BioMedWire Stocks Archives - Page 2 of 66

TuesdayMay 20, 2025 10:00 am

Researchers Discover Potential Missing Connection Between EBV and Multiple Sclerosis

For many years, the scientific community has known that the risk of Multiple Sclerosis is markedly higher among people that have been exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus, the virus which causes infectious mononucleosis (commonly called “mono”). However, it isn’t clear why only a tiny fraction of individuals exposed to “mono” go on to develop MS. Now new research has uncovered a likely explanation why the vast majority of individuals exposed to the mono virus don’t go on to develop multiple sclerosis. According to the study, those who escape MS despite having ever suffered a mono infection have a gene mutation…

FridayMay 16, 2025 10:00 am

New Multimodal AI System Boosts the Accuracy of Lung Cancer Screening

Early diagnosis of lung cancer is pivotal to effective treatment because this disease is very challenging to treat. Advances in AI are transforming the screening for this disease, improving both efficiency and accuracy. Existing screening methods such as low-dose CT have several challenges. These include high rates of false-positives and a high variability when reporting other incidental but critical information, such as findings on cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the shortage of radiologists around the world means that less than 10% of people who need low-dose CT scans can actually undergo them. New research published in the journal Nature Communications shows that…

ThursdayMay 15, 2025 10:00 am

Will Trump’s Executive Order on Drug Prices Yield the Desired Results

While President Trump signed an order aimed at reducing the high cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., it isn’t clear how exactly the price reduction will be achieved and how such reductions could impact the country in the long term. The President said patients in America pay a lot more for prescription drugs than the cost incurred for the same drugs in other countries. He added that he was going to order drug firms to slash their prices within the U.S. There has been a growing concern about the high cost of prescription drugs in America and data exists…

TuesdayMay 13, 2025 10:00 am

Study Links Higher Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods to Heightened Psoriasis Risk

A recently conducted study has found a strong link between the intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and a higher risk of developing psoriasis. The findings of this research appeared in the Nutrients journal. People suffering from psoriasis have lesions/patches that are itchy, scaly and inflamed. They commonly affect the nails, soles and palms, although the condition can manifest on any part of the body. The condition can also elevate the risk of a number of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, in addition to increasing the risk for Crohn’s disease and cardiovascular disease. While there currently isn’t a…

FridayMay 09, 2025 10:00 am

Study Reveals Early Development of Pediatric Brain Tumors in Specialized Nerve Cells

Medulloblastoma is a commonly occurring pediatric brain cancer in kids and adolescents. The cancer develops within the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for coordinating movement and other functions. These tumors enlarge quickly, can grow into nearby tissues, and in some cases, can metastasize. The variations in these tumors make it challenging to find appropriate treatments. Now a recent study in Germany has come up with findings which shed light on the exact location where these aggressive tumors normally first develop. The findings appeared in the Nature journal. The study’s first author Konstantin Okonechnikov explains that they genetically characterized…

ThursdayMay 08, 2025 10:00 am

Eye Exam Could Help in Detecting Parkinson’s Disease Early, Study Suggests

New research suggests that a simple examination of the retina could provide an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Universite Laval researchers conducted this study and their findings appeared in the Neurobiology of Disease journal. According to the researchers, the retinas of individuals having Parkinson’s don’t respond in the same way to light stimulus as those of individuals without the disease. Prof. Martin Levesque, the study leader, explains that currently, people are only diagnosed with Parkinson’s after consulting their doctor regarding tremors and other motor problems. By this time, Levesque adds, the disease has progressed to such an extent that central…

TuesdayMay 06, 2025 10:00 am

Study: Women with Lung Cancer Have Worse Outcomes Due to Genes Linked to Pregnancy

According to a study conducted recently at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center, lung cancer co-opts some genes usually involved in helping fetuses to grow. The lung cancer leverages these genes to evade the immune system of the patient. The researchers found that because of this, women in whom these genes were activated tended to have poorer outcomes. This analysis suggests that targeting those genes could have a beneficial effect of improving the clinical outcomes of females diagnosed with lung cancer. The researchers presented their findings at this year’s annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research. Jung Hun,…

FridayMay 02, 2025 10:00 am

Data Shows When Hospitals Exit MA Plans, Enrollees Also Leave

For a variety of reasons, hospitals can disagree with Medicare Advantage insurance providers and they part ways. When a hospital cancels or fails to renew its contract with a health insurer, the patients who had coverage with that insurer often have to choose between staying with that insurer and getting care from the shrinking network of providers or ditch the MA plan. Reports indicate that thousands of patients ditch MA plans once the health insurer and hospital fail to continue their relationship. To understand why MA plan holders end up switching insurers or reverting to the government-run Medicare, consider an…

ThursdayMay 01, 2025 10:00 am

Bacterial Meningitis Can Now Be Rapidly Diagnosed with New Test

A team of researchers based at the Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC) have come up with a new test that can diagnose bacterial meningitis rapidly and with a high degree of accuracy. The test is conducted on cerebrospinal fluid and levels of a protein called CRP are measured. This same protein is also currently relied upon when diagnosing many other bacterial infections. The UMC team found that high CRP levels in cerebrospinal fluid are a highly reliable pointer to the presence of bacterial meningitis. At the moment, treatment for bacterial meningitis is often delayed because a lot of time passes…

WednesdayApr 30, 2025 10:00 am

AI Can Predict the Recurrence of Brain Tumors in Kids, Study Finds

A team of researchers has leveraged a technique called temporal learning to train an AI system to predict the likelihood of brain cancer recurring in kids diagnosed with gliomas. This AI model uses the magnetic resonance images periodically captured after the kids have received treatment for the gliomas. The study’s findings, based on analyzing multiple images, indicate that the AI model can produce predictions that are 89% accurate when compared to predictions made on the basis of just one image that have an accuracy rate of 50%., no different from flipping a coin. This approach, which looks for subtle changes…