Novel delivery method bypasses blood-brain barrier to treat ALS symptoms

A researcher at the University of Missouri has made a promising breakthrough in the quest to help people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurodegenerative disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. In a recent study, Mizzou's Smita Saxena showed that a natural molecule called GM1 can reach the brain when it's wrapped inside a tiny fat-based bubble. In early laboratory testing, this approach helped improve ALS symptoms.

Antibody developed to protect immune system cells in vitro from a dangerous hospital-acquired bacterium

A monoclonal antibody created by the Nanobiotechnology for Diagnostics group (Nb4D) at the Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), has demonstrated in cell cultures that it can neutralize the toxin pyocyanin produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which the World Health Organization considers highly dangerous due to its strong resistance to nearly all antibiotics and its prevalence in hospital settings.

First-ever in-utero stem cell therapy for fetal spina bifida repair shows safe results

A Phase I clinical trial published in The Lancet has shown that combining stem cell therapy with standard fetal surgery before birth is a safe and promising approach to treat myelomeningocele, a severe form of spina bifida. This is the first time live stem cells have been used on a fetus's damaged spine, which could potentially lead to better health outcomes for babies compared to traditional fetal surgery.

Immune blueprint maps how the system fights most widespread form of malaria parasite

New research co-led by Burnet Institute and WEHI has uncovered how the human immune system fights Plasmodium vivax, paving the way for the first effective vaccine against the most widespread form of malaria. Published in Immunity, the study provides critical evidence of how protective immunity to P. vivax works, identifying specific targets on the parasite and explaining how antibodies function to prevent and clear infection.

Hypertension treatment linked to lower mortality for patients with metastatic breast cancer

Women with metastatic breast cancer often face multiple chronic conditions, and high blood pressure is among the most common. Nearly half of women in this study population had hypertension at diagnosis, with even higher rates among Black and Hispanic patients. Researchers have recently sought to understand whether more effective hypertension management could improve survival. Their work appears in Cancer Medicine.

Hormone therapy may not benefit most men receiving radiotherapy after prostate surgery, study finds

A new study led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators suggests that adding hormone therapy to postoperative radiotherapy may provide little survival benefit for most men with prostate cancer, especially for those with very low PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels before treatment. The researchers found that for men with low PSA levels prior to radiotherapy, adding hormone therapy, whether short-term or long-term, did not improve overall survival. Men with higher PSA levels before radiation may see modest improvements in survival and metastasis-free survival, suggesting hormone therapy may be beneficial primarily for this higher-risk group.

What a map of Queensland reveals about health inequality

Researchers have used geospatial data to illustrate significant life expectancy differences across Queensland, including for areas only kilometers apart within cities. Health geographer Associate Professor Jonathan Olsen from The University of Queensland's Institute for Social Science Research led a team that used railway stations as geographic markers to map health data. The research is published in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia.