Researchers at Harvard Medical School identified a neuroimmune axis that bacteria exploit to cause infection, allowing the spread of meningitis into the brain. Blocking key players in this molecular chain can interrupt the cascade and thwart bacterial invasion.
A new study by Harvard Medical School suggests that face blindness, a condition where individuals struggle to recognize faces, may be more common than previously thought. The research estimates that as many as one in 33 people (3.08%) meet the criteria for face blindness, affecting over 10 million Americans.
A team at Harvard Medical School identified a novel mechanism of DNA repair that occurs exclusively in neurons, allowing them to maintain their function over time despite intense repetitive work. The NPAS4–NuA4 complex initiates a pathway to repair DNA breaks induced by neuronal activity.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School discovered a link between head injuries and high blood pressure in former football players. The study, which surveyed over 4,000 players, found that concussion symptoms can predict hypertension even after controlling for other risk factors.
A nationwide study led by Harvard researchers found that patients in health systems receive marginally better care but report slightly better experiences, while care comes at a much higher price. The analysis suggests that health systems have not realized their potential for better care at equal or lower cost.
Researchers aim to create comprehensive maps of how neurons connect to each other, exploring neural circuits that underlie behavior. By studying connectivity and neural activity, scientists hope to understand the structure of the brain and its role in our sense of self.
A team at Harvard Medical School has created large-scale 2D and 3D spatial maps of colorectal cancer, layering molecular information on top of histological features. The maps reveal the interconnectedness of traditional isolated structures in colorectal cancer, allowing researchers to explore differences within individual tumors.
Research from Harvard Medical School finds that specialists who trained with patients' primary care physicians report treating patients with a more concerned manner and clearer explanations. Patients also experience greater engagement in shared decision-making and improved medication-prescribing behavior.
A new study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that former professional football players, particularly linemen, tend to develop age-related diseases earlier than the general population. The research team analyzed data from nearly 3,000 former NFL players and found their health spans were reduced by nearly a decade. T...
A study by Harvard Medical School researchers found that organ donations and transplants increase by 21% during the week of large motorcycle rallies, with 26% more transplant recipients per day. The surge in donations does not alleviate the critical shortage of donor organs, highlighting the need for improved safety protocols.
Two studies by Harvard Medical School scientists show that the spinal cord and brainstem process touch information as it travels to higher-order brain regions. These findings highlight the importance of these areas in integrating and processing tactile stimuli.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have made progress in understanding the mechanism underlying a type of dementia that strikes early in life. A genetic form of frontotemporal dementia is associated with accumulation of specific lipids in the brain, which results from a protein deficiency that interferes with cell metabolism.
A new study reveals that pain neurons in mice regulate mucus production and stimulate intestinal cells to release more mucus during inflammation. This protective mechanism helps maintain gut homeostasis and prevent colitis.
A new study published in Nature on saliency heat maps in medical imaging reveals that these tools consistently underperform human radiologists in image assessment and identifying pathological lesions. The researchers caution that saliency-based heat maps should be further refined before being widely adopted in clinical AI models.
A study published in Science reveals that tumor cells with a specific mutation release a chemical metabolite that weakens nearby immune cells, rendering them less capable of killing cancer cells. The findings highlight the critical role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer growth and provide insights into developing targeted therapi...
Research by Harvard Medical School professor Zirui Song finds that the economic cost of firearm injuries in the US is over $557 billion annually. This includes quality-of-life losses among those injured and their families, as well as indirect costs to employers and health insurers.
Researchers developed an AI diagnostic tool called CheXzero that can detect diseases on chest X-rays from natural-language descriptions contained in accompanying clinical reports. The model performed on par with human radiologists and was trained without laborious human annotation of data, making it a major advance in clinical AI design.
A team of researchers at Harvard Medical School has made new strides in understanding the basic biology of internal organ sensing, revealing spatial maps of neurons in the brain stem responding to feedback from internal organs. The study found that inhibition within the brain plays a key role in selectively responding to organs.
Scientists at Harvard Medical School have made a breakthrough in understanding how the brain forms spatial maps. A new study reveals that the gene Fos plays a crucial role in this process, helping the brain use specialized navigation cells to form and maintain stable representations of the environment. The findings provide new insights...
A new study from Harvard Medical School reveals that patients who recover well after cardiovascular surgery exhibit precise paths for white blood cell and platelet counts. These trajectories can be used to monitor recovery in a personalized way, enabling clinicians to intervene earlier when necessary.
A team of researchers connected the dots for one important gut bacterium, revealing its molecular structure and function in the immune system. The study found that Akkermansia muciniphila's lipid activates toll-like receptors, triggering the release of certain cytokines while leaving others alone.
A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School identifies a novel mechanism underlying the selective ability of immune cells to differentiate between self and non-self. The discovery sheds light on how T cells learn to recognize proteins made by thymus cells that mimic various tissues throughout the body.
Researchers describe a mechanism by which inhibitory neurons in a specific brain region suppress nausea-causing excitatory neurons. Activating these inhibitory neurons with the chemical messenger GIP eliminates nausea behaviors in mice, offering an alternative approach to reducing nausea.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School used a new technique to analyze SARS-CoV-2 samples from university screening programs and found that omicron accounted for over 90% of infections just nine days after arrival. The study suggests universities can serve as monitoring hubs for early detection of infectious disease outbreaks.
The 2022 Warren Alpert Prize recognizes Karikó, Weissman, Şahin, Türeci, and Huang for their pioneering mRNA research. Their work led to the design of COVID-19 vaccines, marking a crucial turning point in pandemic response.
