EurekAlert! News by Subject: Medicine & Health - News by Subject: Medicine & Health

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Dec-2025 15:12 ET (31-Dec-2025 20:12 GMT/UTC)

New biomarker may signal uranium in drinking water accumulates in and damages kidneys

Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Study identifies that uranium’s isotopic composition can be used as a biomarker to noninvasively measure accumulation of uranium in the kidneys. Uranium from drinking water can accumulate in the kidneys—even at low levels of exposure—and this newly identified biomarker may serve as an early warning sign of kidney damage. The findings suggest a potential breakthrough in detecting and preventing chronic kidney disease caused by uranium toxicity. This discovery offers critical insights into a largely overlooked environmental health threat.

Journal: Environmental Science & Technology
Funder: NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Your microbiome, your medicine: Scientists gather in Valencia to redefine the future of health

Mitochondria-Microbiota Task Force
Meeting Announcement

Valencia, Spain | November 5–6, 2025 - Scientists and clinicians from around the globe will converge in Valencia this November with one mission in mind: to reimagine how medicine is practiced, through the lens of the trillions of microbes that live in and on our bodies.

Distinguished physician-scientist and nationally recognized pulmonologist Roberto Machado, MD, named Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

University of Maryland School of Medicine
Business Announcement

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, announced today that Roberto Machado, MD, Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, has been appointed the new Chair of the Department of Medicine, the largest department at UMSOM with more than 400 full-time faculty members and 12 divisions. He will also serve as the Physician-In-Chief at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

New research reveals how autistic teens’ brains respond in some social settings, helping them ‘pass’ as non-autistic

Drexel University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Some autistic teens often adopt behaviors to mask their diagnosis in social settings helping them be perceived — or “pass” — as non-autistic. For the first time, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute are able to observe brain functions that differ in those who “pass as non-autistic,” which could lead to a better understanding of the cognitive toll of this kind of masking, and of how these individuals could be more effectively supported.

Journal: Scientific Reports

Estimated out-of-pocket costs for patients with common cancers and private insurance

JAMA Network
Peer-Reviewed Publication

About The Study: In this study of individuals with private insurance, patients faced high out-of-pocket costs (OOPCs) after an incident diagnosis of cancer, with patients with more advanced cancer having the highest OOPCs. Further research is needed to determine the clinical and financial effects of increased OOPCs for patients with cancer.

Journal: JAMA Network Open

Converting environmental challenge into chemical resource: New catalyst for nitrite-to-ammonia conversion

Tsinghua University Press

Water pollution caused by nitrite (NO₂⁻) from agricultural runoff and industrial discharge presents significant challenges to ecosystem health and human wellbeing. Innovative water treatment technologies are essential for addressing this growing environmental concern. A new cobalt-iron layered double hydroxide decorated on 3D titanium dioxide arrays (TiO₂@CoFe-LDH/TP) shows promise as an effective electrocatalyst for nitrite reduction, offering a practical approach to converting harmful pollutants into valuable ammonia while minimizing unwanted byproducts during the electrochemical process.

Journal: Nano Research

Stem cell treatment shows potential for restoring fertility in women with ovarian failure

Impact Journals LLC
Peer-Reviewed Publication

BUFFALO, NY — July 21, 2025 — A new research paper was published in Aging (Aging-US) Volume 17, Issue 6, on June 27, 2025, titled “Enhancing oocyte activation in women with ovarian failure: clinical outcomes of the Stem Cell Regenera study using G-CSF mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells and intraovarian injection of stem cell factor-enriched platelet rich plasma in real-world-practice.”

Journal: Aging-US