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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Oct-2026 12:16 ET (30-Oct-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)

Keck Medicine of USC earns LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader 2026 designation

University of Southern California - Health Sciences
Business Announcement

Keck Medicine of USC hospitals and USC Student Health, part of Keck Medicine, received the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2026 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).

New AI heart failure screening tool could save lives, cut hospital waiting lists and deliver major NHS cost savings

Queen Mary University of London
Grant and Award Announcement

Scientists at Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust have been awarded £1.3m to develop the invention for use in the NHS.

Funder: National Institute for Health Research

Scientists reveal an autoimmune vicious cycle in Sjögren’s disease

Keio University Global Research Institute
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Sjögren’s disease is a widespread chronic autoimmune disorder that attacks the body’s own glands, yet its underlying disease mechanisms remain poorly understood. In a recent study, researchers from Japan discovered a self-reinforcing loop between different immune cells that sustains autoimmune responses in patients with Sjögren’s disease. Their findings pave the way for safer and more effective therapies.

Journal: Science Advances
Funder: AMED, JSR Corporation, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Keio University, Keio Gijuku Fukuzawa Memorial Fund, Program for the Advancement of Next Generation Research Projects, Mochida Memorial Foundation for Medical and Pharmaceutical Research, Kowa Life Science Foundation, Japan Rheumatism Foundation, Takeda Science Foundation, Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders, SENSHIN Medical Research Foundation, Nakatomi Foundation, Takahashi Industrial Economic Research Foundation, Waksman Foundation of Japan, Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research

Chronic pancreatitis impairs multiple quality-of-life domains beyond pain

Chinese Medical Journals Publishing House Co., Ltd.
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A Mayo Clinic study of 298 patients with chronic pancreatitis used the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level to assess 5 health domains. Pain was the top impairment, while employment and older age correlated with fewer issues. Medicare patients faced worse self-care and pain outcomes, urging targeted interventions.

Journal: Journal of Pancreatology
Funder: Mayo Clinic

Antibiotic residues may pose a hidden risk to male fertility

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study by researchers from the Department of Reproductive Medicine, Jinling Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University, and Medical School of Nanjing University suggests that antibiotic residue-related exposure may impair spermatogenesis by disturbing mitochondrial function. The researchers further found that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, may help protect spermatocytes by restoring ER–mitochondria communication and reducing oxidative stress.

Journal: Science China Life Sciences

RCSI researchers develop first synthetic mitral valve model to replicate the heart's natural mechanics

RCSI
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have developed an artificial model of the mitral heart valve that faithfully mimics the valve’s complex mechanical behaviour in the human heart. The study could help researchers better understand valve disease and develop new treatment approaches.

Journal: Acta Biomaterialia

Sodium bicarbonate for in-hospital cardiac arrest

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: There was no significant difference in sustained return of spontaneous circulation between sodium bicarbonate and placebo in adults with in-hospital cardiac arrest. These findings do not support routine administration of sodium bicarbonate for patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest.

Journal: JAMA

Advancing research on the human mind: Simulating stress, sadness, and anxiety in large language models

Technische Universität Dresden
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders affect millions of people worldwide, yet the underlying mechanisms are often difficult to study. There is a lack of model systems that adequately capture the complexity of human cognitive and affective processes, such as language or reasoning. An interdisciplinary research team from medicine, psychology, and computer science at the Else Kröner Fresenius Center (EKFZ) for Digital Health at TU Dresden has now shown that large language models (LLMs) can reproduce patterns of human emotions such as anxiety, sadness, or stress. In addition, they exhibit cognitive biases and can be specifically regulated using mindfulness-based strategies. This could establish AI models as a new, complementary method for basic psychological and psychotherapy research. The results were published in The Lancet Digital Health.

Journal: The Lancet Digital Health

Why do some common lung cancers resist latest targeted drugs? Structure holds the key

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Not all lung cancers with the same common genetic driver respond equally to powerful targeted drugs. Researchers have now discovered why: subtle differences in the 3D shape of the mutated protein. By classifying these shapes, they identified a subtype that poorly binds to latest-generation drugs, explaining worse outcomes. The good news? Starting with a drug-chemo combo likely overcomes this resistance, offering a clear path to personalize first-line treatment.

Journal: Science China Life Sciences