A study led by scientists at Harvard Medical School reveals that a gene that has a protective influence against diabetes is powerfully shaped by the trillions of intestinal bacteria collectively known as the gut microbiota.
A compound of specific bioactive products from a major family of enzymes reduced the severity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a preclinical model, according to a new study led by Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers.
BOSTON - Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver, but investigators have discovered a protective response in the organ that might be targeted to help treat alcoholic liver disease. The team - led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania - also found that the same protective response may be involved in aversion to alcohol and could therefore help in the treatment of alcoholism.
“People are living longer with type 1 diabetes, and the onset of complications is taking longer,” says Hillary Keenan, Ph.D., a Joslin Diabetes Center Assistant Investigator and co-Principal Investigator on the Joslin 50-Year Medalist Study.
Cyril Camus ’91, Chairman of Camus Cognac, a family business leader and entrepreneur, will be inducted into the Babson Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame at Celebrating Achievements in Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® at Babson College's Knight Auditorium on September 15, 2017.
Harvard Medical School researchers have identified the mechanism behind red blood cell specialization. Their findings could spark the development of new treatments for blood disorders and cancers.
New research from Harvard Medical School casts doubt on the prevailing model of memory formation, suggesting that the brain may be far more flexible and less rigid in the way it incorporates, stores and recalls information.
Whitehead Institute Member David Sabatini will be this year’s recipient of the Dickson Prize in Medicine. The annual award is the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s highest honor and recognizes “an American biomedical researcher who has made significant, progressive contributions to medicine”.
• Study explains why CDK4/6 inhibitors can shrink tumor in some advanced breast cancers
• CDK4/6 inhibitors trigger the immune system to attack tumor cells
• CDK4/6 inhibitors can also enhance anti-cancer effect of immunotherapy agents
Packed with nutrients linked to better health, walnuts are also thought to discourage overeating by promoting feelings of fullness. Now, in a new brain imaging study, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have demonstrated that consuming walnuts activates an area in the brain associated with regulating hunger and cravings. The findings, published online in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, reveal for the first time the neurocognitive impact these nuts have on the brain.
Amherst College’s Folger Shakespeare Library has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support a collaborative research project, Before Farm to Table: Early Modern Foodways and Cultures.
Amanda Miller of the University of Indianapolis studies how the experience of cohabitation is changing in America. Her latest research and new co-authored book reveal how the process of moving in and living together today often differs greatly by social class, and for men and women.
Since 2009, hospital intensive care units have witnessed a stark increase in opioid-related admissions and deaths, according to new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's (BIDMC) Center for Healthcare Delivery Science. Published online today ahead of print in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, the study is believed to be the first to quantify the impact of opioid abuse on critical care resources in the United States.
Americans extol price shopping for health care as a prudent idea, yet few actually do it even when given the means to, according to the findings of two separate studies led by investigators at Harvard Medical School.
National experts in mathematics, law, politics, and voting rights are gathering at Tufts University this week to discuss nonpartisan solutions to gerrymandering and promote fair electoral districting practices across the country. The conference is the inaugural workshop of the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG), a nonpartisan organization of Boston-based researchers led by Moon Duchin, a mathematician and Tisch Senior Fellow at Tufts University.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is pleased to announce the opening of the new Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living, underscoring Dana-Farber’s commitment to providing cutting-edge patient therapies and support for the “whole person” during and after treatment. Increasing data has indicated that integrative therapies can help alleviate side effects of cancer therapy.
Novel molecular tests that detect certain genetic mutations in tuberculosis are as good in predicting response to treatment and risk of dying as old-fashioned drug-sensitivity tests done in lab cultures.
The results stem from a head-to-head comparison between standard culture-based drug-sensitivity tests and molecular tests that detect specific genetic mutations that make TB resistant to treatment.
The findings, based on analysis of 171 samples obtained from patients in Lima, Peru, should provide reassurance of molecular tests’ reliability as predictor of overall treatment outcome.
$900,000 to support new model of “artist-in-reference,” an “Arts + Action” student fellowship and an immersive faculty professional development experience
The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) announced four new additions to its board and the election of Councilor Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., as President-Elect.
