Category Health/Medical

Fructose consumption has increased considerably over the past five decades, largely due to the widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in beverages and ultra-processed foods.

New research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that dietary fructose promotes tumor growth in animal models of melanoma, breast cancer and cervical cancer. However, fructose does not directly fuel tumors, according to the study published Dec. 4 in the journal Nature.

Instead, WashU scientists discovered that the liver converts fructose into usable nutrients for cancer cells, a compelling finding that could open up new avenues for care and treatment of many different types of cancer.

“The idea that you can tackle cancer with diet is intriguing,” said Gary Patti, the Michael a...

Chronic fatigue syndrome creates conditions where pathogen-killing immune T cells become exhausted, according to a new Cornell University study.

The study’s authors knew the immune system was dysregulated in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) but wondered which parts shift with the condition.

A systematic exploration revealed that key CD8+ T cells displayed one of the most pronounced signatures of dysregulation, with signs of constant stimulation that lead to an exhausted state, a condition that is well-studied in cancer.

“This is an important finding for ME/CFS because now we can examine the T cells more car...

Tad Carper had no idea the technology to detect more than 50 cancers with one test existed. He does now, and the Dallas Cowboys senior vice president of communication wants to help spread the word.

Carper recently underwent surgery for Stage 2 throat cancer. He exhibited no symptoms. The Galleri blood test, developed by GRAIL, allowed him to attack the cancer sooner than he would have been able to otherwise.

The story of Carper and others helps put a face on its impact and increases awareness of this relatively new technology.

“There is nothing that is more motivating and inspiring than hearing these stories,” said Dr. Josh Ofman, president of GRAIL, a California-based biotech company that specializes in early cancer detection.

Single-...

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) have identified a mechanism that may explain the neurological symptoms of long COVID.

The study shows that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein remains in the brain’s protective layers, the meninges, and the skull’s bone marrow for up to four years after infection. This persistent presence of the spike protein could trigger chronic inflammation in affected individuals and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

The team, led by Prof. Ali Ertürk, Director at the Institute for Intelligent Biotechnologies at Helmholtz Munich, also found that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines significantly reduce the accumulation of the spike protein in the brain...