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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 15-Aug-2025 06:10 ET (15-Aug-2025 10:10 GMT/UTC)

Genome of Europe launched public awareness survey on genomics across five EU countries

Estonian Research Council
Business Announcement

The Genome of Europe (GoE) has launched a public awareness survey across five European countries (Estonia, France, Greece, Portugal, and Slovenia) to assess citizens' understanding and attitudes towards genetics and genomics-based personalized medicine. The survey is part of a wider scientific and societal effort to ensure that all Europeans can benefit from the promises of modern genomic medicine.

Funder: Co-funded by the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme

Alcohol alters gene function in the differentiating cells of the embryo

University of Helsinki
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Exposure to alcohol during the first weeks of embryonic development changes gene activity and cellular metabolism. In laboratory cultures, it was found that the first cells of the nervous system are the most sensitive to alcohol. This supports the current recommendation to abstain from alcohol already when planning a pregnancy.

Journal: Disease Models & Mechanisms

Researchers advocate for stronger blood clot prevention measures after leg artery procedures in high-risk patients

University of Surrey
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new statement from leading heart and blood vessel experts in Europe is providing clinical guidance for treatments to prevent blood clots in patients with a serious condition called chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI), after they have had procedures to restore blood flow in their lower limbs. The statement, and the systematic review it is based on, comes from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Aorta and Peripheral Vascular Diseases and Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy.

Journal: European Heart Journal

Natural compound from Traditional Chinese Medicine shows promise in preventing coronary artery spasms

Toho University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of researchers from Toho University has uncovered a potential new use for a naturally occurring compound, schisandrin A, found in the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Schisandra chinensis. The study, recently accepted for publication in the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, demonstrates that schisandrin A can effectively relax pig coronary arteries, potentially paving the way for new treatments to prevent heart attacks caused by vascular spasms.

Journal: Journal of Pharmacological Sciences

Smart mRNA drugs that listen to the body: A new era in precision medicine

The University of Osaka
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team from The University of Osaka and Institute of Science Tokyo has developed a groundbreaking class of mRNA medicines that can sense changes in the body and autonomously adjust their therapeutic effect. This innovation paves the way for precision treatments that are not only more effective, but also safer—by producing just the right amount of medicine based on real-time biological signals.

Journal: NPG Asia Materials
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (now Institute of Science Tokyo), Axcelead, Inc.

Remaking psychiatry with biological testing

University of Groningen
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international group of psychiatrists, patient associations, and pharmaceutical companies has unveiled plans to systematically include objective biological tests in the diagnosis of psychiatric conditions.

Journal: Molecular Psychiatry

Caution required when heading soccer balls

University of Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Heading a soccer ball alters the brain, new research spearheaded by the University of Sydney has found, despite having no immediate impact on cognition.

Journal: Sports Medicine - Open
Funder: Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics