The annual Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) meeting, SCAI Scientific Sessions 2025, will kick off on Thursday, May 1, 2025, with nearly 2,000 scientists, researchers, innovators, and clinicians joining together to discuss advances in the field of interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine. The conference will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from Thursday, May 1, through Saturday, May 3, highlighting innovative breakthroughs in cardiovascular care, prevention, and research.   

Irritable bowel syndrome, chronic itching, asthma and migraine are in many cases hard-to-treat conditions. They have in common that they are triggered by an excessive immune response—which in severe cases can be life-threatening. A team of researchers led by the University of Bonn has now identified a promising bioactive compound that could effectively reduce symptoms and slash fatality risk. The compound blocks a receptor on certain defense cells, thus preventing a derailed immune response. The study findings have been published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 

Current risk assessment guidelines for ischemic stroke may underestimate patients with mild carotid stenosis. A Japanese multicenter study found that unstable plaque—particularly intraplaque hemorrhage—was a key stroke predictor. Surgical intervention, such as carotid endarterectomy, significantly reduced stroke risk compared to medical therapy alone. These findings could prompt a shift in how physicians assess and treat mild but symptomatic carotid artery disease.

Researchers from The University of Osaka discover new biomarkers at the cell and protein levels for predicting relapse of autoimmune vasculitis before the beginning of treatment. The insights into the disease mechanism and these new biomarkers may lead to better treatment strategies and outcomes for new vasculitis patients.

Amid warnings of near record heat ahead in 2025, the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE) and the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) say Canada’s schools and child care facilities are ill-prepared and children are paying the price. CPCHE’s summary of evidence and Collective Call for Action, signed by 40+ partners and collaborators, is complemented by twin CELA reports elaborating on the need for climate-resilient infrastructure.

UPF has led the international research team, involving Lausanne University Hospital. This pioneering study, published in Nature Mental Health, paves the way to developing new strategies to treat the disease.