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Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is among the most aggressive types of breast cancer. Despite initial responsiveness, many patients experience rapid relapse driven by cancer stem-like cells that survive chemotherapy and seed metastasis. Addressing this unmet need, researchers have discovered that pitavastatin, a widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drug, can directly inhibit the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1, a key driver of survival, stemness, and paclitaxel resistance in TNBC cells, thereby preventing distant metastasis. The team found that pitavastatin binds specifically to the BH3-binding groove of Mcl-1, disrupting its stability and inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. This inhibition triggered a cascade of mitochondrial damage, leading to ROS...

A research team has demonstrated for the first time in non-human primates that auditory stimulation at 40 Hz significantly elevates β-amyloid levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aged rhesus monkeys, with this effect persisting for over five weeks. The study provides the first non-human primate experimental evidence supporting the use of 40-Hz stimulation as a noninvasive physical therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD), revealing significant differences between primate and rodent models. Researchers conducted the study using nine aged rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) aged 26–31 years. These aged individuals developed widespread spontaneous amyloid plaques in their brains, effectively mimicking the Aβ...

A new discovery reveals that vitamin C may help protect reproductive health from a harmful environmental chemical. Using a fish model, researchers found that exposure to potassium perchlorate, a chemical commonly used in explosives and fireworks, can harm sperm production, potentially reducing fertility. Led by Ramji Bhandari, the team used Japanese rice fish, called medaka, to investigate how the chemical affects reproductive health. Researchers found that male fish exposed to potassium perchlorate alone experienced a dramatic drop in fertility and clear damage to their testes. But fish exposed to vitamin C and the chemical at the same time showed improved...

A novel tumor suppressor, BATF2, can be silenced by factors in the tumor microenvironment, leading to a reduced immune response in five preclinical models of head and neck cancer, according to researchers. The results demonstrate that glutamine in the tumor microenvironment can cause epigenetic silencing of BATF2, which affects the STING signaling pathway and overall immune response. Lei said, "This study characterizes a novel oral cancer tumor suppressor that drives immune surveillance but is inhibited by high levels of glutamine." BATF2 is a tumor suppressor involved in regulating immune responses, helping to maintain anti-tumor immune surveillance. BATF2 is highly expressed...

Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest. The first paper examined the problem of post-surgical cognitive impairment. Immediately after surgery, cognitive impairment is common, but studies have found that 10% of adults over the age of 60 still have deficits to learning, memory and executive function three months after surgery, Rudolph said. Propofol is a common anesthetic agent that has shown promise in other mouse studies for improving cognition in Alzheimer's disease models, though in high doses it may harm the brain, Rudolph said. To study whether...

A systematic review of 17 randomized trials found that among high cardiovascular risk individuals, reducing saturated fat was linked to lower all-cause mortality and possible reductions in cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks, and strokes. Notably, the greatest benefit for preventing nonfatal heart attacks occurred when saturated fats were replaced with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) rather than simply reducing them. For people at low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, cutting or replacing saturated fat intake offered little or no benefit over five years. Researchers reviewed trials involving 66,337 participants that compared the effect of reducing saturated fat intake or replacement with alternative nutrients such...

A blood biomarker yet to be used in cardiac arrest care can give a clearer picture of the extent of brain damage after a cardiac arrest. This has been shown in a large international multicenter study. A simple blood test that can very accurately predict the chance of survival with good recovery will be of great significance for patients in intensive care after a cardiac arrest. This assertion comes from the researchers behind a large multicenter study in which four brain damage biomarkers in the blood were compared to ascertain how reliably they could estimate the extent of brain damage...

A new study offers insight into how two of the world's most popular beverages, coffee and tea, may influence bone health in older women. The research followed nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older over a decade to explore whether their daily habits of sipping coffee or tea were linked to changes in bone mineral density (BMD), a key indicator of osteoporosis risk.. The team analyzed data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, using repeated measures of both beverage intake and BMD at the hip and femoral neck, areas strongly associated with fracture risk. Over ten years, participants reported their...

Reducing calorie intake helps cancer-fighting immune cells do their jobs more effectively, reports a study. The findings lay the groundwork for developing dietary strategies to boost the effects of a powerful class of cancer immunotherapies. "Growing evidence suggests dietary restriction has anti-cancer effects but the 'why and how' are not well understood. Our new study reveals one way this relationship may work: by providing T cells, the soldiers of the immune system, with the right mix of nutrients to more effectively fight cancer," said Russell Jones, Ph.D. Dietary restriction is an approach that reduces overall calorie intake while maintaining good...

New results from the MajesTEC-3 study show that combining teclistamab with daratumumab could help people with myeloma whose cancer has come back or hasn't responded to previous treatment, to live longer without their cancer getting worse. The results published and presented represent the first phase 3 evidence that a bispecific antibody can outperform established triplet therapies in earlier relapse. Myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is currently incurable and will return even after treatment to keep the disease at bay. The phase 3 trial included 587 people from hospitals across...

Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day may slow down the rate of biological aging in humans, according to an analysis of data from a clinical trial involving over 700 older adults over a three-year period. Previous clinical trial research has shown that restricting caloric intake may slow aging in humans. Other research conducted in animal studies or small pilot trials on slowing biological aging, such as by consuming vitamin D or omega-3, has also shown promising effects. However, whether these interventions work in humans remains unclear. Researchers Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, Steve Horvath and colleagues used molecular biology tools known as...

A clinical trial has shown that an internet-delivered lifestyle intervention has resulted in significantly better cognition in older adults. The researchers recruited over 6,000 participants aged 55–77 for the trial. Participants were without dementia but carried at least two of major risk factors for dementia. Half of the participants received an active intervention that included personalized coaching in two to four modules—physical activity, brain training, nutrition or depression/anxiety—depending on their risk factors, while the control group received publicly available information. A Mediterranean diet with limited meat and dairy, an increase in moderate-vigorous intensity exercises, and specific types of computerized brain...

Researchers conducted a study to evaluate the efficacy of qigong on biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic low back pain. Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") is a traditional Chinese practice that combines gentle movements, controlled breathing and meditation to cultivate and balance the body's energy, often referred to as "qi" or "life force." The research team designed a novel qigong program for this research specifically applicable to managing chronic low back pain in veterans. The purpose of the eight-week longitudinal study was to evaluate the effects of the qigong intervention. Specifically, researchers assessed how the intervention impacted physical function, sleep disturbance, PTSD,...

Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to a recent study. A clinical trial found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation. Elderberry, a small dark purple berry found on elder trees native to Europe, is commonly used as a medicinal plant and supplement to promote immune function. The researchers tested the effects of elderberry on metabolic health in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 18 overweight adults. Participants consumed either elderberry juice or...

Researchers have provided the molecular explanation for why some osteoporosis drugs offer protection against COVID-19. The study builds on work that compared more than 450,000 users of a class of drugs, called bisphosphonates, with non-users during the months leading up to the pandemic in 2020. The Harvard study showed that those who used drugs, such as alendronate and zoledronate, had lower odds of testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 diagnosis and COVID-19-related hospitalization, but the study didn't explain why. Researchers explored all bisphosphonates listed in a drug candidate database that could potentially bind to a specific enzyme domain found in nidoviruses,...

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide with many treatments, such as medication, often failing to provide lasting relief. Researchers have uncovered a possible solution. Their study found integrating lifestyle support into back pain care could reduce disability and enhance quality of life. The randomized controlled trial included 346 participants from across Australia, all of whom had chronic low back pain and at least one lifestyle risk factor, such as obesity, poor diet, sedentary habits, or smoking. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the "Healthy Lifestyle Program (HeLP)" or standard guideline-based physiotherapy care for...

Annual health checkups regularly include urine tests that serve several purposes, including checking for symptoms of kidney disease. The presence of albumin in the urine is one indicator, as is glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In diabetic nephropathy, albuminuria first appears, leading to excessive filtration and eventually a decrease in GFR. In the elderly, however, excessive filtration cannot be detected due to age-related GFR decline. To accurately assess GFR, researchers have come up with a new calculation method. The group led by Dr. Akihiro Tsuda, a lecturer, assessed 180 kidney transplant donor candidates to define a new formula for determining the...

The short-term boost our brains get after we do exercise persists throughout the following day, suggests a study. The study found that, on average, people aged 50 to 83 who did more moderate to vigorous physical activity than usual on a given day did better in memory tests the day after. More deep (slow-wave) sleep also contributed to memory function, and the research team found this accounted for a small portion of the link between exercise and better next-day memory. The research team looked at data from 76 men and women who wore activity trackers for eight days and took...

Researchers have found definitive proof of a kidney microbiome that influences renal health and kidney stone formation, demonstrating that the urinary tract is not sterile and low levels of bacteria are normal. They also identified certain bacteria within the microbiome that could promote or block kidney stone development and showed that antibiotic misuse (commonly associated with kidney stone development in a hospital setting) skewed the microbiome towards stone-promoting bacteria. The team's methods showed that bacteria living in the urinary tract were not only there because of disease, since they found them in the urinary tract of people without evidence of...

Researchers have found that tapping into the nervous system could help reduce the gut inflammation that drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A new study reveals how electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve—a major nerve connecting the brain and gut—may combat the stress-related inflammation that worsens IBD symptoms. The study showed that vagus nerve stimulation in stressed mice with colitis, a form of IBD, reduced inflammation, improved symptoms, and boosted survival rates. By engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, the team observed that inflammation could be eased by inhibiting SUMOylation, a cellular process that shapes immune response. Ayman Youssef, MD, analyzed data...