Other Notable Health Studies & Research From May 12, 2022

There are dozens of studies, innovations, and research findings released everyday by institutions and clinics across the world. Here’s a look at some of the other notable health reports from May 12.

More State Oversight Needed to Improve End-of-Life Care for Assisted Living Residents
New research looks at end-of-life care in assisted living and found that in states with less rigorous regulations residents were less likely to die with hospice or at home – important markers of quality of care.

As Drug Overdose Deaths Climb, Experts Assess Strategies to Stem the Tide
Stemming the tide of the opioid crisis in rural communities requires taking action to overcome the stigma and health inequity that have increased barriers to recovery from substance use disorder (SUD).

Researchers seek to improve success of chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma
A study published by researchers from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center at Mayo Clinic in Florida and Case Western, Cleveland Medical Center, investigates the reasons for decreasing remission rates for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T cell therapy).

New project to improve health of patients with kidney failure
A new project, led by Assistant Professor Jessie Chin, aims to boost HD patients’ commitment to exercise through a long-term motivational interviewing conversational agent (LotMintBot).

Dr. Melody Zeng Receives a Hartwell Foundation Individual Biomedical Research Award
Dr. Melody Zeng, an assistant professor of immunology in pediatrics and a member of the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Research at Weill Cornell Medicine, has received a 2021 Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award from The Hartwell Foundation.

Study finds nanomedicine targeting lymph nodes key to triple negative breast cancer treatment
A study led by Duxin Sun, Ph.D., found that targeting the immune microenvironment in lymph nodes and tumors simultaneously led to long-term tumor remission in mice models of metastatic triple negative breast cancer.

Massive single-cell atlas across human tissues highlights cell types where disease genes are active
Now researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a robust experimental pipeline that can profile many more cell types from more tissues than can be studied with other techniques, as well as machine learning methods to put this data together and query the resulting map, or atlas.

Novel Cell Atlas for Multiple Human Tissues Reveals Discoveries Underlying Complex Diseases
Scientists from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have developed a first-of-its-kind cross-tissue cell atlas, and in collaboration with researchers at Mass Eye and Ear, have uncovered new clues for specific cell types and genes involved in complex diseases.

Bacteria with recording function capture gut health status
Researchers from ETH Zurich, University Hospital of Bern and the University of Bern have equipped gut bacteria with data logger functionality as a way of monitoring which genes are active in the bacteria.

Presenting the most comprehensive, cross-tissue cell atlases to date: New findings from the Human Cell Atlas consortium
Researchers with the international Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium – whose goal is to map every cell type in the human body, but who until now have mostly focused on studying cells in individual organs and tissues or small tissue subsets – report a major feat: creation of detailed maps of more than a million individual cells across 33 organs, representing the most comprehensive, cross-tissue cell atlases to date.

Protein related to Fragile X syndrome may be a new target for blood pressure medicines
A new study in mice has identified FXR1, a protein in the same family as the one implicated in Fragile X syndrome, as a potential target for creating a new type of blood pressure-lowering medicine, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions 2022.

Immune cell characteristics mapped across multiple tissues, from early life to adulthood
Two new papers from the Human Cell Atlas shed new light on the types and traits of immune cells that can be found in the human body, from developmental stages to adulthood.

‘Tabula Sapiens’ Multi-Organ Cell Atlas Already Yielding Surprises for Biologists
Now, in a paper published in Science on May 13, 2022, the Tabula Sapiens Consortium, a team of more than 160 experts led by scientists at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, has unveiled a massive digital atlas that maps gene expression in nearly 500,000 cells from 24 human tissues and organs, including the lungs, skin, heart, and blood.

Multi-tissue cell atlases lead to leap of understanding of immunity and disease
The Human Cell Atlas goal of mapping every cell type in the human body to transform our knowledge of biology, infection and disease is a milestone step closer with four studies published in Science today (13th May).

Ultrathin fuel cell uses the body’s own sugar to generate electricity
Engineers have developed a glucose power source that could fuel miniature implants and sensors.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine Receives $11 Million Grant to Tackle Post-Traumatic Epilepsy
Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, led by Aristea Galanopoulou, M.D., Ph.D., have received a five-year, $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to look for novel biomarkers that predict a person’s risk for developing PTE and for treatments to prevent the condition.

