Study raises Safety Concerns About Experimental Cancer Approach: Widespread Vascular Tumors, Massive Hemorrhage and Death Reported in Mice A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has raised safety concerns about an investigational approach to treating cancer.  Washington University in St. Louis …     Anti-Notch therapies are being evaluated […]

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NIH study in mice uncovers pathway critical for UV-induced melanoma Scientists have made an unanticipated discovery in mice that interferon-gamma, a type of protein primarily used by the immune system for intercellular communication, acts as a promoter for the deadly form of skin cancer known as melanoma. This finding resulted from a series of experiments […]

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Nursing home closures concentrated in poorest areas A nationwide study of nursing home closures finds that the country has lost 5 percent of its beds, and that closures are twice as likely in the poorest areas than in the richest areas. Researchers say this will mean less access to nursing home care for the people […]

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Patients who loathe appearance often get better, but it could take years A new study by Brown University psychiatrists finds evidence that given enough time, patients with body dysmorphic disorder frequently recover and rarely relapse. The surprisingly high rate may be related to patients in prior studies having had especially severe cases of the disease. […]

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Hospice care increasing for nursing home patients with dementia More nursing home patients with dementia are seeking hospice care and using it longer, according to a new study by gerontologist Susan Miller and colleagues. Their findings appear online in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. Susan Miller Nursing home residents with dementia […]

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Study suggests that quitting smoking improves mood Christopher Kahler and colleagues at Brown and USC tracked symptoms of depression in people who were trying to quit smoking. They found that people were never happier than when they were kicking the habit and remaining free from smoking. Results of the study were published online Nov. 24, […]

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Deadly virus reveals a potential weakness A new study of the JC polyomavirus, a devastating pathogen that attacks brain cells in patients with compromised immune systems, has revealed how it binds to its targets, providing a basis for developing drugs to interrupt that process. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — The JC polyomavirus doesn’t strike very […]

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$7.5M grant to fund research on interaction of drinking and HIV infection Individually, HIV and excessive alcohol consumption are international health crises, but when they intersect they can be uniquely troubling. Scientists at the Brown Alcohol Research Center on HIV, a new federally funded center, will explore physiological and behavioral questions raised by the combination, […]

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Childhood adversity may lead to unhealthy stress response in adult life A study has detected a correlation between childhood adversity and exaggerated inflammatory response to stress among seemingly healthy people. It may shed light on risk for depression, other illnesses later in life. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Seemingly healthy adults, if they were abused […]

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Study: Diet and alcohol alter epigenetics of breast cancer, could predict severity of disease Researchers from Brown University and the University of California have shown that the epigenetic profiles of breast tumors are related to patient diet and alcohol use as well as tumor size. PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Researchers from Brown University and […]

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