News on the money and policy behind biomedical research. Covers foundation and career-development awards, endocrine and neuroscience funding, and university royalties.
A new study highlights the need for policy changes to allow private capital to invest in US water systems with aging infrastructure. The Journal of the American Water Resources Association article notes that public-private partnerships and loan guarantees are hindered by existing federal budgetary policies.
Cancer Research UK has partnered with Italian and Spanish charities to invest in six international collaborations worth approximately £30 million. The projects aim to accelerate progress in translational research by investigating immunotherapies, CAR-T cell production, and developing blood tests for advanced prostate cancer.
Researchers at Scripps Research are advancing compounds that protect neurons in diseases caused by toxic protein accumulation. In an animal model of ALS, the compounds improved strength and movement. The goal is to optimize these compounds into effective treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Mitochondria use one-way doors called mitochondrial calcium uniporter channel complexes (MCUCs) to control access, but the exit door proteins are abundant only in areas far from the entrances. This separation allows mitochondria to operate at maximum efficiency even when stressed.
A recent study reveals that historical bias in research funding mechanisms and social forces reinforce the focus on established genes, leading to an under-studied 80% of all human genes. The researchers discovered that poorly characterized genes have a 50% lower chance of becoming independent researchers.
A team of scientists is using a holistic approach to understand the causes of eelgrass wasting disease, deploying drones, artificial intelligence, and geographers to survey seagrass beds across 36 sites from San Diego to Alaska. The project aims to unravel why some eelgrasses fall victim to the disease while others resist it.
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) will conduct a five-year study on the impacts of new tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The research team aims to evaluate product characteristics, health effects, and behavior, with the goal of protecting public health.
A small study evaluates the association between medical scribe use and physician workflow, revealing improved efficiency and patient satisfaction. The study suggests that medical scribes can be a valuable tool to reduce documentation burdens in primary care settings.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have created a new class of fluorescent dyes, called nanohoops, that can be used to track multiple biological activities in live cells. These circular structures emit colors based on their size and can be guided to specific sites within cells.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that early-career scientists who received first-time NIH grants are successful in obtaining subsequent funding. These researchers consistently submitted more applications per year, renewal applications, and to multiple NIH Institutes. They also demonstrated better grant writing skills and project scope.
A new collaboration grant will support development of next-generation screening technologies to identify bitter taste blockers. The goal is to advance human health by improving the taste and acceptability of nutritious plant-based foods.
A new $3 million grant will test a unique program educating people with uncontrolled hypertension about getting their blood pressure under control. Participants will receive either usual care or view a video and ultrasound images to empower themselves.
The American Gastroenterological Association has launched a new initiative to foster opportunities for underrepresented minorities in gastroenterology research and career development. The program aims to provide training, mentoring, and leadership skills to promote diversity in the field.
Two research letters examine the impact of Medicaid work requirements on recipients, estimating the number at risk of losing coverage and calculating associated spending. State-level estimates also provide insight into those meeting proposed work requirements.
The Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation has partnered with Barrow Neurological Institute to fund a $50 million effort to accelerate drug discovery and clinical testing for glioblastoma. The new Ivy Brain Tumor Center aims to provide individualized experimental therapies to malignant brain tumor patients worldwide.
Kessler Foundation will analyze the impact of its spatial neglect assessment and treatment protocols on stroke survivor recovery and independence. The two-year grant aims to confirm functional benefits and improve clinical benchmarks for stroke rehabilitation.
The Francis Crick Institute will run a new accelerator programme called KQ Labs to support data-driven biomedical start-ups, providing £40,000 each to ten companies to validate their proposals. The programme is part of a growing ecosystem around King's Cross, Euston and Bloomsbury.
Researchers will use drones to provide high-resolution mapping and imagery of eelgrass communities, engaging the public through citizen science. The project aims to understand environmental factors contributing to wasting disease in eelgrass and predict where it's likely to occur.
A UTA doctoral student has received a Graduate Research Fellowship Program grant to fund her research on genetic variation in whiptail lizards and its impact on the microbiome. The award will support her three-year research project using both sexually and asexually reproducing species living in sympatry.
A new grant will support research on intermittent, or not continuously flowing, streams across the southern United States. The project aims to understand how climate and biological factors affect stream ecosystems when they dry, and develop a large-scale framework to analyze environmental changes.
