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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 8-Jun-2026 23:16 ET (9-Jun-2026 03:16 GMT/UTC)

With the right prompts, AI chatbots analyze big data accurately

University of California - San Francisco
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In an early test of how AI can be used to decipher large amounts of health data, researchers at UC San Francisco and Wayne State University found that generative AI tools could perform orders of magnitude faster — and in some cases better than computer science teams that had spent months poring over the data.

Journal: Cell Reports Medicine
Funder: March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center at UCSF, ImmPort, Pregnancy Research Branch of the NICHD

Leisure-time physical activity and cancer mortality among cancer survivors

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In this analysis of 6 pooled cohorts, higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) after a cancer diagnosis were associated with lower risk of cancer mortality among people previously diagnosed with 1 of 7 cancers not commonly studied for their association with MVPA. These findings suggest that it is important for health care professionals to promote physical activity for longevity and overall health among people living with and beyond cancer.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

New AI model could cut the costs of developing protein drugs

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Biology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT chemical engineers used AI to optimize the selection of codon sequences for protein drugs produced by yeast, which could reduce the costs of developing and manufacturing these drugs.

Journal: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Funder: Daniel I.C. Wang Faculty Research Innovation Fund at MIT, MIT AltHost Research Consortium, Mazumdar-Shaw International Oncology Fellowship, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research

Expanded Affordable Care Act subsidies — now expired — drove major increases in marketplace health insurance enrollment across key groups

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Subsidies enacted a year into the COVID-19 pandemic to expand eligibility and offset premium costs of insurance purchased on Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces led to significant enrollment gains among eligible children ages 18 and under, Black and Hispanic individuals, and residents of rural areas, according to a new study by a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Novel framework addresses the importance of buildings as a physical determinant of health

Boston University School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

)— As the population ages, renewed attention is being given to the institutional buildings where many older adults reside, such as nursing homes and long-term care settings, which affect the health and quality of life of those living in them. Research suggests that built spaces exert strong and subtle influences on the brains and bodies of aging persons. For example, the way space is designed can play a role in the risk of falling, infection control, avoidable hospitalization and confusion.

Unfortunately, this research is not currently incorporated in a systematic way into new construction or renovation projects. A multidisciplinary team led by Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has developed a framework for evaluating long-term care architectural drawings and designs. Entitled “Bioethics Peer Review for Long-Term Care Design (BPR-LTC),” the framework’s intent is for evidence-based design principles to be incorporated into the development of spaces for older adults.

Journal: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

Harlequin ichthyosis: a comprehensive review of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management

Xia & He Publishing Inc.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Harlequin ichthyosis, one of the rarest and most severe skin disorders, is mainly characterized by extreme hyperkeratosis, severely impairing the natural barrier function of the skin. This congenital disease results from a mutation in the ABCA12 gene responsible for lipid transport, whereby healthy skin development is assured. Harlequin ichthyosis is an autosomal recessive condition that requires parents to carry a defective gene copy for the disorder to manifest in their offspring. Babies born with Harlequin ichthyosis have thick skin plates that crack and flake off; they easily become dehydrated, infected, and may suffer from respiratory complications. With new improvements in neonatal care and systemic therapy, notably retinoid therapy, infants’ survival rates have improved. This review provides an inclusive overview of the pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnostic methods, management, and potential future therapies for Harlequin ichthyosis. In addition, a discussion on genetic counseling and its importance in managing family risk factors is also included, as well as a look into cutting-edge research focused on gene therapy and potential curative treatments.

Journal: Journal of Exploratory Research in Pharmacology

UT Health San Antonio hosts ‘Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations’ conference Feb. 18-20

The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center
Meeting Announcement

UT Health San Antonio and its Mays Cancer Center are hosting the 5^th biennial “Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations” conference on Feb. 18-20 at the Plaza San Antonio in San Antonio.

Nature Medicine publishes Helus Pharma’s randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2a trial of SPL026 in major depressive disorder

Helus Pharma
Peer-Reviewed Publication

- Randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2a study of SPL026 met its primary endpoint demonstrating a clinically significant reduction in depressive symptoms as measured by MADRS score (mean difference: -7.35) versus placebo at two weeks

- Antidepressant treatment effects observed within one week and sustained for up to three months

- Findings reinforce the therapeutic potential of short-acting serotonergic agonists and inform Helus Pharma’s HLP004 development program, with Phase 2 topline data in generalized anxiety disorder (“GAD”) expected in Q1 2026

Journal: Nature Medicine

C-reactive protein is closely related to cardiac repolarization in patients with coronary artery disease in contrast to patients with cirrhosis

Pensoft Publishers
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study reveals that different factors affect the relationship between inflammation and heart rhythm stability depending on whether patients are suffering from coronary disease or cirrhosis. In patients with coronary disease, C-reactive protein is closely related to cardiac repolarization, while in patients with cirrhosis, white blood cells, but not C-reactive protein, exhibited a trend for associating with unstable heart rhythms.

Journal: Bulgarian Society of Medical Sciences Journal