Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Bacteria that can make testosterone: What could that mean for prostate cancer?

Many prostate cancers depend on androgen hormones, including testosterone, to grow. That is why treatments for advanced disease often try to reduce testosterone production or block its effects. Now, scientists have identified ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Atherosclerosis may meet key criteria for autoimmune disease, evidence suggests

In autoimmune diseases, the immune system turns against the body through pathogenic high-affinity B cells or T cells, leading to severe organ damage. Multiple sclerosis (nervous system paralysis), type 1 diabetes (a strong ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / How losing the 'guardian of the genome' can damage DNA and drive cancer

A new study finds that when p53, one of the most important cancer-protecting genes, stops working, cells produce too much RNA and consume excessive amounts of the building blocks needed to copy their DNA. This shortage disrupts ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Why scientists are looking to provoke disagreement among AI brain models

When people wanted to create better artificial intelligence, they looked to the brain for inspiration. Now the tables are turning, and researchers are using AI models to better understand the brain. But how do we judge which ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Why beauty feels shared: Brain scans map art's content and pleasure pathways

Stand in front of "Turner's Sun Rising Over Water" (1825–30), and something odd tends to happen. The painting holds you, even though observers might struggle to say why. Maybe it is the color, the balance, the composition ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Targeting mosquitoes reduces flesh-eating ulcer risk in Melbourne trial

Mosquito control in an urban setting can reduce a person's risk of contracting Buruli ulcer by over 80%, finds a new Melbourne-led study.

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Brain's inhibitory circuits emerge as a potential brake on adult glioma progression

Brain tumors do not grow in isolation. They develop within the highly active environment of the brain, where neurons continuously exchange electrical and chemical signals. While previous studies have shown that neuronal activity ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Mitochondrial DNA mutations may help turn aging hearts toward failure

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have shown that mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which accumulate in many tissues as we age, can actively contribute to impaired heart function. Until now, it has been difficult ...

Sep 7, 2026
Medical Xpress / Disabling a gene brake in pancreatic cells unlocks insulin-producing potential

Type 1 and 2 diabetes are ultimately caused by a shortage of beta (β) cells, which are present in the pancreas and produce insulin to control blood sugar. Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that they can tweak ...

Sep 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / Self-control matures later than working memory in adolescence, large analysis finds

Adolescence, the developmental phase between childhood and adulthood, is marked by substantial mental, emotional and social changes. Past psychological studies suggest that during this stage, humans gradually acquire greater ...

Sep 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / New data presented on the use of coronary artery calcium for cardiovascular risk assessment

There was no difference in major cardiovascular events when statin initiation was based on coronary artery calcium compared with traditional risk factor assessment, according to results presented in a Hot Line session today ...

Sep 6, 2026
Medical Xpress / Brain signaling mechanism may explain clozapine weight gain

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a key brain signaling pathway that appears to drive the substantial weight gain often associated with clozapine, a widely used antipsychotic medication. The preclinical ...

Sep 6, 2026