EurekAlert! National Institutes of Health

Latest news releases from NIH-funded organizations

Funded Research News

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 30-Apr-2025 02:08 ET (30-Apr-2025 06:08 GMT/UTC)

17-Mar-2025

Study: suppressing key protein may unlock immunotherapy for Glioblastoma

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Glioblastoma has remained one of the toughest cancers to treat, but new research suggests that suppressing a protein (ZNF638) triggers an antiviral immune response, making immune checkpoint inhibitors more effective. The discovery not only offers a potential new treatment strategy but also identifies ZNF638 as a biomarker that could help personalize immunotherapy.

Journal: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Funder: NIH/National Cancer Institute, Elsa Pardee Foundation, NIH NCI K12 Calabresi Award, UM American Can¬cer Society Intramural Funding, Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research, NREF, NIH/National Cancer Institute, NIH/National Cancer Institute, NIH/National Cancer Institute, Dwoskin Family Fund, Vivex Foundational Grant

17-Mar-2025

UC Irvine research reveals how childhood adversity shapes the brain and behavior

University of California - Irvine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Early-life adversity affects more than half of the world’s children and is a significant risk factor for cognitive and mental health problems later in life. In an extensive and up-to-the-minute review of research in this domain, scholars from the University of California, Irvine illuminate the profound impacts of these adverse childhood experiences on brain development and introduce new paths for understanding and tackling them.

Journal: Neuron
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health

17-Mar-2025

Scientists gain insight into RNA-editing protein that could lead to improved treatment for cancer, autoimmune diseases

Rice University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team led by Rice University’s Yang Gao has uncovered new insights into the molecular mechanisms of ADAR1, a protein that regulates ribonucleic acid (RNA) induced immune responses. Their findings, published in Molecular Cell March 17, could open new pathways for treating autoimmune diseases and enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

Journal: Molecular Cell
Funder: Welch Foundation, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, NIH/National Institutes of Health

17-Mar-2025

Early surgical intervention in children with sleep-disordered breathing reduces need for doctor visits, prescriptions

Brigham and Women's Hospital
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An estimated 6 to 17 percent of children have sleep-disordered breathing, ranging from snoring to sleep apnea, which can cause behavioral, neurocognitive, cardiovascular, and cardiometabolic issues. A new study from Mass General Brigham researchers reveals that adenotonsillectomy—the surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids—is an effective early intervention for these children.

Journal: JAMA Pediatrics
Funder: NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

17-Mar-2025

Artificial muscle flexes in multiple directions, offering a path to soft, wiggly robots

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

MIT engineers developed a method to grow artificial muscle tissue that twitches and flexes in multiple, coordinated directions. These tissues could be useful for building “biohybrid” robots powered by soft, artificially grown muscle fibers.

Journal: Biomaterials Science
Funder: U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. Army Research Office, U.S. National Science Foundation, NIH/National Institutes of Health