EurekAlert! National Institutes of Health - NIH-funded News

Latest news releases from NIH-funded organizations

Funded Research News

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Apr-2025 02:08 ET (23-Apr-2025 06:08 GMT/UTC)

New study in Brain Communications finds personalized deep brain stimulation shows promise for drug-resistant epilepsy

Mayo Clinic
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study published in Brain Communications highlights a new approach to treating drug-resistant epilepsy. Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed an innovative deep brain stimulation (DBS) platform that was used to not only reduce seizures, but also improve memory and sleep — two common challenges for patients with epilepsy.

Journal: Brain Communications
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, CLARA project

Blocking this liver protein helps one organ but hurts the others

First Hospital of Jilin University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New research has revealed that removing a protein called gasdermin D can protect the liver from inflammation and scarring in alcohol-induced acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). But this comes at a cost: kidney and brain damage increase. The findings suggest that future treatments targeting gasdermin D may need to be organ-specific to avoid doing more harm than good.

Journal: eGastroenterology
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

Alternative approach to Lyme disease vaccine development shows promise in pre-clinical models

Tufts University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

After decades of trial and error, a promising new target for Lyme disease vaccine is emerging—the Lyme bacterial protein CspZ, which the bacteria use to evade detection from the body’s immune system. CspZ first emerged as a candidate while scientists were looking for proteins that might be evolutionarily conserved across different Lyme bacteria strains and so generate a broad protective response. A new study from a group of international researchers shows that the modified CspZ triggers an immune response targeting the CspZ protein’s exposed “Achilles heel.”

Journal: Nature Communications
Funder: NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs

An antiviral chewing gum to reduce influenza and herpes simplex virus transmission

University of Pennsylvania
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach to reduce viral transmission. Henry Daniell of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues have used a clinical-grade antiviral chewing gum to substantially reduce viral loads in experimental models.

Journal: Molecular Therapy
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

Study reveals worse patient outcomes in Black-serving hospitals

University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study – just published in Nursing Research – has uncovered concerning disparities in patient outcomes, specifically related to nursing care, within hospitals that predominantly serve Black communities. The research, which analyzed data from over 3,000 hospitals across the United States, reveals that these Black-serving hospitals (BSHs) exhibit significantly higher rates of specific adverse patient events.

Journal: Nursing Research
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

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