EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Massage Therapy Foundation is excited to announce the award of a $300,000 Research Grant to the University of Denver (UD) for their three-year study, “Prenatal Massage: A Complementary Approach for Maternal Health and Mental Health.” The study will be conducted through a partnership between UD and Thriving Families, a Denver-based nonprofit organization serving perinatal women and birthing people from under-resourced and minority backgrounds. The project will evaluate the impact of incorporating prenatal massage into MotherWise, a Thriving Families Program, an evidence based, trauma informed, and culturally responsive maternal wellness program.

Funder: Massage Therapy Foundation

20-Feb-2026

ACS Central Science | Researchers from Insilico Medicine and Lilly publish foundational vision for fully autonomous “Prompt-to-Drug” pharmaceutical R&D

InSilico Medicine
Reports and Proceedings

What if a scientist could simply type: “Design a drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” and an autonomous system handled the target discovery, molecular design, and robot-led synthesis without further human input?

In a landmark paper published in ACS Central Science, researchers from Insilico Medicine and Lilly have unveiled the foundational framework for exactly that: Pharmaceutical Superintelligence. This isn't just a theoretical vision; it is a description of a sequentially orchestrated AI architecture that turns high-level prompts into clinical-ready assets.

20-Feb-2026

Reduced alcohol consumption with Mounjaro’s active substance

University of Gothenburg
Peer-Reviewed Publication

For the first time, researchers show that tirzepatide – the active ingredient in the diabetes and weight-loss drug Mounjaro – reduces alcohol intake as well as relapse-like behaviors in rats and mice. The findings are considered relevant in the search for new treatments for alcohol use disorder.

Journal: EBioMedicine

20-Feb-2026

Physical function is a crucial predictor of survival after heart failure

Juntendo University Research Promotion Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Current models of mortality risk after heart failure (HF) rely primarily on cardiac-specific clinical variables and may underestimate risk in elderly East Asian patients. Researchers from Japan used machine learning to analyze data from a nationwide registry of elderly HF patients. Their new model includes metrics of physical function and improved risk reclassification by about 20% compared to existing models, and could improve treatment options for patients in the future.

Journal: The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific

20-Feb-2026

Hidden genetic mismatch, which triples the risk of a life-threatening immune attack after cord blood transplantation

Fujita Health University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A Japanese study of more than 7,400 patients has identified a genetic mismatch that sharply increases the risk of severe acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following umbilical cord blood transplantation. The specific donor–recipient human leukocyte antigen mismatch triples the likelihood of life-threatening immune complications, and severe acute GVHD itself is associated with significantly worse survival. These findings may help refine donor selection and improve the safety and long-term outcomes of stem cell transplantation.

Journal: Transplantation and Cellular Therapy