Health

Experts in Heidelberg, Germany, have developed an AI system that can classify brain tumors with unprecedented accuracy using standard microscopic tissue sections. Using digitized standard stains, the system identifies more than 100 molecular subtypes of central nervous system tumors, delivers results within minutes and could accelerate the diagnosis of brain tumors worldwide. The work appears in Nature Cancer.

Dr Monique Lynch-Jonah has launched the Healthy Minds Kids Series. The collection of picture books aims to help children aged seven to 12 develop emotional wellbeing, confidence, resilience, and positive mental health from an early age.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease and one of the main causes of hospitalization among children. The Global Asthma Network has estimated that its global prevalence is 9.1% for children and 11.0% for adolescents, but this percentage varies greatly among countries, regions and environments. Worldwide, the highest prevalence of pediatric asthma—above 20%—occurs in the British Isles and in parts of Oceania and the Middle East. Known risk factors for developing asthma include exposure to air pollution and smoking, childhood viral infections, obesity, and pre-existing allergies such as eczema or hay fever.

Researchers at UTHealth Houston have identified different types of hidden systemic inflammation in patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia, even when they are not experiencing acute illness. The findings are published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Some men in England with the disease will now be offered an advanced form of treatment on the NHS.

Our parents' genes, even the ones we didn't inherit, leave a measurable lasting imprint on our lives. An international team led by researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health developed a new approach to analyze genetic data from tens of thousands of families. The study, published this Tuesday in Cell Genomics, found that for height, body weight, and school test performance, the environment shaped by our parents' genes can be nearly as important as the genes we actually inherited from them.

An international research team has identified dozens of new genetic risk factors linked to lumbar spinal stenosis, a common degenerative condition of the lower spine. The study, led by researchers at the University of Oulu, provides new insight into the biological mechanisms behind one of the most frequent causes of mobility problems in older adults. The work was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Moderate screen time in the first three days after concussion is linked to faster recovery, with an average 141 minutes of daily use speeding symptom resolution by 35%, according to a study of 80 concussed teens published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Recovery above or below this level seems to be slower, the findings suggest, prompting the researchers to conclude that rather than total avoidance, a balanced level of use may be helpful.

Just over a decade ago, Michigan expanded its Medicaid health coverage program, opening it to all adults with very low incomes through the Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP).

For patients diagnosed with IDH-mutant glioma, an incurable brain tumor that often affects adults in their 30s and 40s, treatment typically works at first. However, the cancer almost always returns, and when it does, it frequently stops responding to treatment.

Scientists at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) have taken a major step forward in pancreatic cancer research. By mapping a healthy pancreas in detail down to the cellular level, they discovered that specific, rare cells in the healthy organ already bear strong similarities to the most aggressive tumor cells.

New research from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has discovered subtle but widespread differences in the brain's communication networks in people with bipolar disorder, offering new insight into how illness severity and treatment may relate to brain wiring.

Our brain prepares the body for an incoming meal before we even take the first bite. The aroma of food simmering on the stove, for instance, can trigger the brain to send signals to the pancreas, which in turn releases insulin into the bloodstream. A new Nature Metabolism study reveals how a key group of neurons helps mediate this process.

University students who aren't always enthused about walking across campus for class can take heart in new research that suggests lots of daily steps translate to improved mental health and better sleep.

A culturally adapted health and lifestyle program, ¡Coma, Muévase y Viva! ("Eat, Move, and Live!"), showed promising results in helping low-income Latina and Indigenous Mexican women in rural Inland Southern California make healthier changes in their daily lives, according to a new pilot study conducted in 2022 by researchers at the University of California, Riverside.