Smokers who switch to e-cigarettes may adopt other healthy routines
Adult smokers who shift to using to e-cigarettes may have more chances to improve health and well-being, according to new research from the University of Washington.

Study: Treatment Minimizes Infants’ Opioid-Related Brain Abnormalities
Led by scientists at Cedars-Sinai, this is the first study to report evidence validating the benefits of using medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy.

Uneven Distribution of Emergency Physician Residency Programs Can Impact Workforce Challenges, New Analysis Finds
A new analysis of the emergency physician resident workforce in Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that while the number of residency programs is increasing, new residency programs are disproportionately located in urban areas in states with existing programs, rather than rural communities with limited access to emergency care.

Sugared proteins called proteoglycans start to give up their secrets
Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a set of methods for the closer study of one of the least-accessible, least-understood players in biology: protein-sugar conjugates called proteoglycans.

Throwing Drug Resistance for a Loop
Now, a team of researchers at Gladstone Institutes led by Leor Weinberger, PhD, and Sonali Chaturvedi, PhD, has developed a novel class of therapeutics, called feedback disruptors, that have the potential to be resistance-proof drugs.

Family Size May Influence Cognitive Functioning in Later Life
A new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center, and Université Paris-Dauphine – PSL, found that having three or more versus two children has a negative effect on late-life cognition.

Skin drug treatments may regress dangerous birthmarks and prevent melanoma
Researchers led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) recently created multiple preclinical models of this condition and used them to show that several drugs can be applied to the skin to cause the lesions to regress, and one topical drug also protected against skin cancer.

New Study Reports Need to Monitor Public Interest in Shopping and Sales of Popular Puff Bar E-cigarette Brand
New research led by scientists at the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows the need for continued surveillance of the changes in shopping interest and sales for Puff Bar, the most preferred brand of electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes among youth in the United States.

Poll shows impact of menopause and other health issues on older women’s sex lives
Less than half of those experiencing menopause-related symptoms have talked to their health care provider about treatment.

First Mutation-Targeted Bladder Cancer Drug May Be Under-Used
The first bladder cancer drug targeting a cancer-driving gene mutation has been used relatively little despite its clear efficacy in a clinical trial, suggests a study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Research Aims to Improve Machines’ Recommendations and Predictions Based on Cause and Effect
JUNDONG LI, University of Virginia assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, computer science and data science, is conducting research that could help teachers and administrators more accurately determine which learning methods are best for their youngest pupils.

Georgia Tech Researchers Develop Wireless Implantable Vascular Monitoring System
Georgia Institute of Technology researcher Woon-Hong Yeo and his collaborators are trying to improve the odds for patients with development of an implantable soft electronic monitoring system.

Unique binding of Delta variant may explain high transmissibility
Unlike other SARS-CoV-2 variants, the Delta variant can attach to copies of itself, forming larger aggregations, or clumps, of viral particles, suggests a study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health.

Strange dreams might help your brain learn better, according to research by HBP scientists
A new study by researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland suggests that dreams — especially those that simultaneously appear realistic, but, upon a closer look, bizarre – help our brain learn and extract generic concepts from previous experiences.

Delays in surgery for advanced esophageal cancer result in significantly worse survival than early surgery
Delays in surgery for esophageal cancer did not appear to have much impact on patients’ relative survival for early-stage cancer compared with patients who had surgery early, but they did reduce the relative survival rate by almost half for patients with more advanced disease, according to an analysis of the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

How cells correct errors under time pressure
How does a cell balance risk and speed when dividing? EPFL scientists have developed and experimentally tested the first mathematical theory that describes the cell’s best strategy for dividing safely and efficiently.

Cardiac progenitor cells generate healthy tissue after a heart attack
Following a heart attack, the human body is incapable of repairing lost tissue due to the heart’s inability to generate new muscle. However, treatment with heart progenitor cells could result in the formation of functional heart cells at injured sites.

Breakthrough tech enables seizure localization in minutes
New research from Bin He, in partnership with UPMC and Harvard Medical School, introduces a novel network analysis technology that uses minimally invasive resting state electrophysiological recordings to localize seizure onset brain regions and predict seizure outcomes in just 10 minutes.

