Patients who use semaglutide for weight loss, like Ozempic, are more likely to continue the medication if they perceive it as effective, even when facing unpleasant side effects, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

 

Their study, published in Journal of Medical Internet Research, found perceived effectiveness – reductions in weight, appetite or food cravings – was the strongest predictor of satisfaction and intention to continue treatment, regardless of side effects.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and the Stem Cell Network (SCN) today announced the appointment of an international working group comprising trainees and early career scientists to advance a new Global Workforce Development in Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine Initiative. Through this joint effort, the organizations are convening a global dialogue on how the field can better prepare, support, and sustain the next generation of stem cell scientists across diverse career paths and regions.

Dr. Simon Grelet, with the University of South Alabama's Mitchell Cancer Institute, has identified a novel mechanism by which neurons transfer mitochondria — the cell’s energy-producing structures — to cancer cells. This interaction fuels cancer metastasis and opens new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. 

UChicago Medicine and Lawndale Christian Health Center have received a $1.75 million grant to address heart health disparities among formerly incarcerated Black men by helping provide preventive cardiovascular care in an underserved neighborhood.

Hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (hEDS) is one of the most common heritable connective tissue disorders. Early estimates have reported that this genetic disorder affects at least one in 5,000 individuals and more recently it has been estimated to affect upwards of 1-3% of the population worldwide. Clinically, hEDS is characterized by generalized joint hypermobility, tissue fragility including capillary fragility associated with easy bruising, poor wound healing and atrophic scarring, and skin hyper-extensibility. A particularly concerning complication of hEDS that has been underrecognized is the occurrence of fragility fractures in infancy and childhood and the social and legal consequences that can result from diagnostic errors.

Despite the clinical recognition of hEDS for decades and advances in genetic sequencing technologies, the molecular basis of hEDS has remained largely mysterious until now. Using for the first time machine learning with rigorous subject-level statistical analysis, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine believe that hEDS is not a single-gene disorder, but rather involves a combination of genetic variations affecting three key biological systems. They stress that these biological associations represent baseline genetic data that prioritize hypotheses for future in-depth investigation, rather than established disease mechanisms.

Researchers have established a gene-disease association between human astrotactin 1 gene, ASTN1, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The findings have provided answers to families that until now had no diagnosis for their child’s condition.