. Participants included nurses, physicians, midwives, and physical therapists. Each group consisted of 6-11 participants and sessions lasted 60-90 minutes. The analysis identified 137 initial codes, which were grouped into 22 sub-themes and five overarching themes: Role of healthcare leadership in promoting sustainability Participants emphasized that sustainable practices can improve patient outcomes and organizational efficiency but noted barriers such as limited resources, lack of awareness, and insufficient institutional support. Strong leadership emerged as a critical factor in successfully implementing green policies. The findings provide important insights into how healthcare professionals perceive sustainability efforts and underline the need for strategic leadership and organizational commitment. Strengthening awareness, resources, and policy support will be essential for advancing environmentally responsible healthcare in Kazakhstan. There was no patient or public contribution to this study. 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.

In a small case series, investigators used molecular diagnostic techniques to help identify an activating EGFR variant in patients with a novel acanthosis nigricans (AN) syndrome that responded to EGFR-targeting therapies. Resolution of these patients' skin manifestations and accompanying lung nodule reductions suggested that early identification and treatment of such patients is critical to prevent malignant transformation, according to the authors. Researchers including co-senior author Keith A. Choate, MD, PhD, enrolled two unrelated patients who presented with severe syndromic AN marked by early-onset generalized keratoderma accentuated at flexural sites, woolly hair, palmoplantar keratoderma, and lung nodules, all in the context of normoglycemia. “In this study,” Choate told Medscape Medical News, “we observed patients who had a much more generalized, widespread form of keratoderma that was similar to, but much more dramatic than, classical [AN].” Along with global skin thickening, he explained, these patients — both boys, ages 16 and 8 (patients 1 and 2) — had facial skin laxity, changes in hair texture and morphology, and pulmonary nodules. Whole-exome sequencing of genomic DNA extracted from these patients' saliva and blood samples vs those of their unaffected parents revealed that the boys possessed heterozygous de novo gain-of-function mutations in EGFR; specifically, the same L858R mutation that has been observed in lung cancer. Investigators also found the same mutation in a 17-year-old girl (patient 3) with hyperpigmented linear verrucous plaques on the forehead and left leg who had been diagnosed with widespread epidermal nevus. Low-dose chest CT scans of the male patients revealed that both had numerous bilateral ground-glass and solid pulmonary nodules. Additionally, next-generation sequencing of tumor tissue detected somatic gene variants including EGFR p.V834L, a second-site mutation which investigators interpreted as a possible precancerous state. Moreover, these patients' hair became straighter, although not denser. At 5 months, for example, patient 1 experienced 72.9% shrinkage in a left lower lobe nodule, with no further changes thereafter. For patient 3, investigators chose topical trametinib because their previous research showed that most epidermal nevi stemmed from activating RAS mutations, which activate the MEK pathway. However, this treatment only slightly flattened the patient's facial lesions. Ultimately, Choate reported, topical erlotinib gave the patient much better results. The study's most important lesson, Choate told Medscape Medical News, is that clinicians who see a generalized AN-like phenotype presenting at an early age without classical AN drivers such as metabolic disease should consider that syndromic AN carries potentially significant comorbidity up to and including cancer. “There are likely patients like this out there in the population who are being seen in routine dermatology practice,” he said. “So it's very important to consider the possibility that patients who present with this constellation of findings — generalized early skin thickening and changes in hair texture and facial features — as potentially having a syndromic disorder that could be very effectively treated by using targeted therapy,” or potentially lethal if untreated. The case series, moreover, emphasizes that when dermatologists see a patient with signs of a genetic disorder such as the present one, he said, “it's important to get all the way to certainty about what's driving it. This is why we need to be more broadly employing genetic testing in routine dermatology practice.” Because patient 1 also presented with impaired exercise tolerance, Choate explained, “it was the combined efforts of a team that included pulmonology, oncology, and dermatology that ultimately decided to initiate therapy. It takes care coordination across specialties to manage and treat syndromic disorders.”

