Researchers have reported results from the first-ever clinical trial of a new class of targeted therapy in pet cats with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)—a cancer which is notoriously deadly and difficult to treat. Publishing in the Cell Press journal Cancer Cell on August 28, the study found that 35% of the cats who received treatment had their disease controlled with minimal side effects—and the drug will likely be effective for humans with HNSCC as well. 

A landmark clinical trial published in the Journal of Women’s Health reports that Transcendental Meditation (TM) significantly reduced diabetes risk factors and supported weight loss in older Black women at high risk for heart disease. The multi-center study—conducted at Morehouse School of Medicine and Howard University Hospital in collaboration with Maharishi International University—found that meditation improved blood sugar control, insulin resistance, cholesterol, and weight, pointing to a promising low-cost strategy amid the nation’s ongoing epidemics of obesity and diabetes.

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have successfully conducted experiments to treat damage caused by heart attacks in non-human primates using gene therapy for the first time.