A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham uncovers how a novel immunotherapy prevents squamous cell carcinoma, with benefits lasting five years after treatment. This therapy is the first to activate specific components of the adaptive immune system, particularly CD4+ T helper cells, which are not known to be involved in traditional cancer treatments. This work highlights the potential for similar immunotherapies to prevent other cancers throughout the body. Results are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The standard medication levodopa does not always work against tremors in Parkinson's disease, especially in stressful situations. Propranolol, however, does work during stress, providing insight into the role of the stress system in tremors. MRI scans reveal that propranolol directly inhibits activity in the brain circuit that controls tremors. Doctors may consider this medication when levodopa is ineffective.

A drug recently approved to prevent migraine may start working right away, according to a study published in the December 23, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at the drug atogepant, which is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist taken by mouth.

In a new analysis of data from more than a dozen studies, coffee and tea consumption was linked with lower risks of developing head and neck cancers, including cancers of the mouth and throat.

Cancers of the head and neck are the seventh most common forms of cancer worldwide, and rates are rising in low- and middle-income countries. Many studies have assessed whether drinking coffee or tea is associated with head and neck cancer, with inconsistent results.

For roughly a century, ever since Alexander Fleming's accidental discovery of penicillin in 1928, fungi have proven to be a goldmine for medicines. They've provided treatments for a wide range of diseases, from infections and high cholesterol to organ rejection and even cancer.

However, the process by which fungi synthesize some of their most potent compounds remains opaque.

Researchers at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, a clinical stage biotech within the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences, have detailed the successful drug discovery of a phase I single ascending dose clinical trial of VU319, a drug for memory loss in people with Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

"This milestone highlights Vanderbilt’s ability to drive discovery from research to clinical impact," said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Cybele Raver.

Millions of people take metformin, a Type 2 diabetes medication that lowers blood sugar. The "wonder drug" has also been shown to slow cancer growth, improve COVID outcomes and reduce inflammation. But until now, scientists have been unable to determine how, exactly, the drug works.

A new Northwestern Medicine study has provided direct evidence in mice that the drug reversibly cuts the cell’s energy supply by interfering with mitochondria,