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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Jun-2026 19:16 ET (13-Jun-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

University of Houston researchers identify new target to counteract muscle wasting in pancreatic cancer

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Houston are pushing the boundaries of biomedical innovation with a discovery that could transform treatment for cancer-induced cachexia, a debilitating syndrome characterized by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass.

Journal: EMBO Molecular Medicine

Blood analysis shows whether brain cancer treatment is working

University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The effectiveness of chemotherapy for brain cancer, done with a technique that opens the blood-brain barrier, can be monitored by blood draw, researchers at Northwestern Medicine and the University of Michigan have shown.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: National Institutes of Health

PCORI awards funding for new patient-centered healthcare research

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Grant and Award Announcement

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) announced funding awards for new patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies addressing a range of adult and pediatric health concerns.

Federally funded clinical trial suggests knowing HIV ‘viral load’ doesn’t improve number of patients seeking needed care

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other sources, there are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, and another 1.2 to 2.2 million who are at highest risk for infection and could benefit from the preventive measure known as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Journal: JAMA Network Open
Funder: CDC

Penn researchers awarded $25M to conduct trial using smartphones to fight heart disease

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Grant and Award Announcement

The largest-ever study testing the effectiveness of an evidence-based approach to increasing physical activity using smartphone fitness trackers gamification to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease will launch at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Ascension, one of the nation’s leading non-profit health systems , thanks to a $25 million award. The six-year study, funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), will build on the highly successful BE ACTIVE trial, published in 2024, which demonstrated sustained increases in daily step counts using a behavioral economics based approach to gamification to enhance ongoing engagement, where participants were awarded points for meeting daily step goals and progress through levels based on accumulated points.

Time burden in patients with metastatic breast and ovarian cancer from clinic and home demands

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: With the use of a mobile app, this study captured detailed time use data among individuals with advanced ovarian and metastatic breast cancer receiving treatment. Half of participants spent approximately 7 hours per week on cancer-related tasks, with most reporting cancer-related tasks daily.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

The quality of carbohydrates in the diet plays a key role in the prevention of dementia

Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The quality and quantity of carbohydrates in the diet play a decisive role in the development of dementias. This is according to a combined study carried out by the Nutrition and Metabolic Health (NuMeH) research group of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the Centre for Environmental, Food and Toxicological Technology (TecnATox), and the Pere Virgili Health Research Institute (IISPV). The results of this research have been published in the scientific journal International Journal of Epidemiology.

Journal: International Journal of Epidemiology

Poor health is the primary driver of involuntary retirement, study finds

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Poor health is the primary reason why more than half of middle-aged workers in the United States retire earlier than planned, but state vocational rehabilitation agencies that provide career assistance to individuals with disabilities may be able to help potential retirees remain in the workforce longer, according to a study led by Allison Fleming, associate professor of education at Penn State.

Journal: Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin

UT San Antonio announces transformational $30 million gift from the Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation for the Kate Marmion School of Public Health

The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of Texas at San Antonio announced a $30 million gift from the Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation to support The University of Texas at San Antonio School of Public Health, and UT System Board of Regents approval of the school's renaming to the Kate Marmion School of Public Health in honor of the daughter of Janey Briscoe Marmion and granddaughter of former Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and Janey Slaughter Briscoe.