Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
Medical Xpress: Disabling A Gene Brake In Pancreatic Cells Unlocks Insulin-Producing Potential
Type 1 and 2 diabetes are ultimately caused by a shortage of beta (β) cells, which are present in the pancreas and produce insulin to control blood sugar. Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that they can tweak a gene and turn a patient's own pancreatic cells into insulin-producing cells. (Mondal, 9/6)
Medical Xpress: Gut-Derived Bacterial Molecule May Drive Severe Liver Disease
Researchers at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, together with international collaborators, have discovered that a small molecule made exclusively by gut bacteria can actively drive disease in the bile ducts and worsen primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a serious liver and bile duct disease. (9/4)
Medical Xpress: Nearly Half Of Depression Risk Factors Overlap With Physical Illnesses, Especially Gut Disease
Researchers have identified a strong genetic link between gut-related health conditions and depression in a study offering new insights into why physical illnesses often accompany the mental health condition. (9/8)
CIDRAP: Early Antivirals For Kids With Flu Tied To Dramatically Lower Risk Of Hospitalization
Giving children antiviral drugs within the first two days of the onset of flu symptoms reduces their likelihood of hospitalization by 81%, a study published last week in Pediatrics finds. (Holohan, 8/28)
Medical Xpress: Mpox Outbreak In 2022 Caused By Less Severe Form Of The Virus, Study Reveals
The strain of mpox behind the 2022 outbreak was a weakened form of the virus, which may have helped it spread faster, a new study from the University of Surrey reports. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, show that the virus acquired mutations before it spread globally. These mutations, which are absent from forms of the virus currently circulating in parts of Africa, cause less severe symptoms in patients, who may have unknowingly spread the virus across borders. (9/8)
Medical Xpress: Smart Jumpsuit Produces Growth Charts Of Infants' Motor Performance
Researchers at the University of Helsinki and HUS Helsinki University Hospital have built normative growth charts for infants' gross motor development using measurements made in the children's own homes. In the study, 92 typically developing infants ages 4–19 months wore the MAIJU smart jumpsuit during free play, producing 580 measurements and 1,227 hours of data covering activities from lying on the floor to walking fluently. (9/8)