HER2-positive gastric cancer accounts for a substantial proportion of advanced cases and has long been treated with HER2-targeted therapies. While trastuzumab deruxtecan has shown superior activity compared with earlier agents, most patients either fail to respond initially or eventually develop resistance. Tumor heterogeneity, metabolic adaptation, and changes in the tumor microenvironment are believed to play critical roles, yet these processes remain poorly understood in clinical samples. Traditional bulk analyses obscure rare but influential cell populations that may drive resistance. In light of these challenges, a deeper investigation into treatment-induced cellular evolution and resistance mechanisms at single-cell resolution is urgently needed. Analyzing tumor biopsies from patients enrolled in the phase II DESTINY-Gastric06 trial, the team applied single-cell RNA sequencing to track how cancer cells and their surrounding immune environment evolve during treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan. The researchers profiled nearly 92,000 individual cells from gastric cancer biopsies collected before treatment, during response, and after resistance emerged. By dissecting epithelial tumor cells at single-cell resolution, they identified distinct transcriptional programs linked to different resistance stages. Tumors showing primary resistance were enriched for metabolic pathways associated with glycolysis and lipid metabolism. Among these, MUC3A stood out as a key marker: high expression predicted shorter progression-free survival and experimentally reduced sensitivity to trastuzumab deruxtecan by limiting drug binding to HER2-positive cells. As treatment progressed, tumor cells downregulated HER2 and cell-cycle genes while upregulating CST3, a natural inhibitor of lysosomal proteases required to cleave the drug's linker and release its cytotoxic payload. Functional assays confirmed that CST3 dampens drug activation, allowing tumor cells to survive despite continued therapy. Initial treatment enhanced immune-cell infiltration and antigen presentation, but resistant tumors shifted toward an immunosuppressive state marked by reactivation of transforming growth factor-beta signaling and increased PD-1 expression on immune cells. Together, these findings show that resistance emerges through coordinated cellular, metabolic, and immune adaptations. "Resistance to highly effective therapies is rarely driven by a single factor," said one of the senior investigators. "By examining tumors at single-cell resolution, we were able to see how different cancer cell populations adapt in distinct ways—some blocking drug binding early on, others disabling drug activation or reshaping the immune environment over time. The findings suggest several clinical strategies to improve outcomes for patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer. Measuring MUC3A expression could help identify patients unlikely to benefit from trastuzumab deruxtecan upfront, enabling more precise treatment selection. Targeting CST3 or restoring lysosomal drug processing may help overcome acquired resistance. In parallel, the observed shift toward immune suppression supports combining trastuzumab deruxtecan with immunotherapies or agents targeting TGF-β signaling. Zhang, B., et al. (2025) Identification of factors conferring resistance to trastuzumab deruxtecan in advanced gastric cancer: a translational study from the single-arm, phase II, DESTINY-Gastric06 trial. 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.

Physical therapy is a key step on the path to recovery after injuries or certain surgical procedures. A new survey by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows 3 out of 4 (76%) patients don't complete their physical therapy homework, leading to stalled recoveries and potential surgical setbacks. And that one to three hours patients are physically in the clinic is not enough to make big changes in the grand scheme of things." Kyle Smith, PT, physical therapist, Ohio State Medical Center Smith and his team of physical therapists at Ohio State work with patients to advance or adjust their at-home physical therapy assignments based on feedback or any barriers the patient may face. Smith will suggest simple changes patients can make to their daily routines like parking farther away at work or the grocery store, balancing on one leg while brushing your teeth, or doing stretches or squats during television shows. Survey results: The recent survey commissioned by Ohio State asked 1,006 Americans what share of their assigned at-home physical therapy (PT) sessions they completed. There were very few (2%) who said they didn't complete any of their at-home PT. Four out of 10 (40%) people didn't complete all their sessions because they forgot/had no reminders, which was the most common reason indicated. In addition, one-third (33%) said it was because they didn't have enough time or had schedule conflicts. Survey respondents' reasons for not completing at-home PT assignments: Survey methodology: This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older. 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.

