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

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 14-Aug-2025 22:11 ET (15-Aug-2025 02:11 GMT/UTC)

New insights into breast cancer ecosystem: The complex crosstalk between exosomes and metabolic reprogramming offers promising therapeutic prospects

Science China Press
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Breast cancer progression is driven by a complex ecosystem where cancer cells and their microenvironment communicate extensively. A recent Perspective article in Science Bulletin from a team led by Dr. Wenqian Wang (The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University), Professor Min Wu (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou Institute), and Associate Professor Chunyan Hua (Wenzhou Medical University) reveals the crucial crosstalk between exosomes—small messengers released by cells—and metabolic reprogramming in breast cancer. This interaction influences tumor growth, resistance to therapy, and cancer stem cell survival. The study proposes innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies targeting this “exosome-metabolism axis”, offering new hope for more effective patient management.

Journal: Science Bulletin

Innovative liquid biopsy test uses RNA to detect early-stage cancer

University of Chicago
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at the University of Chicago have developed a more sensitive liquid biopsy test that uses RNA instead of DNA for detecting cancer. Using blood samples from patients with colorectal cancer, the test was able to detect the earliest stages of the disease with 95% accuracy, vastly improving on current, commercially available, non-invasive testing methods.

Journal: Nature Biotechnology
Funder: Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, Hong Kong Research Grants Council, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Map of how body responds to extreme conditions could help to spot early signs of illness

University of Portsmouth
Peer-Reviewed Publication

How major organs work together to manage extreme physiological stresses such as lack of oxygen and sleep has been mapped for the first time by researchers from the University of Portsmouth and UCL in England.

Journal: The Journal of Physiology

China’s “double reduction”: Promising steps toward balanced and quality education, yet challenges remain

ECNU Review of Education

China’s “double reduction” policy, launched in 2021, seeks to ease student stress by limiting homework and curbing off-campus tutoring. Early results show reduced anxiety and greater parent satisfaction, yet challenges remain. Teacher workloads have increased, resource gaps persist in rural schools, and underground tutoring continues. Sustained progress will require systemic reforms and collaboration among schools, families, and policymakers to ensure balanced, high-quality education for all.

Journal: ECNU Review of Education

An international study led by CIC bioGUNE identifies key mechanisms of an enzyme involved in a rare metabolic disease

CIC bioGUNE
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international research team led by CIC bioGUNE has advanced understanding of classical homocystinuria, a rare genetic disorder that impairs the breakdown of homocysteine, causing systemic health issues. Published in The FEBS Journal, the study focuses on the R336C mutation in the CBS enzyme. Contrary to previous beliefs that this mutation denatures the enzyme, researchers found that the enzyme's structure remains mostly intact but exhibits abnormal flexibility. This impairs communication between its cofactor (vitamin B6 derivative) and catalytic site, reducing enzymatic function.

Key findings include:

The R336C mutation causes subtle structural shifts affecting the PLP cofactor’s function.

It disrupts enzyme activity not by structural collapse but by altering its internal dynamics.

The Bateman module, crucial for enzyme regulation, becomes overly mobile, hindering substrate access.

These insights explain poor patient response to vitamin B6 therapy and suggest new treatment strategies, such as drugs to restore cofactor interaction or modulate enzyme flexibility. The study emphasizes the value of international collaboration in rare disease research and the development of personalized medicine.

Journal: FEBS Journal

New study highlights how to improve mental health integration in South African primary healthcare

University of the Witwatersrand
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study underscores the urgent need to better integrate mental health services into South Africa’s primary healthcare (PHC) system. With 92% of people living with mental health conditions not receiving adequate treatment, the research—conducted in Sedibeng District and published in Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health—offers critical insights into how integrated care models can bridge this gap.This study highlights that integration alone is insufficient. Without strategic leadership, functional infrastructure, and proper resourcing, integrated mental health care cannot be sustained. As South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries pursue integrated models, the findings offer a blueprint for policy, investment, and reform—critical for delivering quality mental health care within communities.

Journal: Cambridge Prisms Global Mental Health

Pharmacogenomics expert advances precision medicine for bipolar disorder

Genomic Press
Reports and Proceedings

University of Cagliari researcher Dr. Mirko Manchia discusses his pioneering work uncovering genetic factors behind lithium response in bipolar disorder. His Genomic Press Interview reveals how personal experiences shaped a career dedicated to understanding why medications work differently across patients, offering hope for personalized psychiatric treatment approaches.

Journal: Genomic Psychiatry