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

Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Jun-2025 04:10 ET (23-Jun-2025 08:10 GMT/UTC)

PolyU collaborates with international experts to study urban air pollution, revealing disparities in pollution exposure and advocating for targeted mitigation measures

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

To foster a sustainable public health environment, a research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has collaborated with experts from international universities, utilising big mobility data and advanced sensor technology to study urban air pollution. Their study has highlighted the significance of daily travel patterns, and race and ethnicity in assessing differences in residents’ exposure to air pollution, offering new insights for authorities worldwide when developing air pollution mitigation measures. The findings have been published in the international journal Nature Cities.

Journal: Nature Cities

Deans of the University of Nottingham visited Korea University's College of Medicine

Korea University College of Medicine
Business Announcement

Korea University's College of Medicine Dean, Sung Bom Pyun, and Deans of the University of Nottingham; successfully held a researcher meeting program for 2 days from November 11th to 12th.

A new era in genetic engineering

University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In a new paper in Nature Communications, researchers in the Center for Precision Engineering for Health (CPE4H) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering) describe minimal versatile genetic perturbation technology (mvGPT).

Capable of precisely editing genes, activating gene expression and repressing genes all at the same time, the technology opens new doors to treating genetic diseases and investigating the fundamental mechanisms of how our DNA functions.

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation, NIH/National Institutes of Health

Elderberry juice shows benefits for weight management, metabolic health

Washington State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management and enhancing metabolic health, according to a recent Washington State University-led study. A clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients found that drinking 12 ounces of elderberry juice daily for a week causes positive changes in the gut microbiome and improves glucose tolerance and fat oxidation.

Journal: Nutrients

Researchers shed light on how to predict which skin cancer patients are most likely to respond to immunotherapy

University of Bath
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international team of UK and US scientists has discovered that the activity of macrophages – a type of white blood cell that engulf pathogens and cancer cells – can be used to predict whether or not a melanoma patient will respond to immunotherapy. Their findings, published in a landmark paper in JCO Oncology Advances, will help clinicians select treatments that are most likely to be effective for their patients.

Journal: JCO Oncology Advances
Funder: American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Cancer Society

AI enhances breast cancer detection in Germany’s mammography screening program: Results from the world’s largest prospective AI study

University of Lübeck
Peer-Reviewed Publication

AI improves breast cancer detection rates by nearly 18% in Germany's Mammography Screening Program (MSP) without increasing false positives or unnecessary follow-ups, according to the world’s largest prospective AI study. Conducted by the University of Luebeck, the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, and the company Vara, the study evaluated over 460,000 women and highlights AI's potential to enhance screening accuracy while reducing radiologists’ workload. Results are published in Nature Medicine.

Journal: Nature Medicine
Funder: University of Luebeck, Vara.ai

Intermittent fasting is effective for weight loss and improves cardiovascular health in people with obesity problems

University of Granada
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A team of scientists led by the University of Granada (UGR), the Public University of Navarra (UPNA) and the CIBER conducted a pioneering study on the benefits of intermittent fasting, which has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine. Not eating anything from 5 p.m. until 9 a.m. the following day (early fasting) helps to a greater extent to improve blood sugar regulation and reduce abdominal subcutaneous fat, i.e. the fat just under the skin.

Journal: Nature Medicine