Latest news releases from NIH-funded organizations

Funded Research News

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Jan-2026 04:11 ET (21-Jan-2026 09:11 GMT/UTC)

12-Jan-2026

Uncovering how occludin protein maintains blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Michigan researchers uncovered the role of occludin, a protein that regulates the tight connections between cells.

Journal

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Funder

NIH/National Institutes of Health, Vision Research Center, Michigan Diabetes Research Center, Research to Prevent Blindness

12-Jan-2026

Smartphone-based interventions show promise for reducing alcohol and cannabis use: New research

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research shows that such interventions for alcohol and cannabis use among young adults show potential to reduce harms, according to three reports in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Journal

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

Funder

NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

9-Jan-2026

Weight loss drugs and bariatric surgery improve the body’s fat ‘balance:’ study

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

 Both the new weight loss drugs and bariatric (weight loss) surgery improve body composition in patients with obesity by inducing a moderate loss of fat-free mass (including lean muscle) along with a substantial reduction in fat, researchers at Vanderbilt Health have found.

Journal

JAMA Network Open

Funder

NIH/National Institutes of Health

9-Jan-2026

Inflammatory immune cells predict survival, relapse in multiple myeloma

WashU Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at WashU Medicine and their collaborators have created an immune cell atlas of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. The new resource could improve prognosis and guide development of new immunotherapies.

Journal

Nature Cancer

Funder

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, NIH/National Institutes of Health

8-Jan-2026

Johns Hopkins-led team creates first map of nerve circuitry in bone, identifies key signals for bone repair

Johns Hopkins Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

When a house catches on fire, we assume that a smoke alarm inside will serve one purpose and one purpose only: warn the occupants of danger. But imagine if the device could transform into something that could fight the fire as well. 

Journal

Science

Funder

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, U.S. Department of Defense