NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Studies highlight the impact of diet on sleep quality, particularly the Mediterranean and DASH diets, and their associations with reduced prevalence of insomnia and improved metabolic parameters in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly collaborating with academic centers for early-stage drug discovery to mitigate rising R&D costs and risk exposure, as blockbuster drugs face generic competition and drug development becomes more complex.

Sammy Basso, a progeria patient and biologist, passed away at 28, known for his humor and advocacy. Despite his rare disease, he lived with optimism, contributing to progeria research and connecting with others through his unique perspective.

UT Health San Antonio's Dr. Marzieh Salehi refutes the calorie-in-calorie-out myth for obesity, emphasizing the complexity of gut-organ communication in metabolism. Her translational research aims to understand this communication better, particularly in populations like those with spinal cord injuries, through a clinical trial on semaglutide's effects, funded by NIH.

Experimental Marburg vaccines and therapeutics, including Gilead's remdesivir and Mapp's MBP-091, will soon arrive in Rwanda for clinical trials. Rwanda, facing its first Marburg outbreak with 41 cases, aims to start trials within days to protect healthcare workers. The Sabin Vaccine Institute is sending 700 doses of a single-dose vaccine, believed to be the furthest along in development.

Parkinson's disease patients often experience neuropsychiatric symptoms like cognitive issues, depression, and anxiety. A research team, including Binghamton University's Christopher R. Bishop, received a $3 million grant from the Department of Defense to study these symptoms. Their focus is on how serotonin-producing neurons, which can produce dopamine, contribute to these issues. The team aims to improve PD symptom management and has identified potential repurposed medications.

A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine on Aug. 1, 2024, developed a proteomic risk score to predict rapid lung function decline, identifying 32 proteins that predict respiratory disease and mortality. This score, derived from a 30-year cardiovascular health study, could lead to a preclinical blood test for early intervention in severe respiratory conditions like COPD.

The National Science Foundation awarded $6 million in research funding for seven projects advancing digital twin technologies in biomedical applications, focusing on virtual clinical trials, AI ethics, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetic glucose metabolism.

Binghamton University Psychology Professor Christopher R. Bishop leads a $3 million, four-year DOD-funded study on neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, involving researchers from Binghamton, Barrow Neurological Institute, and the University of Illinois. The study focuses on serotonin neurons producing dopamine, causing side effects, and aims to improve PD patient lives through new treatments and clinical trials.