What determines how kids decide to spend their cash on snacks? In a study with Boston-area children, researchers show that their experience with money and their liking of brands influenced decisions – and that for some children, higher prices for unhealthy snacks might motivate healthier choices.
A research team from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear has successfully prevented mice from developing angiogenesis of the retina—the sensory tissue at the back of the eye—using gene-editing techniques with CRISPR-Cas9.
A group of 22 Massachusetts high school students is at Tufts University School of Medicine for five weeks to take part in the Teachers and High School Students program, an annual summer program providing students interested in the health professions with academic and research experiences.
Nonprofit NET Research Foundation announces grants up to $1.2 million for neuroendocrine tumor research (to fund basic, translational, or clinical studies) to improve care for uncommon cancer type.
Harvard Medical School researchers have discovered a new regulatory mechanism for genomic imprinting, the process that silences one parent’s gene so that only the other parent’s gene is expressed in offspring.
At a glance:
·Newly published research reveals the presence of a blueprint for the complex visual system already present at birth.
·The observations shed light on a long-standing mystery about how and when certain cardinal features of the visual system develop.
·The findings have implications for human brain evolution and could provide explanation for some anomalies in visual activity seen in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
New findings from researchers at OpenNotes and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center shed light on what patients value about having access to their visit notes and being invited to participate more actively in the safety of their care.
Investigators from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed and tested an innovative, reliable means of analyzing pre-cancerous breast lesions diagnosing certain kidney diseases and using only a conventional light microscope. The technique – dubbed “expansion pathology or ExPath – enhances pathologists’ diagnostic ability and could mean earlier interventions for high-risk patients. The research team describes their joint effort in a paper published today in the journal Nature Biotechnology.
Babson College has been recognized by Money magazine as one of the top five U.S. schools for business majors in its new 2017 Best Colleges For Your Money ranking.
Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) who quit smoking will see their condition improve over a period of about 10 years, according to the results of a new study led by the Sinus Center at Mass. Eye and Ear.
First-of-its-kind study looks beyond Medicare readmission rates to determine causes of short-term readmissions of patients across the spectrum of age and insurance types. While Medicare patients account for more than half of all readmissions, readmission rates of non-Medicare patients were still significant and costly.
Psychiatric disease and substance abuse were the most common diagnoses leading to readmission among non-elderly patients, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Jennifer Vaccaro ’17 won second place in the undergraduate category at the grand finals of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Research Competition.
At a glance:
Medicare policies governing end-of-life care for cancer patients may fail to reflect the variety of experiences across different patient subgroups.
Researchers have developed a model that accounts for variations in the clinical course, outcomes and patterns of care among patients with the same cancer diagnosis.
Stratification of different subpopulations could lead to better tailored Medicare policies that take into account critical differences in end-of-life care.
Harvard Medical School study generates near-atomic resolution images of key steps in CRISPR-Cas3 function, revealing layers of error detection that prevent unintended genomic damage. Structural understanding informs efforts to improve CRISPR systems for gene editing and reduce off-target effects.
This research found that light makes migraine headaches more painful and induces negative emotions and unpleasant physical sensations. Laboratory studies identify previously unknown connections between nerve cells in the eye and neurons in the brain that regulate physiological, autonomic, endocrine and emotional responses. These findings offer promising path forward for researchers in treatment of migraines.
In a recent feasibility study, BIDMC tested an anti-epileptic drug for its potential impact on the brain activity of patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. The team documented changes in patients’ EEGs that suggest the drug could have a beneficial effect.
David A. Sullivan, M.S., Ph.D., FARVO, Senior Scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School is the recipient of the 2017 Dr. Donald R. Korb Award for Excellence, the highest honor given by the Contact Lens and Cornea Section of the American Optometric Association (AOA).
A new study shows that people with a protective Aβ mutation have less of the peptide in their blood all through their lives, likely explaining why they do not get Alzheimer's. It suggests ways to prevent the disease in the vast majority of people who don’t have the mutation.
The transition from an egg to a developing embryo is one of life’s most remarkable transformations. Now Whitehead Institute researchers have used fruit flies to decipher how one aspect—control of the translation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) into proteins—shifts as the egg becomes an the embryo. This type of switch could tell scientists more about how human cells work and embryos develop.