Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Why do we get sleepy? How neurons control sleep drive

Why does staying awake inevitably make us sleepy? Researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland, have identified neuronal populations in the brains of mice that become activated during prolonged wakefulness and are ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Aging reprograms skin genetic activity and promotes inflammation, study reveals

As we age, the skin loses part of its ability to regenerate, heal wounds and maintain an effective barrier against the outside world. Among the causes of this deterioration is low-grade, persistent age-associated inflammation, ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / 'Breakthrough' mRNA cancer drug curbs melanoma in large trial

US drugmakers Merck and Moderna said Wednesday a personalized cancer treatment had shown success in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumors in a late-stage trial hailed by experts as a "breakthrough."

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Study finds sustained benefit for people using Oregon psilocybin services

People participating in an Oregon Health & Science University-led study of state-regulated psilocybin services reported relief from symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder—with almost two-thirds ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Brain organoids survive nearly six years, mirroring later human development

A scientific team has shown that, under the right circumstances, 3D cell culture models of human brain tissue, known as organoids, can express features of later-stage brain development. This breakthrough could turn previously ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Single gene injection reverses inherited heart disease in mice and patient-grown tissue

Melbourne researchers have made a gene therapy breakthrough that could restore heart function in children with genetic heart disease, sparing them the need for transplants.

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Early immune 'checkpoint' could help explain why the same virus affects individuals so differently

Age, genetics and lifestyle are known to influence how people respond to viral infections. Scientists also know that differences in immune responses play an important role, but exactly how these factors shape the course of ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Causes of traumatic brain injury vary widely worldwide, study finds

Tens of millions of people suffer from traumatic brain injuries every year worldwide, with almost 5 million deaths. Yet when it comes to improving clinical outcomes, new research suggests the solution lies far outside hospital ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Signs of Alzheimer's disease are detectable far earlier than previously thought

A new study suggests that Alzheimer's disease may be detected by brain imaging more than seven years earlier than previously assumed. Researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Oslo led the study, ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Weight-loss drug users turn to social media over doctors for advice, study finds

People using weight-loss drugs are more likely to seek advice from social media than health care professionals, a Coventry University–led study has found. Researchers from the U.K. and Canada found that users of GLP-1 medications—weight-loss ...

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / AI learns yoga pose families, delivering real-time feedback for digital rehab

A novel AI system capable of recognizing yoga poses with high accuracy could pave the way for more effective digital coaching tools, rehabilitation platforms and movement-monitoring applications.

Aug 19, 2026
Medical Xpress / Women with multiple long-term conditions face increased pregnancy risks

Women who begin pregnancy with two or more pre-existing long-term physical or mental health conditions have a 20% higher risk of miscarriage, a 69% higher risk of severe nausea and vomiting, and around four times the risk ...

Aug 19, 2026