New research has been published ahead-of-print by The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM). JNM is published by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, an international scientific and medical organization dedicated to advancing nuclear medicine, molecular imaging, and theranostics—precision medicine that allows diagnosis and treatment to be tailored to individual patients in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses—those responsible for bird flu outbreaks—continue to pose challenges for human and animal health. New research led by microbiologist Louise Moncla of the Unviersity of Pennsylvania tracked H5N1 viruses in North America to better understand the role wild birds play in the current bird flu outbreak. These findings could lead to a shift in risk management and outbreak control measures.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) poses a significant challenge in modern medicine due to its high prevalence. The pathogenesis of MAFLD involves a complex dysmetabolic process consistent with the “multiple-hit” hypothesis. This process includes excessive triglyceride (TC) accumulation within hepatocytes, lipotoxicity, insulin resistance (IR), chronic low-grade inflammation, and increased oxidative stress. The role of leptin in the liver has been extensively studied, demonstrating both direct effects on hepatic cells and indirect actions mediated through the central nervous system (CNS). In MAFLD, leptin modulates several physiological processes: it improves glucose metabolism by enhancing insulin sensitivity and lowering glucose levels; regulates lipid metabolism by promoting β-oxidation and TC export while inhibiting lipogenesis; and contributes to fibrogenesis by upregulating transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) expression and activating hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the immune response. This review explores the structure of leptin, its primary physiological functions, its potential role in MAFLD pathogenesis, and its promise as a novel therapeutic target.

Mount Sinai study of nationwide trends finds discrepancies from established guidelines, emphasizes early corticosteroid treatment

Breakthrough studies in hematopathology — including advances in genetic testing, relapse prediction and detection of hidden, disease-defining gene fusions in AML  — will be presented at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place Nov. 11–15 in Boston.

Researchers from Indiana University Health and the IU School of Medicine have developed a new molecular test capable of detecting three major pathogenic fungi at once — and with a much quicker turnaround than traditional methods. The work will be presented at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2025 Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place Nov. 11–15 in Boston.

Artificial intelligence allows for faster and more accurate diagnostic testing, studies show