An international study led by researchers from the Sant Pau Research Institute (IR Sant Pau) shows that advanced use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows much more accurate identification of patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). These are two rare and clearly underdiagnosed atypical parkinsonian disorders. The study, published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, shows that this strategy improves early diagnosis and transforms the design of clinical trials, making them more precise and feasible for diseases for which no disease-modifying treatment currently exists. "These are diseases that cause balance problems, falls, stiffness, or difficulties with speech and movement. Many patients initially present as if they had Parkinson's disease or are simply older adults with mobility difficulties," explains Dr. Jesús García-Castro, researcher in the Neurobiology of Dementias Group at IR Sant Pau and neurologist at Hospital de Sant Pau. "This means they are greatly underdiagnosed, and for years we have not known with enough certainty which disease each patient actually had." PSP and CBD belong to a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as tauopathies, which are characterized by the abnormal accumulation in the brain of tau protein, a protein essential for normal neuronal function. When tau is deposited pathologically, it causes progressive damage to different brain regions. In PSP and CBD, this damage particularly affects areas involved in movement control, balance, posture, speech, and certain cognitive functions, which explains why their initial symptoms closely resemble those of Parkinson's disease. Unlike Alzheimer's disease-another well-known tauopathy-PSP and CBD belong to the subgroup of four-repeat tauopathies, with their own distinct biological characteristics. However, for years these differences could not be clearly identified during life, leading to imprecise diagnoses and significant clinical confusion. These diseases are, in a way, halfway between Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The problem is that, until now, we did not have reliable tools to distinguish them properly." Dr. Ignacio Illán-Gala, researcher in the Neurobiology of Dementias Group at IR Sant Pau and neurologist at Hospital de Sant Pau, and senior author of the study Patient selection for clinical trials has relied almost exclusively on clinical criteria, especially in early stages, when symptoms are still nonspecific and overlap across different diseases. Without adequate biological filtering, the cohorts used in clinical trials are biologically contaminated, critically limiting their usefulness. "On the one hand, it helps us diagnose much more reliably at early stages. On the other hand, it allows us to measure disease progression objectively." In PSP, the signature is characterized mainly by involvement of deep brain structures, particularly the brainstem, together with more selective changes in certain cortical areas. In CBD, the pattern is different and shows more marked involvement of cortical regions, especially those related to motor control and sensory integration. "Although they may look very similar clinically, at the brain level PSP and CBD damage the brain in different ways," says Dr. Illán-Gala. "These differences are reflected on MRI, and by combining them into a signature, we can much better determine which disease each patient has." Beyond improving diagnostic accuracy, the study proves that MRI can also be used as a longitudinal follow-up tool in clinical trials targeting these tauopathies. By using disease-specific MRI signatures as objective measures of disease progression, the researchers demonstrate that it is possible to detect structural brain changes with much greater sensitivity than with traditional clinical scales. In classic trial designs based on clinical variables-such as functional or symptom severity scales-demonstrating that a treatment modifies disease progression usually requires long follow-up periods and considerable sample sizes, often reaching several hundred patients. This approach is especially problematic in rare diseases such as PSP and CBD, where recruitment is slow, costly, and difficult to sustain over time. Analyses performed in the study show that using MRI as an outcome measure substantially changes this scenario. In PSP, applying disease-specific MRI signatures could reduce the number of participants required by approximately 50% in a 12-month clinical trial compared with designs based solely on clinical scales. In CBD, where clinical and diagnostic heterogeneity is even greater, the impact is even more pronounced: use of these objective measures could lead to an approximately 80–85% reduction in the required sample size to detect a therapeutic effect with the same statistical power. In this context, the researchers emphasize that these are not merely rare diseases but conditions that are both infrequent and clearly underdiagnosed. This line of research has direct continuity in projects currently underway at IR Sant Pau. This is done through the combination of plasma biomarkers and advanced imaging techniques. This project, led by Dr. Illán-Gala, builds directly on the results now published and aims to shift diagnosis toward minimally symptomatic stages, when future disease-modifying treatments are more likely to be effective. "Our goal is to reach a situation similar to that of Alzheimer's disease, where a combination of a blood test and an MRI scan allows these diseases to be diagnosed at very early stages and with much greater confidence," explains Dr. García-Castro. García-Castro, J., et al. (2026) Potential role of MRI to optimize clinical trial design for progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. 