The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has awarded a grant to the Critical Path Institute (C-Path) to accelerate the development of therapies for sickle cell disease. C-Path will plan a consortium of stakeholders to identify and work collaboratively on jointly beneficial drug development tools and novel methodologies.
The NIH grant will aid research in understanding how to prevent kidney damage and failure caused by type 2 diabetes. Tubular epithelial cells play a crucial role in kidney function and require high amounts of lipids and fatty acids to work correctly, but people with type 2 diabetes have lipid metabolism derailments.
A new study led by UNH researcher Matthew MacManes is exploring how tiny desert rodents adapt to dehydration, with the goal of developing strategies for humans. The research focuses on understanding the physiology and genomics of cactus mice in the field and lab, with an emphasis on electrolytes, urine concentrations, and kidney function.
Dr. Ming-Hui Zou's research focuses on how high glucose affects mitochondria, leading to atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. The study aims to understand the cellular mechanisms behind these complications and explore potential self-defense mechanisms.
Researchers create pill composed of sugars that encapsulates tens of thousands of micromotors made of a magnesium/titanium dioxide core loaded with fluorescent dye cargo. The pill improves release and retention of micromotors in the stomach, enabling targeted delivery of medicines.
Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson are studying two potential drug candidates to stop and reverse excessive scar tissue growth in the lungs. The compounds target the enzyme Nox4, which is believed to be the cause of excessive scar tissue growth.
A study of county-level data from 1995 to 2013 found that dermatologist density increased more in rural and nonmetropolitan areas than metropolitan regions. The gap between metropolitan and other areas widened over time, highlighting the need for corrective action.
Adults with and without Alzheimer's disease show better cognition skills in late summer and early fall than in winter and spring, equivalent to a 4.8-year difference in age-related decline. The odds of mild cognitive impairment or dementia were also higher in winter and spring.
The Rice University graduate-level bioelectronics program aims to develop technologies at the cell/material interface, focusing on light-harvesting systems and implantable devices. The five-year program will train students from various departments to tackle bioelectronics challenges collaboratively.
A recent study published in Critical Care Medicine found that Massachusetts' ICU nurse staffing regulations were not associated with improved patient outcomes. Despite modest increases in nurse staffing ratios, patient mortality and complication rates remained stable after the law's implementation.
NYIT has secured a $426,621 NSF grant for a micro-computed tomography machine to enhance research in the greater New York metropolitan scientific community. The machine will aid in strengthening interdisciplinary research in biology, paleontology, nanotechnology, engineering, and life sciences.
A George Mason University researcher has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to develop remedies for the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), which can cause long-term neurological problems and even death. The team aims to identify specific targets for therapeutic countermeasures and prevent the disease in mouse models.
A breakthrough discovery reveals that the DDX11 helicase enzyme plays a vital role in DNA repair and serves as a backup to the Fanconi Anemia pathway. This finding has significant implications for understanding genomic stability and disorders associated with DNA repair deficiency, including cancer and developmental disorders.
Researchers developed a new diagnostic tool using cellphone cameras to test mosquitos for species type and Wolbachia. The assay demonstrated high accuracy, with 98% specificity and 97% sensitivity in identifying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and Wolbachia strain.
Research reveals that pitcher plant communities converge in terms of microbial life and small animal populations, even across different continents. The study found that Asian and North American pitchers house similar species, such as bacteria and insects, and can even mimic each other's ecosystems.
Rice University researchers have developed a fleet of autonomous aerial drones that can coordinate to detect and track airborne pollutants. The system, called ASTRO, will use real-time data to alert neighborhoods of hazardous conditions following extreme weather events.
A $7 million grant will fund a 18-month study comparing two interventions: online CATCH-IT and in-person POD group therapy, to prevent depressive episodes among adolescents. The trial aims to identify which program has the greatest capacity for large-scale impact.
A study of over 40,000 patients found that myocardial injury, major bleeding, and sepsis contributed to nearly three-quarters of all deaths after noncardiac surgery. Most deaths were linked to cardiovascular causes, with cardiologists playing a crucial role in preventing further complications.
Researchers found that reducing secondary mitral regurgitation in heart failure patients did not improve survival or symptoms, suggesting the procedure is futile. Despite successful procedure completion, there was no significant difference in primary endpoint outcomes between intervention and medical treatment groups.