Huge study of diverse populations advances understanding of type 2 diabetes
Ongoing worldwide research of diverse populations by an international team of scientists, including a University of Massachusetts Amherst genetic epidemiologist, has shed important new light on how genes contribute to type 2 diabetes.

Persistent Tobacco Use After Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer
This prospective cohort study assessed smoking status after a new diagnosis of HNSCC among daily smokers who were treated at a tertiary care center at an academic institution between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2017.

Changes in US Clinician Waivers to Prescribe Buprenorphine Management for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic and After Relaxation of Training Requirements
Buprenorphine management for opioid use disorder (OUD) reduces overdose risk and can be offered in office-based settings or via telehealth.

Perspectives on Racism in Health Care Among Black Veterans With Chronic Kidney Disease
 In this qualitative study of 36 Black veterans with chronic kidney disease, participants described feeling angry and resentful and experiencing stress as a result of encounters with racism; some veterans also expressed a strong sense of distrust in the health care system coupled with a need to be hypervigilant during clinical encounters.

Laboratory-generated mini-kidneys help understand the link between diabetes and COVID-19 disease
In an international collaboration, researchers led by Nuria Montserrat, ICREA Research Professor at IBEC, have generated human mini-kidneys that simulate the kidney of a person with diabetes in the early stages of the disease.

Children With Autism Exhibit Typical Joint Attention During Toy Play With a Parent
Young children on the autism spectrum achieved joined attention similar to that of a neurotypical child when playing with their parents.

Can pickles increase the health benefits of sour cream
A new study in the Journal of Dairy Science® determined that adding pickled cucumbers to sour cream can improve its antioxidant properties and enhance its health-promoting activities.

Seven out of ten patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease feel stigmatized
About seven out of ten patients (69%) who suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) perceive some stigmatization in their daily life, according to a study led by a team of the University of Barcelona, the Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBEREHD), the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS).

Video games can help boost children’s intelligence
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have studied how the screen habits of US children correlate with how their cognitive abilities develop over time.

Center creating lab-on-a-chip technology for medical tests wins $6.6 million in continued NIH funding
A research center based at the University of Kansas that develops rapid next-generation tests for a host of human ailments like cancer, stroke and COVID-19 recently earned $6.6 million in continued funding over the next five years from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) as a National Biotechnology Resource (P41) Center.

5th annual mutational scanning symposium set for June in Toronto
The fifth annual Mutational Scanning Symposium, to be held in-person and online June 13 and 14 in Toronto, now has speakers confirmed.

People choose healthier food when with outsiders for fear of being negatively judged
New research, co-authored by Bayes Business School, found that that the presence of individuals from different friendship or social groups played a role in influencing consumers’ food choices.

An algorithm trained to detect unhappiness on social networks
According to William Glasser’s Choice Theory, there are five basic needs that are central to all human behaviour: Survival, Power, Freedom, Belonging and Fun.

Revealed mechanism underlying progression to severe COVID-19 in lungs; possible novel therapeutic targets
Brazilian researchers have discovered a mechanism linked to severe lung damage caused by COVID-19, offering a new possibility of treatment.

COVID-19 and Obesity Disparities for Black Communities
A new study provides recommendations for behavioral weight loss interventions to address the unmet needs of Black people with obesity.

Novel species of pathogenic bacteria of onion identified in Texas
While conducting the survey of bacteria in onions, a team of Texas A&M AgriLife researchers in Uvalde identified a new pathogen — a bacterial species now named for where it was found.

Women over 50 who snore face an elevated risk of sleep apnea
Women over the age of 55 who snore are at increased risk of sleep apnea and can be fatal, according to a new study from Tel Aviv University.

Research suggests specialized brain imaging can unveil mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease, other disorders
A novel brain imaging technique can potentially be used in large-scale screenings for Alzheimer’s, while also providing possible insights about the disease’s earliest stages, long before symptoms emerge.

Dementia: Combination of “Feelings” and Measurements Suggest Alzheimer’s in the Early Stage
Subjective memory disorders in conjunction with conspicuous levels of beta-amyloid proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid are a strong indication of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

‘Nanobodies’ from Llamas Could Yield Cell-Specific Medications for Humans
In “proof of concept” experiments with mouse and human cells and tissues, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have designed tiny proteins, called nanobodies, derived from llama antibodies, that could potentially be used to deliver targeted medicines to human muscle cells.

