Category: Health News

Key Markers Identify Which Melanoma Patients Respond Best to ICI Therapy

Researchers have identified key markers to help physicians predict whether or not a patient may respond positively to a type of melanoma therapy, according to a study published by Nature Communications in September. Melanoma, a highly aggressive form of skin cancer, and the most deadly, accounts for around 60 percent of skin cancer deaths, according…


FDA Taiwan: New Class of Type 2 Diabetes Drugs May Cause Acute Pancreatitis

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan (FDA) released a report about a new class of hypoglycemic drugs, Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, suspected of causing acute pancreatitis. Wang Chih-yuan, researcher and chairman of the Taiwanese Association of Diabetes Educators, said that patients who use GLP-1 receptor…


Taste Nerve Reveals Coronavirus Entryways

Sprinkled like confetti throughout this image are dozens of green, yellow, and red-ringed axons—nerve cell fibers that transmit electrical signals throughout the nervous system. The axons are bundled in a human cranial nerve, shown here in a cross-section view (see illustration below for context). Nerves like this exit the brainstem and project to areas of…


Major Scientific Publisher Retracting Over 500 Papers

One of the world’s largest open-access journal publishers is retracting over 500 papers, based on the discovery of unethical actions. London-based Hindawi, which publishes over 200 peer-reviewed journals across multiple disciplines, says its research team in June identified “irregularities” in the peer review process in some of the journals. “All Hindawi journals employ a series…


Cholera Outbreaks Surging Worldwide, Fatality Rates Rising: WHO

GENEVA—Cholera cases have surged this year, especially in places of poverty and conflict, with outbreaks reported in 26 countries, and fatality rates rising sharply, a World Health Organization official said on Friday. In a typical year, fewer than 20 countries report outbreaks of the disease which is spread by the ingestion of contaminated food or…


Inflammation May Curb, Not Cause, Chronic Pain

In Brief: Challenging previous notions about inflammation and pain, scientists found that a robust initial inflammatory response appears to protect against chronic pain rather than contribute to it. The findings suggest that suppressing inflammation to treat acute musculoskeletal pain may be counterproductive for long-term pain relief. Many of us have felt the ache of a thrown-out…


ALS Drug Wins FDA Approval Despite Questionable Data

WASHINGTON—A much-debated drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease won U.S. approval Thursday, a long-sought victory for patients that is likely to renew questions about the scientific rigor behind government reviews of experimental medicines. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug from Amylyx Pharmaceuticals based on results from one small, mid-stage study in which patients with…


CDC Expects US Monkeypox Cases to Decline or Plateau Over Next 4 Weeks

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday it has “moderate confidence” that daily monkeypox cases in the United States will plateau or decline in the coming weeks but an increase is possible. In its third technical report on the monkeypox outbreak, the CDC said cases likely peaked in August and that…


A New View of Nerve Pain

For people with a type of chronic pain called trigeminal neuralgia, touch from everyday activities like face-washing, eating, or tooth-brushing can cause agonizing pain that can be hard to treat. Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of neuropathic pain, which is caused by damaged or irritated nerves. In this case, pain arises from insults to the…


The Timing of Your Meals Could Change Your Mood: Study

When you have your meals can change your mood, according to a new Harvard study. Researchers placed participants in a simulation that mimicked night shifts, and participants either had meals during the day only, or had meals during both daytime and nighttime. There were two meal timing groups: the daytime and nighttime meal control group,…