The bacteria that live in your intestines are a mixed blessing. Scientists have known for decades that this so-called microbiota helps us digest our food and crowds out infectious germs. The bugs have also been implicated in allergies and obesity. Now, a new study adds one more potential malady to the list: rheumatoid arthritis. Diane Mathis, the Morton Grove-Rasmussen Professor of Immunohematology at HMS, commented on the study.
Though it’s been known for a while that the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, healthy oils such as olive oil, fish, red wine, and modest amounts of cheese, meat, dairy, can lower risk of heart disease, even among those at high risk, a study just released showed that the benefits of this diet are more numerous and more dramatic than previously realized. Meir Stampfer, HMS professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led the study.
Researchers have identified a functional biomarker that can predict whether BRAF-mutant melanomas respond to drugs targeting the gene. The finding could help guide treatment of patients with these cancers. Ryan B. Corcoran, HMS instructor in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, led the study.
Brain scans reveal that people with fibromyalgia are not as able to prepare for pain as healthy people, and they are less likely to respond to the promise of pain relief. Marco Loggia, HMS instructor in radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the study author.
Men with prostate cancer may face an increased risk for developing melanoma skin cancer down the road, new research suggests. Jiali Han, HMS associate professor of dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the author of the study.
Many medical issues are affected by stress, leading doctors to increasingly help their patients find peace. Aditi Nerurkar, HMS instructor in medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Juan Jaime de Zengotita, HMS instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and Russell Phillips, HMS professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and director of the HMS Center for Primary Care, are quoted.
Debating whether to seek a strep test for that sore throat? One day there could be an app for that: Researchers are developing a home scorecard that aims to prevent thousands of unnecessary trips to the doctor for this common complaint. Andrew Fine, HMS assistant professor of pediatrics, and Kenneth Mandl, HMS professor of pediatrics, both of Boston Children’s Hospital, led the study.
Middle-aged women who follow a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet may live a healthier, longer life, a new study suggests. Cecilia Samieri, a postdoctoral fellow who conducted the study while at HMS and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the lead researcher.
Researchers are piecing together the devilishly complex sets of genetic alterations underlying schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Jordan Smoller, HMS professor of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, led a recent study.
If you thought life evolved in bubbling hot springs, think again. Pieces of RNA have been made that can copy RNA strands longer than themselves, supporting the idea that the first life was based on self-replicating RNA, not DNA. What’s more, they work best in the cold, hinting that life began on ice. Jack Szostak, HMS professor of genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
