Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Prenatal smoking linked to emotional and behavioral problems across childhood

Children exposed to maternal smoking before birth are more likely to experience behavioral and mental health challenges, according to a large study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology.

Apr 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / GLP-1 agonist drugs show digestive side effects but may help fight infections

Originally developed to treat diabetes, a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are now stepping into the spotlight as weight loss drugs. A recent umbrella review draws attention to ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / Detecting multiple cancers and other diseases from a single blood sample

UCLA scientists have developed a simple and cost-effective blood test that, in early studies, shows promise in detecting multiple cancers, various liver conditions and organ abnormalities simultaneously by analyzing DNA fragments ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / First-in-class molecules dial down inflammation without compromising immunity

Scripps Research scientists have developed a new class of drug compounds that reduce harmful inflammation while leaving the body's ability to fight infections intact—a long-sought goal in treating autoimmune diseases. The ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / Diabetes drug metformin may echo the benefits of exercise in prostate cancer care

A new study has found that metformin, a widely prescribed diabetes drug, may mimic one of exercise's core biological effects in men with prostate cancer, raising levels of a molecule tied to energy balance and weight control ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / This is your brain on psychedelics: Neuroimaging study sheds light on cortical network effects

Psychedelic drugs are being investigated as scientific and clinical tools, but the brain mechanisms behind their effects remain unclear. Earlier brain imaging studies in small cohorts from single centers produced inconsistent ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / How does mitochondrial DNA influence human health?

Some of your most important life partners are the mitochondria that power all your cells. You and these little cellular powerhouses are in a 1.5-billion-year-old evolutionary relationship—but mitochondria brought some baggage. ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / Study finds hunger hit mental health harder than job loss amid COVID-19 pandemic

Not having enough food may have had a greater negative effect on mental health in the United States than unemployment or loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study led by Penn State researchers. The ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / New mouse model of virus-driven liver cancer may boost diagnosis and treatments

Liver cancer is one of the world's deadliest cancers, and most cases are linked to chronic viral hepatitis. Yet scientists have lacked an animal model that faithfully recapitulates how the disease unfolds in people, from ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / Transcription factors form continuous 'circuit' that regulates T-cell exhaustion

Scientists have discovered how two transcription factors form a reciprocal regulatory circuit that controls T-cell exhaustion and migration during viral infection, which may inform future therapeutic strategies for managing ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / High‑fat diets linked to rapid decline in protective gut immune cells

In a preclinical study from Mass General Brigham, researchers have found that even short-term exposure to high levels of dietary fat results in a quick and selective loss of critical gut immune cells called ILC3s, promoting ...

Apr 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / How unsupervised screen time harms vulnerable preschoolers

Early problems with language can have a lasting negative impact on social and emotional development. Building on this foundation, a new groundbreaking study from Florida Atlantic University and Aarhus University in Denmark ...

Apr 6, 2026