Vaccine for rare but deadly mosquito-borne viruses shows promise in clinical trial
A vaccine for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) was found to be safe, well-tolerated and induced a neutralizing antibody response in adult volunteers, according to newly published results from a Phase 1 clinical trial.

Russian Scientists Create Biomimetic Algorithm to Find Epileptogenic Areas of the Brain
Researchers from the HSE University Centre for Bioelectric Interfaces have designed a new method for detecting diagnostic markers of epilepsy, called interictal spikes, using EEG and MEG.

Paris Redox 2022 World Congress will highlight recent research and medical advances in oxidative stress reduction, redox homeostasis, and antioxidants
Academic and professional researchers working in the redox science and medicine will present their newest discoveries and studies on redox in aging, immunity, ocular disorders, and fertility.

New typhoid conjugate vaccine licensed in Korea
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and SK bioscience announced today that SK bioscience obtained an export license from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for SK’s typhoid vaccine ‘SKYTyphoid’ which they jointly developed.

Nebraska-led project examines milk as possible cancer fighter
In a federally funded project, Janos Zempleni, a professor with the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, and Husker colleagues are pursuing a surprising way to use milk as the vehicle delivering cancer-fighting therapeutics to the brain.

Multiple Sclerosis Patients With Higher B Cell Counts Found to Have a Better Vaccine Response
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Rituximab have better responses to the COVID-19 vaccine if they have higher B cell counts.

Review into pre-eclampsia care published
Researchers from King’s College London have published a review of care for women with pre-eclampsia in the New England Journal of Medicine.

National Jewish Health Announces Call for Abstracts for Respiratory Disease Young Investigators’ Forum
National Jewish Health will host the 18th Annual Respiratory Disease Young Investigators’ Forum October 6-9, 2022, in Denver.

When unconscious, the brain is anything but “silent”
The cerebral cortex is thought to be the seat of conscious processing in the brain. Rather than being inactivated, specific cells in the cortex show higher spontaneous activity during general anesthesia than when awake, and this activity is synchronized across those cortical cells.

Stat5 -/- CD4 + T cells elicit anti-melanoma effect by CD4 + T cell remolding and Notch1 activation
Signal transducers and activators of transcription 5 (Stat5) is known to engage in regulating the differentiation and effector function of various subsets of T helper cells. However, how Stat5 regulates the antitumor activity of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells is largely unknown.

The neurobiologist Catherina Becker receives Humboldt Professorship
Regeneration of the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, has been the central focus of Prof. Becker’s career.

Cadherin 11-mediated juxtacrine interaction of gastric cancer cells and fibroblasts promotes metastasis via YAP/tenascin-C signaling
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide [1]. Metastasis is the leading cause of GC mortality.

Understanding the biology and possible biological treatments of cartilage for osteoarthritis of the knee, using computational modelling
The Biomechanics and Mechanobiology area of UPF’s BCN MedTech research unit is developing a computational model of the regulation of proteins by chondrocytes, a type of cell found only in cartilaginous tissue.

The origin of life: a paradigm shift
According to a new concept by LMU chemists led by Thomas Carell, it was a novel molecular species composed out of RNA and peptides that set in motion the evolution of life into more complex forms.

‘Virtual clinician and coach’ to help young people with chronic pain
Curtin researchers will develop a system that uses artificial intelligence to provide fast and personalised care for young people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain, as part of a new Curtin-led project that has been supported by the Federal Government.

Artificial intelligence technology accelerates super-resolution localization photoacoustic imaging of blood vessels
After a lightning strike, thunder can be heard for a short period of time. This is due to the fact that the surrounding material that was struck by lightning absorbs the light, and as a result of the conversion of this light into heat, the material expands and produces a sound.

Distinct cellular receptor mutations influence the COVID-19 disease severity
A research group led by MedUni Vienna was able to demonstrate that distinct genetic variants of the CD16a antibody receptor are associated with the risk of severe COVID-19.

Sweet discovery could drive down inflammation, cancers and viruses
A WEHI-led study has identified a new enzyme involved in controlling cell death, in findings that could lead to better treatment options for a range of inflammatory conditions, cancers and viruses.

