Blood Test That Screens for Many Cancer Types Yields Promising Results

Visualization of cells in the blood vesselsImage: Some tumors can shed free-floating DNA into the blood. Emerging technologies have the potential to detect these abnormal DNA signals, laying the groundwork for a blood test which could be used for cancer detection.

As next-generation genomic sequencing has become faster and more affordable, a significant aim in cancer research has been the development of so-called liquid biopsies. Those blood tests, some of which are now being evaluated in clinical trials, are used in people who already are known to have cancer. They aim to uncover specific driver mutations that can match tumors with a particular targeted therapy while also enabling patients to avoid more-invasive types of biopsies.

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Exploring Sex Disparity in Coronary Microvascular Function Among T2D Patients

3d rendering red blood cells in vein

Women who have type 2 diabetes (T2D) without cardiovascular disease have impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) compared to men. CFR—the ratio of stimulated to rest myocardial blood flow (MBF) assessed by cardiac PET—is a well-established indicator of coronary microvascular dysfunction and predictor of death.

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Neuropsychiatry Focuses on Bringing Two Fields Together

It’s not uncommon for people who have neurological disorders to experience behavioral and emotional symptoms. The field of neuropsychiatry is dedicated to addressing this issue and bringing a neurobiological understanding to the field of psychiatry.

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Using MRI to Decode the Brain’s Inner Workings


Thanks to imaging technologies like CT, MRI and PET, researchers who study the brain are able to peer inside its “black box” to learn how different parts of the brain interact and how those interactions change in response to disease or injury.

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Longitudinal Walk-in Urgent Care Psychiatric Clinic Offers a New Model of Care


Arranging psychiatric care can be a logistical challenge. Appointments usually need to be scheduled months in advance, and missed visits may result in removal from patient rolls. This situation is often a critical obstacle to care, especially because people who require psychiatric care are likely to struggle to deal with these sorts of challenges.

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Combination Gene Therapy Holds Promise for Treating Multiple Common Diseases

image of human heart and valves

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital are collaborating with colleagues at Harvard Medical School to examine the use of gene therapy for treating four age-related diseases: obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart failure and kidney failure.

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Taking Meaningful Steps to Improve Diabetes Care in Humanitarian Crises

Stethoscope on mini global ball.

Nearly 71 million people globally are projected to be displaced from their homes due to disasters, conflicts and disease outbreaks by the end of 2019. Citizens of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are disproportionately victimized in humanitarian crises like these, with an average displacement duration of 27 years.

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New Endocrine Clinic Optimizes Transition From Pediatric to Adult Care

Physicians walking across bridge between two buildings

Endocrinology patients tend to have chronic illnesses that require lifelong care. Furthermore, many endocrine conditions evolve, so appropriate treatment approaches can change over time as well.

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Predicting Health Outcomes in Older Patients with Hematologic Cancers

Gait speed and grip strength are objective measures of physical health that have been shown to predict important health outcomes in older adults such as functional decline, acute care use and death. According to a recent study, these measures are particularly important to assess in older patients with hematologic malignancies including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
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Preventing Delirium During Hospital Stays With Nonpharmacologic Interventions

Delirium, a sudden onset of confusion frequently seen in older patients, was once thought to be a temporary condition that patients “snapped out of” after being discharged from the hospital. However, it is now recognized that delirium may lead to longer-term cognitive impairment and poor health outcomes, including an increased risk of death, nursing home placement and memory problems.
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