Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / As nights warm, study flags possible prenatal link to autism risk

Higher nighttime temperatures during pregnancy may be associated with a higher risk of autism diagnosis in children, according to a new study led by researchers at Tulane University. The research examined nearly 295,000 mother–child ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Autism spectrum disorders
Medical Xpress / Cancer cell study sheds light on cachexia's origins

New research from the University of Oklahoma, published today in Cancer Cell, describes for the first time a "triangle regulation theory" of cancer-induced cachexia and anorexia. Cachexia is a muscle-wasting and fat-loss ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / 3D imaging traces vascular amyloid spread in the human brain, from surface arteries to deeper vessels

Researchers at Niigata University have used advanced three-dimensional (3D) imaging to reveal how amyloid β (Aβ) deposits spread along blood vessels in the human brain in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). By analyzing ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / Newly identified brain circuit and cells link prior experiences to appetite

Our past experiences shape how much we eat and where and what we choose to eat. Using preclinical models, researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have identified brain cells that translate ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / New characteristics of aggressive prostate cancer identified

For the first time ever, NTNU researchers have identified new characteristics of aggressive prostate cancer. The research lays a foundation for the possibility that aggressive prostate cancer can probably be detected through ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / Researchers identify promising Alzheimer's disease drug target

Indiana University School of Medicine scientists have identified a promising drug target for Alzheimer's disease. The team found that removing an enzyme from neurons in the brain substantially reduces amyloid plaques—a ...

Medical Xpress / Non-contractile heart cells help sustain persistent atrial fibrillation, study reveals

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common chronic cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice, is very challenging to treat once it becomes persistent, after which spontaneous return to normal rhythm becomes highly unlikely. ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Cardiology
Medical Xpress / Creatinine muscle index can identify deadly complication of chronic kidney disease

Scientists from The University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust have discovered that the combination of two biomarkers can reliably identify sarcopenia, a serious condition of the muscle linked ...

Medical Xpress / Academic pressure at 15 tied to higher depression symptoms through age 22

Pressure to achieve at school at age 15 is linked to depressive symptoms and risk of self-harm, and the association appears to persist into adulthood, finds a study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

Feb 12, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Why asthma risk differs by sex: Study links early-life exposures to lung gene networks

A new study has confirmed that male and female lungs are "wired differently" at the molecular level, providing further evidence supporting sex-inclusive respiratory disease research and treatment. The work is published in ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Genetics
Medical Xpress / Nearly half of people facing cataract-related blindness still need surgery

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to improve their global cataract care, after new findings suggest that millions of people living with cataract still do not have access to simple, sight-restoring ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Ophthalmology
Medical Xpress / Cumulative lead exposure linked to increased Alzheimer's and dementia risk, study finds

As dementia cases continue to rise in the United States, new research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health reveals that older Americans with cumulative lead exposure face a substantially higher risk of ...

Feb 12, 2026 in Neuroscience