Category: Disease Discoveries
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Premature Menopause Raises Long-Term Heart Risk by 40 Percent
Women who enter natural menopause before age 40 face about a 40 percent higher lifetime risk of developing coronary heart disease than women who experience menopause later, according to a large Northwestern Medicine study.
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Advancing Epilepsy Research Through Genetic Insights
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting nearly one percent of people worldwide. The Department of Pharmacology at Feinberg is leading research to understand the genetic causes of childhood-onset epilepsy, and to investigate what is happening perinatally to brain development in these cases.
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First Gene Regulation Clinical Trials for Epilepsy Show Promising Results
A first‑ever gene‑regulation therapy tested in early‑phase clinical trials co‑led by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has proven safe in children with Dravet syndrome who have exhausted conventional treatment options, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Circadian Rhythm Causes Metabolic Dysfunction in Fat Cells
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how disruptions in circadian rhythm impair metabolic function in fat cells, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms that cause obesity and metabolic disease, according to a recent study published in Nature Metabolism.
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As Superagers Age, They Make at Least Twice as Many New Neurons as Their Peers
New research shows that the brains of “SuperAgers” continue to generate new neurons in the hippocampus at levels far higher than typical older adults, and even much younger individuals.
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Study Reveals Why Some Immune Disorders Trigger Severe Food Allergies — and Others Don’t
A new study has shed light on why patients with certain rare immune disorders develop severe, food‑triggered allergic reactions while others with similar diagnoses do not.
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Targeting STING Pathway Triggers Cytotoxic and Immune Responses Against Meningioma
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a potent immunotherapy approach for treating meningiomas, the most common type of primary brain tumor, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.
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HPV Cancer Vaccine Slows Tumor Growth, Extends Survival in Preclinical Model
Northwestern scientists have discovered that systematically changing the orientation and placement of a single cancer-targeting peptide can lead to drug formulations that supercharge the immune system’s ability to attack tumors.
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Paralysis Treatment Heals Lab-Grown Human Spinal Cord Organoids
Using lab-grown human spinal cord organoids — miniature organs derived from stem cells — Northwestern scientists have modeled different types of spinal cord injuries and tested a promising new regenerative therapy.
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Long COVID Brain Fog Far More Common in US than India, Other Nations
Patients with long COVID-19 in the U.S. report far higher rates of brain fog, depression and cognitive symptoms than patients in countries such as India and Nigeria, according to a large international study led by Northwestern Medicine.
