Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Red blood cells soak up sugar at high altitude, protecting against diabetes

Scientists have long known that people living at high altitudes, where oxygen levels are low, have lower rates of diabetes than people living closer to sea level. But the mechanism of this protection has remained a mystery. ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Endocrinology & Metabolism
Medical Xpress / Second pregnancy uniquely alters the female brain, study shows

Researchers at Amsterdam UMC have discovered that a second pregnancy alters the female brain. Previous research from the same group had already demonstrated the impact of a first pregnancy on the female brain. The new results ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Obstetrics & gynaecology
Medical Xpress / Fiber-free processed foods hit emotional memory fast, especially in older brains

Past studies in animals have shown that a highly processed diet is linked to memory problems and inflammation in the aged brain—and the effect can happen fast, after just three days of poor eating.

Feb 19, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / Ultraprocessed foods show addictionlike patterns comparable to tobacco, researchers say

That bag of chips you swore you'd only eat a handful of. The energy drink that somehow turns into three. The late-night fast-food run—whether it involves pizza, burgers or tacos—that feels impossible to resist. A new ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Health
Medical Xpress / Blood test 'clocks' can predict when Alzheimer's symptoms will start

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a method to predict when someone is likely to develop symptoms of Alzheimer's disease using a single blood test. In a study published in ...

Medical Xpress / Will probiotics work for you? Models map gut metabolism to predict success

A new study demonstrates that computer models of gut metabolism can predict which probiotics will successfully establish themselves in a person's gut and how different prebiotics affect production of health-promoting short-chain ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Health
Medical Xpress / Household cat could hold the key to understanding breast cancer

The first study of multiple cancer types in cats has identified genetic changes that could help treat the condition in humans and animals. By analyzing different types of tumors from almost 500 pet cats across five countries, ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / AI tool debuts with better genomic predictions and explanations

Artificial intelligence has taken the world by storm. In biology, AI tools called deep neural networks (DNNs) have proven invaluable for predicting the results of genomic experiments. Their usefulness has these tools poised ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Genetics
Medical Xpress / Brain organoids can be trained to solve a goal-directed task

Imagine balancing a ruler vertically in the palm of your hand: you have to constantly pay attention to the angle of the ruler and make many small adjustments to make sure it doesn't fall over. It takes practice to get good ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / Tetris gameplay treatment helps reduce traumatic flashbacks for frontline health care workers

A simple, digital intervention that includes mentally playing Tetris can dramatically reduce intrusive memories of trauma in a month, even to the point of being symptom-free after six months, new research has found.

Feb 19, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Remote-controlled CAR-T cells use venetoclax to disengage from tumors

Among the most promising tools of cancer therapy, engineered immune cells known as chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cells have already transformed the treatment of blood cancers. Yet, despite their promise, CAR-T cells do ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / Could 'cyborg' transplants replace pancreatic tissue damaged by diabetes?

A new electronic implant system can help lab-grown pancreatic cells mature and function properly, potentially providing a basis for novel, cell-based therapies for diabetes. The approach, developed by researchers at the Perelman ...

Feb 19, 2026 in Biomedical technology