Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and collaborating institutions reveal in Nature Cell Biology a strategy that helps medulloblastoma, the most prevalent malignant brain tumor in children, spread and grow on the leptomeninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. They discovered a novel line of communication between metastatic medulloblastoma and leptomeningeal fibroblasts that mediates recruitment and reprogramming of the latter to support tumor growth. The findings suggest that…

Researchers at Tulane University have identified a potential new way to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a deadly and currently incurable lung disease that affects more than 3 million people worldwide. IPF is rapidly progressive and causes scarring in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Approximately 50% of patients die within three years of diagnosis, and current treatments can only slow the disease — not stop or reverse it. In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Tulane scientists…

Data could inform federal, state and private employer policies regarding GLP-1 drugs and others A large majority of older Americans feel that health insurance – including Medicare – should cover anti-obesity medications, according to a new University of Michigan study. And more than half of older adults who meet criteria for obesity say they’re interested in trying one of these drugs to manage their weight. Current law prevents Medicare from covering medications to treat obesity, and most private plans don’t…

The human brain can learn through experience to filter out disturbing and distracting stimuli – such as a glaring roadside billboard or a flashing banner on the internet. Scientists at Leipzig University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have used electroencephalography (EEG) to show that early visual processing in humans changes with repeated exposure. Their joint study has just been published in The Journal of Neuroscience. Distractions are often easier to ignore after we have encountered them multiple times. This learned suppression…