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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-May-2026 06:15 ET (18-May-2026 10:15 GMT/UTC)

Head impacts associated with altered gut microbiome in football players

PLOS
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Non-concussive head impacts—hits to the head that don’t cause clinically detectable symptoms—are correlated with subsequent changes to the gut microbiome in a small sample of US collegiate football players, according to a new study published May 6, 2026, in the open-access journal PLOS One by Ahmet Ay and Kenneth Douglas Belanger of Colgate University, USA, and colleagues.

Journal: PLOS One

Mayo Clinic and Stanford researchers develop first blood test to map tumor “neighborhoods,” improving prediction of therapy response

Mayo Clinic
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Mayo Clinic and Stanford Medicine researchers have developed the first blood test to map the complex ecosystem surrounding cancer cells, offering a more accurate way to predict which patients will benefit from immunotherapy.

Journal: Nature

New study suggests ‘freedom framing’ more effective than mandates for vaccine-hesitant Americans

University of Houston
Peer-Reviewed Publication

University of Houston researchers are applying the principles of marketing science to public health, proposing that the way vaccines are “framed” could be a factor in overcoming hesitancy.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

New MRI technology provides a comprehensive view of the human brain

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New multiplexed imaging technology using standard clinical MRI systems can simultaneously map more than 20 biomarkers in high resolution, providing a comprehensive view of the brain with a single scan. Researchers demonstrated the multiplexed MRI technology, or MRx, by characterizing brain tumors and multiple sclerosis lesions — revealing different structural, physiological and molecular changes within the diseases.

Journal: Nature

How river DNA can track fish, frogs, fungi and human feces — all at once

University of Florida
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A single water sample can reveal DNA from animals, plants, fungi and even human waste, offering a rapid snapshot of ecosystem health.

Journal: NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics

ERASur colorectal cancer trial reaches one-third patient accrual milestone

Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology
Business Announcement

The ERASur (Evaluation of Resection or Ablation for Limited Metastatic Colorectal Cancer) clinical trial has reached a major enrollment milestone, with more than one-third of its targeted patients now accrued, signaling strong momentum for this national study. ERASur (Alliance A022101) is investigating whether adding total ablative therapy—including ablative radiation, surgery, or thermal ablation of all metastatic sites—to standard chemotherapy can improve overall survival compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with newly diagnosed, limited metastatic colorectal cancer.

Funder: Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation

Genetic “bonus material” makes the gut bacterium Segatella copri oxygen-tolerant

Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The bacterium Segatella copri is one of the most common inhabitants of the human gut. In their latest study, researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have discovered that some strains of this bacterial species possess genetic bonus material that makes them more oxygen-tolerant. The presence of the molecular regulator OxyR is crucial for this. Using extensive data analyses, the HZI team discovered that strains of Segatella copri carrying OxyR are particularly prevalent in industrialized regions of the world. The researchers suspect that the presence of OxyR provides a selective advantage for the bacterium in these environments. Disruptions to the gut microbiome, such as those caused by antibiotics, can lead to temporary increases in oxygen levels in the gut. The scientists aim to determine the health effects of intestinal colonization by different strains of Segatella copri in further studies. The study was published in the journal “Cell Host and Microbe” today.

Journal: Cell Host & Microbe

Elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy may result in poorer birth outcomes

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Higher blood sugar levels may lead to negative outcomes for a baby, even when the mother is not diagnosed with gestational diabetes, according to a new study from Penn State researchers.

Journal: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Like a molecular scalpel: New CRISPR tool eliminates undesired cells with ease

Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Many applications—whether in medicine, biotechnology, or agriculture—require the ability to eliminate unwanted cells, since these can compromise health, reduce productivity, or interfere with desired biological processes. However, doing so without affecting other cells remains a significant challenge. A collaboration of the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, Akribion Therapeutics in Zwingenberg, as well as the University of Utah and Utah State University in the US, has now resulted in a CRISPR-based tool that can target specific cells based on a recognized transcript, opening up numerous potential uses. The findings were published today in the journal Nature.

Journal: Nature

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