EurekAlert! National Institutes of Health

Latest news releases from NIH-funded organizations

Funded Research News

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-May-2025 00:09 ET (26-May-2025 04:09 GMT/UTC)

4-Apr-2025

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have found a pattern of so-called epigenetic “marks” in a transition state between normal and pancreatic cancer cells in mice, and that the normal cells may keep at least a temporary “memory” of those cancer-linked marks.

Journal: Genome Medicine
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

4-Apr-2025

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Harvard Medical School
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research shows how small shifts in the molecular makeup of a virus can profoundly alter its fate. These shifts could turn a deadly pathogen into a harmless bug or supercharge a relatively benign virus, influencing its ability to infect humans and cause dangerous outbreaks.

Journal: Cell
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Jackson-Wijaya Fund, Wellcome Trust, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Vallee Foundation, Smith Family Foundation, Charles E.W. Grinnell Trust, G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation

4-Apr-2025

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke was associated with increased visits to emergency departments (ED) for mental health conditions, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Journal: JAMA Network Open
Funder: NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

4-Apr-2025

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

University of Utah Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

C. difficile (C. diff) is one of the most common and contagious hospital-acquired infections. Research has found that C. diff spreads more than three times more than previously thought. C. diff can spread covertly from surface to surface and remain undetected for weeks until it infects a patient. The results could spur more rigorous preventive measures that stop hidden spread of the disease.

Journal: JAMA Network Open
Funder: NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4-Apr-2025

Battle of the sex chromosomes

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A University of Michigan study reveals how competition affects X vs. Y sperm fitness.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Science Foundation