In a breakthrough that reimagines the way the gut and brain communication, researchers have uncovered what they call a “neurobiotic sense,” a newly identified system that lets the brain respond in real time to signals from microbes living in our gut.

About The Study: In this cohort and nested case-control study among CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults; a prospective study) participants, moderate to vigorous–intensity physical activity (MVPA) declined from early adulthood to midlife then plateaued, with notable demographic differences; cases experienced steep declines before cardiovascular disease (CVD), and gaps compared to controls persisted afterward. Black women had the lowest MVPA across adulthood and the highest risk of low MVPA post-CVD, underscoring the need to support lifelong physical activity and address group differences.

The study, published July 23 in Nature, offers a potential breakthrough in solving one of modern-day oncology’s most frustrating mysteries: why checkpoint inhibitors work for some patients but not others — and how we can extend their benefits to more people. 

About The Study: Remote, scalable cognitive behavioral therapy-based chronic pain treatments (delivered either via telehealth or self-completed modules online) resulted in modest improvements in pain and related functional/quality-of-life outcomes compared with usual care among individuals with high-impact chronic pain. These lower-resource cognitive behavioral therapy-based chronic pain treatments could improve availability of evidence-based nonpharmacologic pain treatments within health care systems.