Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a new strategy that glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of adult brain cancer, uses to fuel its own growth. The study shows in animal models that glioblastoma hijacks the activity of neighboring brain cells, flipping them from a role that limits tumor growth to one that promotes it. The findings point to new treatment possibilities for this deadly cancer, which has seen only minimal gains in patient survival over the past half century.

A new national study found that hospitalizations for serious heart infections associated with drug use are declining after years of increases, driven largely by a decrease in opioid-associated cases.

Published today in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the study analyzed national hospitalization data from 2016 through 2022 to identify trends in drug use-associated infective endocarditis. Researchers identified more than 118,000 hospitalizations nationwide during the seven-year period. Hospitalizations peaked at approximately 18,700 in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, before declining by 18% to about 15,300 in 2022.

Infective endocarditis is a potentially life-threatening infection that occurs when bacteria or other germs enter the bloodstream and infect the inner lining or valves of the heart. The infection, which can occur when people inject drugs, can cause permanent heart damage, require lengthy hospital stays or lead to death.

Stimulants outnumbered opioid cases in parts of the country

The researchers also pointed out another key finding: while opioid-associated hospitalizations are declining, stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine are accounting for a growing share of these serious infections, particularly in the Western part of the United States.

The researchers estimated a 59% probability of stimulant-involved infective endocarditis in the Pacific region, compared to 34% in New England.

Nationwide, in 2016, approximately 37% of drug use associated endocarditis hospitalizations involved stimulants, either alone or in combination with opioids. By 2022, that proportion had increased to nearly 47%.

“I believe the problem isn't simply that stimulants are becoming more prominent. It's that the healthcare system currently has fewer effective tools to treat stimulant use disorder than opioid use disorder,” said Christine.