A new study published by Harvard Medical School and The University of Texas Medical Branch found that despite international consensus on treating acute myocardial infarctions, there are substantial variations in treatment and outcomes across six high-income nations. The U.S. stands out for its high risk of death within a year of hospit...
Researchers pinpointed the molecular basis of deep sleep regulation in mice, identifying a brain area responsible for delta wave oscillations. Disrupting a specific gene boosted delta waves and enhanced deep sleep in animal models, paving the way for precision-targeted therapies.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have created spatial maps that show how melanoma cells and immune cells interact as a tumor develops. The maps, which offer insights into the early events in melanoma, reveal signs of immunosuppression and may aid in understanding how to prevent or treat the disease.
A new study by Harvard Medical School researchers found that people who survive firearm injuries face greater risks of mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and pain in the year following injury. The analysis showed significant increases in healthcare spending, with gunshot survivors averaging $2,495 more per month compared...
A team at Harvard Medical School identified a mechanism that triggers local dopamine release in the brain when acetylcholine binds to axons, not previously known to initiate firing. This finding reveals more about the interaction between acetylcholine and dopamine systems, suggesting a new strategy for treating diseases like Parkinson's.
Research identifies three bacterial metabolites and corresponding genes that affect immune cell activity, providing a novel mechanistic insight into gut immunity. The findings suggest restoring these compounds or bacteria could lead to therapeutic treatments for inflammatory diseases.
The blood-brain barrier is regulated by a signaling pathway involving vitronectin and integrin α5, which inhibits transcytosis and maintains barrier integrity. The findings offer insights into the microenvironment's role in maintaining the barrier's permeability.
Studies investigating the impact of memory on perception aim to understand how our brains alter sensory information, enabling us to conserve energy on expected stimuli. This research may lead to advancements in treating PTSD by analyzing communication between brain regions affected by trauma.
A new tool called vibration of effects (VoE) has been developed to analyze the reliability of reported links between gut microbes and various diseases. The tool found that a third of reported microbe-disease associations were inconsistent, with outcomes changing depending on study design and variable inclusion.
Researchers have developed a new model system using Daphnia to study aging, focusing on interventions that extend active life and health rather than just lifespan. This approach addresses existing problems in the field, such as lack of standardized data and misinterpretation of results.
A new study published in JAMA Health Forum found significant variations in care delivery among physicians with the same specialty and city, despite delivering care in the same clinical scenarios. The researchers analyzed medical insurance records from 2016 to 2019 and found that top-performing physicians were five to 10 times more like...
A new study identifies a set of cellular receptors for eastern equine encephalitis virus and other alphaviruses shared across mosquitoes, humans, and animals. The researchers tested a decoy molecule that successfully prevented infection and slowed disease progression in cell and animal models.
A recent study led by Harvard Medical School researchers found significant racial and ethnic disparities in hospital mortality for both COVID-19 and non-COVID patients. Hispanic Medicare patients were more likely to die from COVID-19, while existing pre-pandemic disparities widened during the crisis.
A team of researchers has identified a mechanical process by which sheets of cells morph into complex shapes, enabling organs to function. The process involves the production of hyaluronic acid, which swells with water and is constrained by thin connectors between cells.
A study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals that a deadly anthrax toxin can block multiple types of pain in mice by altering signaling in pain-sensing neurons. This approach offers a novel precision-targeted pain treatment strategy without the widespread systemic effects of current pain-relief drugs.
Carlos Ponce is studying the parts of the visual system that analyze shapes, using macaque monkeys as a model. He combines computational models with electrophysiology experiments to understand how neurons process visual information.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School identified likely mutations that would allow the virus to evade immune defenses, including natural immunity and vaccine-developed antibodies. The study provides important clues about areas of concern with omicron variant and serves as a primer for future variants.
A retrospective study suggests disulfiram, a treatment for alcoholism, reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence by 34% and COVID-19 deaths by 3%. Further randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the findings and understand the mechanism of action.
Research in mice shows how diet affects immunity through a specific gut microbe. The study reveals that dietary amino acids trigger the release of metabolic byproducts from gut bacteria, modulating immune function and leading to inflammation.
The need for new antibiotics is critical due to rising antibiotic resistance, which kills over 35,000 people annually in the US. Research by Harvard Medical School aims to develop better antibiotics by targeting essential bacterial proteins.
A team of researchers identified a subset of sensory neurons present in the hindlimb region that must be activated for acupuncture to trigger an anti-inflammatory response. This discovery provides a neuroanatomic explanation for acupoint selectivity and specificity, allowing for more precise targeting of electroacupuncture.
Researchers developed AI tool EVE to analyze genetic variations, reclassifying 256,000 variants as benign or disease-causing. The tool enhances clinical methods for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment choice.
A new study reveals that sensitive skin surfaces are overrepresented in the brain due to stronger connections between sensory neurons and brain stem neurons. This mechanism may explain why certain body parts, like hands and lips, are more sensitive than others.
A new study has pinpointed nine processes that lead to most human genetic mutations, including inaccurate DNA copying and chemical damage. The research analyzed 400 million rare DNA variants and identified a set of biological processes responsible for heritable human mutations.
A new study reveals that microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, play a crucial role in regulating brain wiring by sculpting inhibitory neurons. The research showed that microglia interact with GABA-emitting inhibitory synapses through direct physical contact, a process enabled by advanced imaging techniques.