EurekAlert! National Institutes of Health

Latest news releases from NIH-funded organizations

Funded Research News

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2025 11:08 ET (1-May-2025 15:08 GMT/UTC)

6-Nov-2024

First-of-its-kind national trial exploring potential of antibiotics for lowering c-section rates in women with obesity

University of Oklahoma
Grant and Award Announcement

Pregnant women with obesity face an increased risk of complications, including the need for a cesarean section, which carries its own set of risks. A University of Oklahoma physician-researcher recently earned a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health grant to lead a multicenter national clinical trial studying whether antibiotics given at the beginning of labor induction result in a decrease in C-sections. The trial is thought to be the first large-scale study of its kind in the United States.

Funder: NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

5-Nov-2024

Testing thousands of RNA enzymes helps find first ‘twister ribozyme’ in mammals

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new method, developed by Penn State researchers, can test the activity of thousands of RNA enzymes, called ribozymes, in a single experiment.

Journal: Nucleic Acids Research
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences

5-Nov-2024

Ancient immune defense system plays an unexpected role in cancer, MSK researchers find

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Along with defending against pathogens, the body’s innate immune system helps to protect the stability of our genomes in unexpected ways — ways that have important implications for the development of cancer, researchers at MSK are discovering.

Journal: Genes & Development
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

5-Nov-2024

Microbes in mouth reflect lifestyle choices

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

According to a new study led by Penn State biologists, the composition of beneficial microorganisms within the mouth differs over a range of subsistence strategies—from nomadic hunter gatherers to farmers to industrialized groups. Additionally, lifestyle factors like smoking and diet can shape the oral microbiome.

Journal: Microbiome
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, New York University Abu Dhabi, Stanford University

5-Nov-2024

Scientists identify immune molecule that keeps metabolism in tune and on time

Trinity College Dublin
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Recent research reveals that the immune system interacts with the body’s internal clock, influencing both fat storage and temperature regulation. These insights carry substantial implications for individuals with irregular work, eating, or sleep patterns driven by the demands of modern life.The key finding – that an immune molecule within adipose (fat) tissue, known as interleukin-17A (IL-17A), plays a regulatory role in fat storage – holds significant therapeutic potential for addressing obesity, preventing wasting, and mitigating other metabolic disorders. By targeting this molecule, drug developers may gain a valuable new pathway for creating treatments aimed at these conditions.

Journal: Nature
Funder: European Research Council, Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland, NIH/National Institutes of Health, Irish Research Council