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

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 8-Oct-2025 05:11 ET (8-Oct-2025 09:11 GMT/UTC)

Research from the University of Kansas suppresses coronavirus by targeting Mac1

University of Kansas
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study published in mBio details the vulnerability of coronaviruses to inhibitors of a small protein domain called Mac1, or the “macrodomain,” found in all coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. The findings point toward potential antiviral therapies to combat future coronavirus pandemics and confirm the importance of Mac1 to the viability of the virus.

Prebiotics might be a factor in preventing or treating issues caused by low brain GABA

Hiroshima University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid functioning as the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter that can act on the brain to slow or stop the reception of certain signals to the brain, leading to a calmer and more relaxed state. Low GABA levels in the brain have been associated with neurological disorders and diseases like depression, Alzheimer's or epilepsy. Recently, there has been a push towards understanding more about the gut’s influence on mood, behavior and mental health, as well as what foods might fuel or hinder a healthy mind. Researchers set to work on determining whether brain GABA levels can be increased through dietary additions with the aim of modulating the gut bacteria present in an individual to bypass the blood-brain barrier, a barrier in which it is not proven yet GABA can pass through.

Journal: npj Science of Food
Funder: Japanese Society of Functional Fermented Foods and Enzyme Supplements, Danone Institute of Japan Foundation, Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Amano Enzyme Inc.

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

Radiological Society of North America
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers using cardiac MRI have found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with early signs of heart damage, according to a new study. The research indicates that fine particulate matter in the air may contribute to diffuse myocardial fibrosis, a form of scarring in the heart muscle that can precede heart failure.

Journal: Radiology

BU researcher awarded American Heart Association Transformational Project Award

Boston University School of Medicine
Grant and Award Announcement

Jingyan Han, PhD, assistant professor medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has received a three-year, $300,000 American Heart Association (AHA) Transformational Project Award. The award will enable her to use 3D printing to create and study artificial blood vessels to improve the understanding of vascular biology. This project will be done in collaboration with Yonghui Ding, PhD, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

BU researcher awarded American Heart Association, NIH grants to develop cures for aortic aneurysm

Boston University School of Medicine
Grant and Award Announcement

Francesca Seta, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, has received a one-year, $100,000 grant from the American Heart Association (AHA) and a two-year, $245,250 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The grants will fund the creation of experimental tools leading to the development of novel therapies for aortic aneurysm.

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

American College of Chest Physicians
Business Announcement

On World Bronchiectasis Day, the American College of Chest Physicians announces the launch of a new educational campaign called Bridging Specialties^®: Timely Diagnosis for NTM Disease and Bronchiectasis.

Majority of U.S. adults misinformed about cost of eating a plant-based diet

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Reports and Proceedings

More than 60% of U.S. adults incorrectly think that eating a plant-based diet is more expensive than eating a diet with meat and dairy, according to a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult survey. Baby Boomers were the most likely to believe this, with 67% saying plant-based eating is somewhat or much more expensive than the Standard American Diet.