Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / From orbit to clinic: HIV drug enters Rett syndrome trial after space-based brain study

Research using human brain organoids onboard the International Space Station helped lead to a clinical trial of a potential therapy for Rett syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder in children. Scientists are now expanding ...

23 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Transparency for global health aid: 60% of disease burden draws just 2.5% of targeted funds, analysis reveals

To what extent does the allocation of aid for combating disease correspond to disease burden? LMU researchers have developed a machine-learning pipeline that helps uncover relative discrepancies in aid distribution.

21 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Iron transfusion before heart surgery reduces complications and boosts recovery, clinical trial finds

Giving intravenous iron to patients with anemia before heart surgery reduces the need for a red blood cell transfusion, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today. Intravenous iron also saved approximately 44 units ...

20 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Turning brain neurons on and off with light: A reversible synaptic switch

A research team led by Professor Ji Won Um of the Center for Synapse Diversity and Specificity, Department of Brain Sciences, DGIST, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Alice Ting at Stanford University, has developed ...

23 hours ago
Medical Xpress / Compound produced after eating pomegranates targets stiff-heart failure pathway, early tests suggest

A compound produced in the body after eating pomegranates improves heart function by up to 80% in a type of heart failure with limited treatment options.

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / AI-calculated brain age predicts dementia risk years before doctors can see it

Memory clinics still rely on visual rating scales to assess brain atrophy, yet these tools lack the sensitivity to catch subtle changes associated with early dementia. A measure of how old a person's brain appears on brain ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / High-dose vitamin D may improve cognition among those at risk of dementia, study finds

With more than 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's dementia—a number projected to reach nearly 13 million by 2050—new Emory University research suggests that higher vitamin D supplement intake may be associated with ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Supercentenarians have an abundance of cancer-killing immune cells

The human immune system has specialized cells called CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD4 CTLs), which have been shown to kill tumor cells in some cancers. When a person gets sick, these cells multiply in a process called clonal ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Gut bacteria may transform spinach, beets and plant iron into protective compounds

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that gut bacteria can convert dietary nitrate and iron into protective molecules that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The study, published ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / World's largest psilocybin brain-imaging study maps how context reshapes psychedelic effects

A landmark five-year study by Monash University has found psychedelics reorganize brain patterns, giving clinicians powerful new insights into their therapeutic potential.

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Newly found 'immune organ' inside skull directs brain defense

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered lymph node-like structures in the skull bone marrow of mice for the first time and demonstrated that they act as rapid first responders ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Heartbeats power a battery-free pacemaker designed to last a lifetime

Madison researchers have developed an implantable, battery-free pacemaker that's charged by a patient's heartbeat. The device has the potential to last an entire lifetime, reducing the risks and costs associated with replacing ...

Aug 19, 2026