EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health - Home

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 24-Oct-2026 15:15 ET (24-Oct-2026 19:15 GMT/UTC)

Gut bacteria convert dietary nitrate and iron into protective molecules

Karolinska Institutet
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have discovered that gut bacteria can convert dietary nitrate and iron into protective molecules that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The study, published in Cell, reveals a new way in which the gut microbiota helps protect vital bodily functions.

Journal: Cell

Brain organoid maturation is driven by a lifelike developmental clock

NIH/Office of the Director
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded scientific team has shown that under the right circumstances, 3D cell culture models of human brain tissue, known as organoids, can express features of later stage brain development. This breakthrough could turn previously unattainable, long-term, benchtop studies of neurodevelopmental disorders into a reality.

Journal: Nature

Newly found ‘immune organ’ inside skull directs brain defense

WashU Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at WashU Medicine discovered lymph node-like structures in the skull bone marrow of mice that play a role in mounting a rapid immune response in the brain.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Korea National Institute of Health, Cure Alzheimer's Fund, National Research Foundation of Korea

Racial and ethnic disparities in treatment discontinuation in pregnant females with opioid use disorder

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About the Study: In this cohort study using nationwide Medicaid data, Black pregnant females with opioid use disorder (OUD) had higher discontinuation rates than White females for buprenorphine treatment during pregnancy and through 1 year postpartum, with less pronounced disparities for methadone. Findings suggest persistent racial and ethnic inequities in treatment retention during and after pregnancy.

Journal: JAMA Psychiatry

Safety and mental health outcomes of Oregon state-regulated psilocybin services

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About the Study: In this multisite cohort of 346 adults receiving Oregon's state-regulated psilocybin services, serious adverse reactions were uncommon, and most participants reported improvements in depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, well-being, and life satisfaction. The longitudinal findings suggest that Oregon’s regulated psilocybin services were generally safe and associated with improved mental health outcomes.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

New discovery could help scientists fight deadly fungal infections

Monash University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers from Monash University in collaboration with the University of Warwick have opened new avenues for developing life-saving treatments for fungal infections

Journal: Current Biology

Study reports design of a novel and stable human growth factor

University of Arkansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Human fibroblast growth factor, or FGF, has potent wound-healing and anti-diabetic properties that could prove useful in the development of new therapeutics.

Journal: Biophysical Journal

Cell-preservation technique could make CAR-T cell therapy more accessible

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT researchers developed a way to protect CAR-T cells from damage that can occur when they are frozen for storage and shipment. Their technique should make it easier for more hospitals to provide this treatment option to cancer patients.

Journal: Trends in Biotechnology
Funder: Ludwig Center at MIT’s Koch Institute, Convergence Scholars Program, MIT Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine

Calcified Tissue International and Musculoskeletal Research appoints new Co-Editors-in-Chief

International Osteoporosis Foundation
Business Announcement

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) announces an important editorial transition for Calcified Tissue International and Musculoskeletal Research. Effective 1 September 2026, Professor René Rizzoli will step down from his role as Editor-in-Chief, and Professors Etienne Cavalier and Roland Chapurlat will assume leadership of the journal as Co-Editors-in-Chief.