Current injectable vaccines help prevent severe illness and death but do little to prevent infections, especially as highly contagious newer variants continue to spread. The advantage of the nasal vaccine is that it delivers a boost to immunity in the nose and upper respiratory tract, right where the virus enters the body, thereby potentially preventing infections altogether.

E-cigs were praised as a healthier alternative to cigarettes when they were first invented, but a study looking at dual nicotine use says otherwise.

30% – 50% of older adults have mild sleep apnea: a condition that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep. Some people may not have any signs or symptoms of impairment, resulting in increased risks when getting behind a steering wheel.

Antibiotics do not prevent UTIs or future infections. Research shows that they actually can do the opposite by clearing healthy bacteria from the body, making it easier for E.coli to infect the bladder in a poorly diversified gut microbiome.

Solid organ transplant recipients are at high risk for developing severe COVID-19. The immunosuppressive medications that prevent the body from rejecting the new organ can cause the patient to be high-risk for catching all types of infectious diseases.

In a phase 2 clinical trial, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago demonstrated that symptoms of depression can improve rapidly following a single, one-hour treatment with inhaled nitrous oxide.

Babies who suffer oxygen deficiencies during birth are at risk of brain damage that can lead to developmental delays, cerebral palsy and even death. To prevent this, most women in labor undergo continuous monitoring of the baby’s heart rate and receive supplemental oxygen if the heart rate is abnormal, with the thought that this common practice increases oxygen delivery to the baby. However, there is conflicting evidence about whether this long-recommended practice improves infant health.

As people age, a normal brain protein known as amyloid beta often starts to collect into harmful amyloid plaques in the brain. Such plaques can be the first step on the path to Alzheimer’s dementia. When they form around blood vessels in the brain, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, the plaques also raise the risk of strokes.

Cancer is most often detected using traditional tissue biopsy: the removal of tissue by needle, endoscope or open surgery. The tissue sample is then examined for the presence of cancer cells. Though the standard of care, this kind of biopsy comes with some limitations. Because the procedure is invasive, it can be risky, and recovery can be uncomfortable. Additionally, such a procedure may not be safe for some people and may not be practical for those needing a series of biopsies to monitor the progress of cancer treatment.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine are establishing an international collaboration that aims to help scientists prepare for the next pandemic and, perhaps, provide insight into the current one.

The spiral-shaped cochlea of the inner ear is responsible for detecting sound. Inner hair cells lining the cochlea transform the mechanical vibrations of sound waves into chemical signals. These chemicals—primarily one called glutamate—are then released from the hair cells and received by glutamate receptors on auditory nerve fibers. These fibers then send electrical impulses to the brain. There, the signals are interpreted as language, music or signs of danger, for example.

In recent years, cancer immunotherapy drugs have revolutionized the treatment of certain cancers, such as lymphoma, lung cancer and melanoma. This kind of treatment works by triggering the body’s immune system to attack tumors. Some people respond well to immunotherapy drugs, while others don’t respond at all. Cancer immunologists want to change that.

The current age of cancer care employs surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, in combination or alone, to eradicate tumors and offer the potential for remission. But the side effects of some of these therapies can introduce new complications requiring additional treatment. Oncologists and their patients work in tandem to fight the disease in ways that preserve life and protect health with as little risk as possible.

More than 1 million people in the United States have inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. This condition, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, causes miserable episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea and in severe cases, rectal bleeding, making life for those afflicted with the disease especially difficult.

Up to two decades before people develop the characteristic memory loss and confusion of Alzheimer’s disease, damaging clumps of protein start to build up in their brains. And there is growing consensus among neurologists that Alzheimer’s treatment needs to begin as early as possible, ideally before any cognitive symptoms arise. By the time people become forgetful, their brains are so severely damaged no therapy is likely to fully heal them.

Significant brain damage from Alzheimer’s disease can occur years before symptoms such as memory loss and cognitive decline appear. Scientists estimate that Alzheimer’s-related plaques can build up in the brain two decades before the onset of symptoms, so researchers have been looking for ways to detect the disease sooner. Currently, physicians use PET scans and lumbar punctures to help diagnose Alzheimer’s, but these tests are expensive and invasive.

In the United States, overall rates of new colorectal cancer cases and deaths from the disease have decreased steadily since 1980, largely owing to recommended colonoscopy screening starting at age 50. However, for reasons that remain unknown, new cases of, and deaths due to, both colon and rectal cancers have been increasing for younger adults ages 20 to 49.

Two new studies answer important questions about the process of giving birth. The findings may help pregnant women, working with their obstetricians, make choices that will benefit their health and that of their babies.