Researchers have discovered a key role of sugar molecules in regulating cellular processes, potentially leading to new treatments for diseases like diabetes, neurodegeneration, and cancer. The findings suggest that sugar molecules can influence protein function and interactions, providing a new target for manipulation by drugs.
In a breakthrough for ALS research, scientists successfully transplanted stem cell-like cells into rat models of the disease, slowing neuron loss and extending life. The treatment targets the cervical spinal cord, where motor neurons are most vulnerable to damage.
The Institute of Medicine has elected three Johns Hopkins University researchers - Harry C. Dietz, Lisa A. Cooper, and Nancy Kass - for their exceptional contributions to medical science and public health. They have conducted pioneering research on cardiovascular disease, racial disparities in medical care, and bioethics, among other a...
High levels of nitrogen dioxide from stoves can aggravate asthma symptoms in inner-city preschoolers, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine. The researchers found that each 20-point increase in NO2 levels led to 10% more days of cough and 15% more days with limited speech due to wheezing.
A study found that nearly half of children with cystic fibrosis were vitamin D deficient, despite receiving recommended doses. Increasing vitamin D intake is crucial to address deficiencies and prevent bone loss in this population.
A multicenter study led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that hydrocortisone treatment in preemies has little to no benefit and may increase the risk of brain bleeding. Low cortisol levels in premature babies do not appear to be harmful, contrary to common belief.
A Johns Hopkins researcher found that early mobilization can help prevent muscle weakness and improve physical function in ICU patients, leading to shorter hospital stays and better quality of life. The study suggests that getting patients up and moving shortly after admission can help mitigate the negative effects of prolonged bed rest.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have identified over 100 human protein fragments that can slow or stop the growth of cells making up new blood vessels. These compounds, known as antiangiogenesis peptides, could lead to treatments for diseases such as cancer, macular degeneration, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Researchers found that patients with high Patient Activation Measure (PAM) scores are more likely to attend physical therapy and engage in rehabilitation. The PAM questionnaire assesses a patient's ability to play an active role in their healthcare, and high scores can predict improved adherence to treatment.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found that young adults without family history of bowel disease have few pre-cancerous polyps. Screening guidelines recommend colonoscopies starting at age 50, but the study suggests African Americans should consider colonoscopy over sigmoidoscopy.
Energy drink manufacturers should label their products with prominent warnings about caffeine doses and potential health risks, says a study by Johns Hopkins Medicine. The high caffeine content of many energy drinks poses a risk to consumers, particularly young adults.
A six-month study found that moderate aerobic exercise and weightlifting reduced liver fat in people with type 2 diabetes, improving fitness and reducing body fat. The results suggest a key benefit of trimming fatty liver for those with the disease, which can accelerate heart disease and liver failure.
Researchers found that genetic programs forming the prostate in embryos are similar to those driving tumor growth in prostate cancers. They identified genes involved in cell survival, growth, and movement that are activated in both normal development and aggressive prostate cancers.
Johns Hopkins researchers have successfully suppressed levels of the 'hunger hormone' ghrelin in pigs using a minimally invasive procedure. The method, called GACE, produces an effect similar to bariatric surgery by lowering appetite and promoting significant weight loss.
A new study from Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that parents of terminally ill or severely premature newborns often struggle to understand their treatment options due to miscommunication with doctors. The study's findings highlight the need for clearer explanations and empathy in end-of-life care discussions.
Researchers identified eEF2K as a key player in enabling the rapid production of Arc protein, crucial for long-term memory formation. The paradoxical mechanism involves eEF2K inhibiting protein translation while also facilitating Arc protein synthesis.
The Cancer Genome Atlas reports findings on the MGMT gene, which makes brain cancer cells more responsive to treatment but also leads to mutations in other genes essential for DNA repair. These mutations contribute to cancer recurrence and resistance to treatment.
A team of vaccine safety experts has developed a step-by-step tool to identify children with allergic reactions to vaccines and provide safe immunization plans. Most children with known or suspected vaccine allergies can be safely vaccinated with proper monitoring and precautions, according to the study.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have uncovered a molecular circuitry associated with schizophrenia, linking three previously known proteins. The study found that these proteins interact synergistically during normal brain development and are linked to the condition in some patients.
Scientists discovered the earliest form of human blood stem cells, called hemangioblasts, which can be replicated in unlimited supply using ACE as a marker. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for heart diseases, anemias, leukemia and autoimmune diseases by mass-producing progenitor blood cells.
A study of 50 healthy adult men found that black non-sensitized males had an average of 17.2% more HLA-sensitive B cells than white non-sensitized males, increasing their opportunity for antibody-mediated rejection. This increased number of B cells may be customized in treatments to lessen the likelihood of organ rejection.
Research shows that walking on a treadmill can significantly improve mobility and health in stroke survivors even years post-stroke. Brain scans reveal increased metabolic activity in areas associated with walking, suggesting the brain's ability to rewire and recover through exercise.
A new study found that an experimental therapy for age-related macular degeneration may have adverse effects on patients with a certain genetic mutation. The therapy uses RNA interference to silence disease-causing genes, but this approach may not be suitable for everyone due to individual genetic differences.
A Johns Hopkins Children's Center study found that elevated cholesterol levels drop naturally in four out of 10 children with uncontrollable epilepsy treated with the high-fat ketogenic diet. Nearly half of these children returned to normal or near-normal cholesterol levels without modifications to their diet.