The British Heart Foundation is launching a £30 million global cardiovascular challenge to identify and solve the biggest problems in heart and circulatory disease. The Big Beat Challenge will bring together world-leading researchers and innovators to accelerate breakthroughs that could transform lives across the globe.
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University discovered a way to stop immune cell death associated with multiple diseases, including sepsis, IBD, and arthritis. They identified a chemical, necrosulfonamide, that potently inhibits inflammatory cell death by preventing pyroptosis, a type of cell suicide.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded $9.9 million in research grants to accelerate treatments and cures for over 40 diseases. The grants support innovative research in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Charité researchers Dr. Klose, Dr. Polansky-Biskup, and Dr. Triantafyllopoulou receive funding for projects on enteric nervous system regulation and epigenetic fine-tuning of T cells to improve adoptive cell therapy
Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital used massively-parallel, single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze nasal polyp samples and identify dramatically altered cells. The team found that epithelial progenitor cells had been permanently altered and expressed an aberrant program, pointing to many pathways that have been altered in t...
Scientists have unraveled the behavior of electrical discharges on extremely small scales, revealing new insights into gas breakdown mechanisms. The study found that at these microscopic gap distances, no obvious discharge channel formed, and the voltage necessary for breakdown decreased linearly with decreasing gap distance.
A new program, Skills TO Manage Pain (STOMP), aims to address the unique needs of people living with HIV and chronic pain. The NIH-funded trial will evaluate the effectiveness of peer-led group sessions and sponsorship in managing pain.
A UTA researcher has secured a five-year, $1.8 million grant to explore the role of mitochondria in boosting the immune response against pathogens like bacteria. His team aims to harness the mitochondrial unfolded protein response to develop new treatment options for patients.
A $5.67 million federal grant will extend and expand research into acute kidney injury, affecting 1.2 million hospitalized patients yearly, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment strategies.
A University of Oklahoma professor will lead a coordinated research project studying the ecology of US streams that dry, with funding from the National Science Foundation. The study aims to understand how stream drying affects aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity across different climates.
The NIH grant will support research on biological treatments and clinical diagnosis for patients with hearing loss, a condition affecting over 28 million Americans. Xue Zhong Liu's team will expand a genomic database and assess the impact of genomic testing on patients.
Jesse Mez will examine clinical, radiologic, and neuropathologic markers of Alzheimer's disease in Framingham Heart Study participants to test the hypothesis that TBI and military service independently and jointly contribute to its development. The study aims to identify risk factors beyond genetics and lifestyle choices.
The National Foundation for Cancer Research has received a $35,000 grant from Safeway Foundation to expand its Cancer Patient Navigation Hotline services. The hotline provides guidance and support to patients and their families at no cost, aiming to equip users with knowledge enabling better decisions about their cancer care.
A multidisciplinary research team found a form of vitamin B3 has the potential to prevent acute kidney injury by boosting NAD+ levels in high-risk patients. The study suggests a non-invasive test and therapy for patients at risk for acute kidney injury.
Researchers have solved the structure of a key protein called SWELL1, which works as an ion channel to relieve pressure inside cells. The protein's jellyfish-like shape allows it to sense changes in cell volume and release ions to reduce pressure.
A new study has evaluated the quality of YouTube videos for facial plastics information, revealing they can present biased information and offer an unbalanced assessment of risks and benefits. The study suggests these videos may not provide clear guidance on the qualifications of featured practitioners.
Scientists have produced the most comprehensive map of a wheat genome, paving the way for more resilient and nutritious varieties. The detailed findings describe over 94% of the Chinese Spring wheat genome, with benefits expected to boost wheat improvement over the next decades.
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center has renewed a $20 million federal grant to further research and patient care in Oklahoma. The program, Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Resources, aims to improve health outcomes by conducting clinical and translational research with patients, particularly in rural areas.
The grant enables researchers to detect and identify a wide range of molecules from diverse samples. The instrument will also support the university's goal of increasing participation by underrepresented groups in STEM education and research.
The MDI Biological Laboratory has established the Morris Scientific Discovery Fund, providing up to $250,000 per year for eligible research programs. This fund aims to foster short-term pilot project support for research that demonstrates federal funding potential.
Despite making up 26% of the population, adolescents receive only 1.6% of global development assistance, with funding primarily focused on HIV/AIDS and other leading causes of illness, leaving underfunded areas such as mental health and injury prevention unaddressed.