Medical Xpress news
Medical Xpress / Genetic map for cocaine addiction points beyond brain to liver
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have completed a massive genetic study that identifies key biological drivers of cocaine addiction, uncovering a potential new target for treatment that resides in the ...
Medical Xpress / AI chatbots mimic fear, sadness and stress, then calm down after mindfulness exercise
Large language models (LLMs) can replicate human emotions like fear, sadness and anxiety, and be "calmed down" by a breathing exercise, suggests a study published in The Lancet Digital Health. This means LLMs could potentially ...
Medical Xpress / Lower dopamine may drive teen risk-taking that fades with age
Teenage risk-taking, such as experimentation with alcohol, cannabis, nicotine and other substances, may reflect a compensatory response to lower baseline dopamine, the brain chemical for reward activity, a new University ...
Medical Xpress / Chlamydia vaccine push gets blueprint as key membrane protein structure emerges
Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, working with other U.S. researchers, have uncovered the structure of a key cell membrane protein in a bacterial model for Chlamydia trachomatis, the cause of the world's most ...
Medical Xpress / Programmable wound zipper adapts to complex skin injuries, improving healing in rats
Skin is our protective barrier from the outside world, and it is highly susceptible to damage. To prevent infection, restore protective skin cells, and reduce scarring, it is essential to quickly and robustly close a wound. ...
Medical Xpress / New study shows metformin given during acute COVID-19 infection reduced risk of clinician-diagnosed long COVID by 50%
New findings from the ACTIV-6 randomized clinical trial provide important confirmation of prior clinical trial results that metformin, a widely available and inexpensive medication with an established safety record, reduced ...
Medical Xpress / Low dose atropine eye drops safe and effective for short-sightedness in children, clinical trial suggests
Low-concentration atropine eye drops are a safe and effective treatment for short-sightedness (myopia) in UK children, although the effects are small, suggests a clinical trial published by The BMJ.
Medical Xpress / How body clock may shape inflammation, cancer risk and timing of future treatments
Daily life is shaped by the solar day, influencing when we wake up, eat, work and sleep. Inside the body, a similar internal timing system—present in nearly every cell—known as the circadian clock synchronizes many biological ...
Medical Xpress / First large-scale atlas of senescent cells could help inform future therapies for age-related diseases
A research consortium has established a new framework to identify and catalog senescent cells—cells that stop dividing but remain active in the body. Because senescent cells accumulate with age and are thought to contribute ...
Medical Xpress / Chile's food warning labels and ad bans cut child obesity risk, analysis suggests
Chile's complementary set of policies targeting food products high in fat, salt and sugar plausibly reduces the risk of school-age children being overweight or having obesity, finds a study published in The Lancet.
Medical Xpress / Nuts hold key minerals, but digestion unlocks only part of them
The presence of minerals in oilseeds, such as Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) and cashews (Anacardium occidentale), does not guarantee that the body will use them. A study conducted at the Diadema campus of the Federal ...
Medical Xpress / HERC2 gene's key role in rare neurodevelopmental syndrome deciphered
For years, it has been known that mutations in both copies of the HERC2 gene are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, features of the autism spectrum ...