Platelet activation plays a key role in the development of cerebral malaria by triggering an immune response and obstructing blood vessels in the brain. Researchers found that treating mice with aspirin or Plavix improved survival rates when administered soon after infection.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found a rare case of an individual with HIV who remains symptom-free without treatment, attributed to the strength of their immune system. The study's findings offer hope for vaccine development and understanding of how immune cells can effectively halt disease progression.
Researchers found a 26% increased risk of death among individuals with low blood levels of vitamin D. The study suggests that adequate vitamin D levels may be crucial in preventing cardiovascular disease.
Robert Siliciano, an HIV expert, says that current antiretroviral drug combinations can suppress the ability of HIV to replicate, with some combos reducing copies to less than one in a billion. However, progress is still needed to identify and eliminate viral reservoirs that persist in the body.
A commonly used diabetes monitoring test could be repurposed to screen for and diagnose diabetes, identifying millions of people with undiagnosed disease. The hemoglobin A1c test measures long-term glucose control, offering advantages over current testing methods that require fasting or are affected by recent meals and diet.
Researchers found that calmodulin uses two lobes to sense local and global calcium levels, allowing it to detect fluctuations within cells. This discovery sheds light on the universal means of communication in cells and has implications for understanding neural diseases.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have linked extreme fatigue in lung-scarring disease to poor sleep quality, finding a 25% loss in R.E.M. sleep time among patients. The study shows that people with stiffened lungs and sleep problems experience reduced physical and mental activity scores.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine found that fruit flies use TRPA1 to sense single degree changes in the comfortable range, adapting to different temperatures through a multistep process. This discovery raises the possibility that mammals may also be able to sense small changes in internal body temperature.
Researchers have developed a genetically engineered mouse model of chronic sinusitis, which mimics the disease's symptoms and provides a new tool for studying and treating the condition. The 'stuffy nose' mice suffer from reversible loss of smell due to inflammation, offering hope for developing new therapies.
A Johns Hopkins study found that giving children preventive antibiotics within one hour of spinal surgery significantly reduces the risk of serious infections. The study, published in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, suggests that timely prophylaxis is crucial in preventing complications and reducing hospital stays.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine identified a deadly combination of gene activity in breast and colon cancers, leading to poor patient outcomes. The study found that epigenetic changes contribute to cancer aggressiveness by disrupting normal biochemical pathways.
A study by Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that 40% of pediatricians wouldn't reduce medication doses even if a child is well-controlled. The researchers suggest that pediatricians might benefit from a step-by-step tool to apply treatment guidelines and use different disease dimensions in their practice.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that the spiritual effects of psilocybin, a hallucinogen, can last more than a year. Most volunteer subjects reported the experience as one of the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant events of their lives.
A small study of 18 patients with severe Marfan syndrome found that losartan slowed aortic enlargement by nearly half, offering a promising new treatment option. The study's findings have led to the approval of a large-scale clinical trial for losartan in Marfan syndrome patients.
A team of Johns Hopkins experts suggests that epigenetic changes occurring over a person's lifetime may explain why disease susceptibility increases with age. They found that methylation levels changed in almost one-third of individuals over an 11-year span, and family members tended to exhibit similar changes.
A new study published in JAMA found that patients with depression are more likely to develop type-2 diabetes, and those with type-2 diabetes are also at a higher risk for developing depression. The study used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) to investigate this connection.
A literature review by Johns Hopkins researchers found that hydroxyurea significantly reduces the frequency of intense sickle cell crises and hospital admissions by 68-84% and 18-32%, respectively. However, potential risks include impaired sperm development and unclear effects on leukemia risk.
A study of 635 men found that radiation therapy significantly prolongs survival in those with recurrent prostate cancer, particularly those with rapidly growing tumors. This breakthrough suggests that radiation can be a life-extending treatment option for these patients.
Researchers found a new enzyme, EhROM1, that helps the dysentery-causing amoeba evade the immune system. The enzyme is part of an ancient group of enzymes used by malaria parasites to enter host cells.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine tested a high-dose regimen of cyclophosphamide on nine MS patients, showing a 40% reduction in disability scores and an 87% improvement in physical and mental function. The 'HiCy' treatment appears to clear out the immune system and allow nerve cells to repair themselves.
Research by Johns Hopkins Children's Center suggests that breast-feeding not only provides more protection to girls than boys but also that formula-fed girls are at a higher risk for severe respiratory infections. Breast milk helps babies cope with an infection better, rather than preventing it.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state. The new method improves reprogramming efficiency and increases the total number of reprogrammed cells, enabling future studies on blood diseases.
A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that heart bypass surgery is not the cause of lasting cognitive problems in patients. After six years of testing, both groups experienced similar declines in cognitive function, indicating that the disease itself may be the culprit.
A new treatment using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has dramatically decreased death and disability in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), a condition where blood clots inside the brain. The treatment, which clears trapped blood from the brain, showed an 80% survival rate for patients.
Regulators may need to overhaul regulations for human studies, experts say, to allow patient safety research to move forward. Current rules can hinder the development of low-risk interventions that save lives and reduce costs.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have identified a gene, Pirt, that regulates a heat-activated molecular sensor, leading to variable pain sensitivity. The study found that mice lacking Pirt responded slower to heat and were less sensitive to capsaicin, suggesting Pirt's specific role in pain perception.