Fast-tracked: First in-human trial for aggressive brain tumors
A novel technology designed to precisely image aggressive brain cancers and guide treatment is being developed by the University of South Australia and Australian cancer diagnostic company, Ferronova, potentially helping thousands of people who are diagnosed with the deadly condition each year.

UTSW genetic study confirms sarin nerve gas as cause of Gulf War illness
Now researchers led by Robert Haley, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Division of Epidemiology at UT Southwestern, have solved the mystery, showing through a detailed genetic study that the nerve gas sarin was largely responsible for the syndrome.

Common steroids after ‘long Covid’ recovery may cut risk of death by up to 51%
Researchers show that severe inflammation during hospitalization for Covid-19 increases risk of death within one year from seeming recovery by 61%.

Interprofessional Collaboration Leads to Significant and Sustained Reduction in Hospital-Onset C. Difficile Infections
A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), suggests that health care facilities can significantly reduce the incidence of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (HO-CDI) by establishing interprofessional teams to implement selected, evidence-based infection-prevention interventions.

New algorithm dramatically increases the speed of identifying two cancer drugs that work synergistically
An algorithm that can speed up by years the ability to identify from among thousands of possibilities, two or more drugs that work synergistically against a problem like cancer or a viral infection has been developed by bioinformatics experts.

Volunteers receive first dose in clinical trial of Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines
The first six participants in the clinical trial of two Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines have been safely administered their doses, a significant moment in the development of the new vaccine candidates.

Probe of DNA repeats reveals genetic link to schizophrenia
Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have found that repeated DNA sequences in the genome may contribute to an individual’s risk of developing schizophrenia.

Hope for Europe’s 23 million acne sufferers as dermatologists identify possible link between key nutrient and skin condition / Akne Patienten zeigen erniedrigte Omega-3 Fettsäure Spiegel
Dermatologists in Germany have identified what could be a crucial link between acne and a deficit of omega-3 fatty acids.

Obesity in pregnancy increases risk of lifelong cardiovascular disease in offspring
Maternal obesity impairs heart health and function of the foetus according to a new study in mice. The study, published in The Journal of Physiology found that maternal obesity causes molecular changes in the heart of the foetus and alters expression of genes related to nutrient metabolism, which greatly increases offspring’s risk of cardiac problems in later life.

New study finds global adolescent vaping is low
A new study published today in the scientific journal Addiction has found that approximately 8.6% of adolescents reported using e-cigarettes (vaping) in the past 30 days, but only 1.7% engaged in frequent vaping.

Hundreds of patient data breaches are left unpunished, reveals The BMJ
Hundreds of organisations including drug companies, NHS commissioners, and universities have breached patient data sharing agreements in the past seven years, reveals an investigation by The BMJ today.

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine: Two years after infection, half of people hospitalized with COVID-19 have at least one symptom, follow-up study suggests
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, growing evidence shows that a considerable proportion of people who have recovered from COVID-19 have long-term effects on multiple organs and systems.

Regular exercise with dietary advice linked to better mobility in frail older people
A programme of regular exercise along with expert dietary advice is linked to a reduction in mobility problems among frail older people living in the community, finds a trial published by The BMJ today.

New study reveals that herpesvirus infection may increase the risk of developing diabetes
A new study published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]) finds that two common herpesviruses may contribute to impaired glucose metabolism and an increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) among infected individuals.

Smoking-cessation program that targets cancer patients effective
Researchers at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that a program that targets patients for smoking-cessation treatment while they’re visiting a clinic for cancer care gets more cancer patients into such treatment than previous methods.

Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Faculty Member Co-Authors Meta-Analysis of Data on Red Meat and Diabetes
Adjunct Professor Kevin Maki of the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) recently completed “Red Meat Consumption and Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials,” available in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Study finds increased risk of dementia after hospitalization for major TBI
People who have been hospitalized for a major traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have a higher risk of developing dementia when compared to people who do not have a TBI, according to a new study published in the May 11, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

New Research in JNCCN Encourages Harnessing Health Technology to Help Cancer Patients Quit Smoking
A new study finds patients with cancer who smoke are more likely to receive evidence-based cessation assistance by using the ELEVATE program, increasing the likelihood of better outcomes.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy not linked to epilepsy in children
A new study suggests that antidepressant use by mothers during the first trimester of pregnancy does not increase the chances of epilepsy and seizures in babies.