Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Scientists identify promising new target for Alzheimer's-linked brain inflammation

A multidisciplinary team has developed a selective compound that inhibits an enzyme tied to inflammation in people at genetic risk for Alzheimer's, while preserving normal brain function and crossing the blood-brain barrier.

Jan 21, 2026 in Medications
Medical Xpress / Small number of 'highly plastic' cancer cells drive disease progression and treatment resistance

A small number of cancer cells with the ability to change their identities and behaviors appear to be a key driver of cancer progression and its ability to evolve resistance to treatment.

Jan 21, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / Maternal genetic factors may reveal why pregnancy loss is so common

By studying genetic data from nearly 140,000 IVF embryos, scientists have with unprecedented detail revealed why fewer than half of human conceptions survive to birth. The research uncovered the strongest evidence yet for ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Genetics
Medical Xpress / People with 'binge-watching addiction' are more likely to be lonely, study finds

While many people binge-watch their favorite shows, binge-watching addiction is associated with loneliness, according to a study published in PLOS One by Xiaofan Yue and Xin Cui from Huangshan University in China.

Jan 21, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Super-enhancers in cancer cells trigger DNA breaks and error-prone repair cycles

A new study shows that cancer damages its own DNA by pushing key genes to work too hard. Researchers found that the most powerful genetic "on switches" in cancer cells, called super-enhancers, drive unusually intense gene ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / Patients struggle to measure blood pressure at home, study finds

Despite guideline recommendations and improved access to care, individuals with hypertension are unlikely to measure their blood pressure at home as often as recommended, according to data from researchers at Mass General ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Health
Medical Xpress / LLMs can identify major depressive disorder via voice note recordings

A new medical large language model (LLM) achieved over 91% accuracy in identifying female participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder after analyzing a short WhatsApp audio recording where participants described ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Delayed stroke care linked to increased disability risk

Gaps in the U.S. stroke transfer system are drastically reducing survivors' chances of receiving critical treatment and increasing the likelihood that they will leave the hospital with a disability, according to a study published ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / AI can predict preemies' paths based on blood spot data

An artificial intelligence-based tool can predict the medical trajectories of individual premature newborns from blood samples collected soon after they are born, a Stanford Medicine-led study has shown.

Jan 21, 2026 in Pediatrics
Medical Xpress / Pharmacy professor develops AI model to predict hospitalization of at-risk cardiac patients

When Arinze Nkemdirim Okere, PharmD, MBA, worked as the pharmacist for a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida, he noticed that discharged patients would regularly return, often for issues that could have been easily treated.

Jan 21, 2026 in Cardiology
Medical Xpress / Social standing and isolation shape sleep quality in mice, study finds

While some factors that improve or reduce the quality of sleep are relatively well understood, many are not. Given the impact that sleep is known to have on matters such as stress, concentration and cognitive abilities, it ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Long term use of anti-acid drugs may not increase stomach cancer risk

The long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a class of drugs widely used to treat acid reflux and ulcers, may not be linked to any increased risk of developing gastric (stomach) cancer, finds a study of Nordic health ...

Jan 21, 2026 in Medications