A nationwide cohort study of more than half a million Korean births has found no statistically significant link between maternal diabetes and the overall risk of childhood cancer. Researchers tracking data from 2003 to 2021 identified an 81% higher relative risk of urinary tract cancer in offspring of mothers with diabetes, though they emphasized the … Read more
According to a study published in BMC Biology, researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Howard University have discovered that modern human immune responses bear genetic marks of ancient battles with infectious diseases, while also identifying rare variants linked to severe COVID-19. The findings bridge human evolution and infectious disease. … Read more
According to a laboratory study published in Scientific Reports by researchers including D. Mirra and colleagues, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) compromises human airway epithelial barriers and increases cellular vulnerability to polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-NPs). The research team investigated how sequential exposure to these environmental stressors reduces cell metabolic activity and alters structural proteins in human bronchial … Read more
Most U.S. adults remain uncertain about which vaccines are recommended during pregnancy, according to a July 2026 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. While awareness of seasonal flu shots is highest, fewer than one-third of Americans correctly identify the CDC’s recommendations for Tdap, RSV, or hepatitis B vaccines, … Read more
New research from University College London (UCL) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) indicates that effective respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) treatments for infants must target both the virus and the host’s immune response. Published in Nature Communications, the study utilized a novel lab-grown model of infant airways to demonstrate that the pediatric immune system triggers … Read more
Italy is experiencing a profound demographic shift toward extreme longevity, with the highest concentrations of centenarians and oldest-old populations appearing in the North and Center, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients. Researchers found that while regions like Liguria lead in aging profiles, southern hotspots such as Cilento maintain survival rates comparable to … Read more
Voice analysis can detect the onset of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations as early as the first day of symptoms, according to the TACTICAS (Telemonitoring for Asthma and COPD Through voICe AnalysiS) study published in ERJ Open Research. Researchers found that 13 specific acoustic speech features, including changes in pitch and vocal-fold … Read more
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that individuals who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 face an increased risk of developing new-onset obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for up to 4.5 years post-infection. Researchers analyzing electronic medical records from the Montefiore Health System for over 910,000 patients found that COVID-19 infection is independently associated with a … Read more
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health have identified that H5N1 bird flu infects dairy cattle primarily through specific N-linked sialic acid receptors found in mammary glands, rather than the respiratory tract. This discovery explains why the virus causes severe mastitis in cows instead of traditional respiratory symptoms, providing a new framework … Read more
A recent diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory resulted in 131 confirmed cases between January 2025 and April 2026, marking the region’s first significant local recurrence in two decades. According to a study published in Eurosurveillance, the outbreak was driven by the sequence type 381 strain, primarily affecting Aboriginal communities. While high childhood vaccination rates … Read more