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. Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Intermittent fasting is unlikely to lead to greater weight loss in overweight or obese adults than traditional dietary advice or doing nothing, a new Cochrane review finds. Obesity is a significant public health problem that has become a leading cause of death in high-income countries. Worldwide adult obesity has more than tripled since 1975, according to the WHO. Intermittent fasting has surged in popularity in recent years, fuelled by social media, lifestyle influencers, and claims of rapid weight loss and metabolic benefits. Researchers analyzed evidence from 22 randomized clinical trials involving 1,995 adults across North America, Europe, China, Australia, and South America. Most studies followed participants for up to 12 months. Intermittent fasting did not appear to have a clinically meaningful effect on weight loss compared to standard dietary advice or doing nothing. Reporting of side effects was inconsistent across trials, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Luis Garegnani, lead author of the review, Universidad Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires Cochrane Associate Centre Garegnani also cautioned against the hype surrounding fasting online. "Intermittent fasting may be a reasonable option for some people, but the current evidence doesn't justify the enthusiasm we see on social media." Few trials have looked at the long-term results of intermittent fasting. Short-term trials make it difficult to guide long-term decision-making for patients and clinicians," Garegnani added. As obesity is a rapidly growing crisis in low- and middle-income countries, further research is needed in these populations. The authors therefore warn that these results may provide clues, but cannot be extrapolated to the entire population, as they may vary depending on sex, age, ethnic origin, disease status, or underlying eating disorders or behaviours. "With the current evidence available, it's hard to make a general recommendation," said Eva Madrid, senior author from Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Unit Iberoamerica. "Doctors will need to take a case-by-case approach when advising an overweight adult on losing weight." Garegnani, L. I., et al. (2026) Intermittent fasting for adults with overweight or obesity. 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 new study has identified an association between consumption of drinks containing a high amount of sugar and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Researchers at Bournemouth University were part of a team involved in reviewing the findings of multiple studies that have investigated people's diets and their mental health, to establish common findings. Their results have been published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. "With increasing concern about adolescent nutrition, most public health initiatives have emphasised the physical consequences of poor dietary habits, such as obesity and type-2 diabetes," said Dr Chloe Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and co-author of the study. "However, the mental health implications of diet have been underexplored by comparison, particularly for drinks that are energy dense but low in nutrients," she added. Anxiety disorders are a leading cause of mental distress among young people, in 2023 it was estimated that one in five children and young people had a mental health disorder, with anxiety one of the most reported conditions. Beverages with high amounts of sugar can include fizzy drinks, energy drinks, sugary juices, squashes, sweetened tea and coffee, and flavoured milks. The results consistently found a link between high levels of sugary drink consumption and anxiety. It is also possible that experiencing symptoms of anxiety leads to some young people consuming more sugary drinks. Or there could be other common factors – for example family life and sleeping disorders – that lead to both increased consumption and symptoms of anxiety. Whilst we may not be able to confirm at this stage what the direct cause is, this study has identified an unhealthy connection between consumption of sugary drinks and anxiety disorders in young people." Dr. Chloe Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and co-author of the study "Anxiety disorders in adolescence have risen sharply in recent years so it is important to identify lifestyle habits which can be changed to reduce the risk of this trend continuing," she concluded. 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.