NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

Metformin use in adults with type 2 diabetes linked to lower risk of long COVID or death, according to a large NIH-funded study published in 'Diabetes Care'. The study, part of the NIH RECOVER Initiative, analyzed health data from nearly 38 million Americans, finding a 13% to 21% lower incidence of long COVID or death among metformin users compared to those using other diabetes medications.

New project led by Karen J. Maschke, Michael K. Gusmano, and Jennifer B. McCormick explores ethical and policy challenges in gene therapy, funded by NIH's National Human Genome Research Institute. Focus includes safety, effectiveness, accessibility, and affordability of gene therapies.

Childhood trauma increases long-term health risks, with stress affecting men and women differently, according to a UCLA study published in 'Brain, Behavior and Immunity'.

Maria Alcaide, M.D., a leading physician researcher at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was inspired by observing HIV treatment during the epidemic and has dedicated her career to understanding and treating HIV. She now oversees the university's research enterprise as interim vice provost for research and scholarship, aiming to improve health outcomes for those with infectious diseases and foster research collaborations and mentorship.

A new DHODH inhibitor, HOSU-53, developed at The Ohio State University, will undergo a clinical trial for cancer treatment, targeting key cellular metabolic processes essential for cancer growth.

The National Institute on Aging awards $15.5 million to a team led by Cari Levy, MD, PhD, to increase nursing home residents' participation in clinical trials through the NEXT STEPs project. The initiative aims to build a research infrastructure, focusing on recruitment, methods, and training, to better understand and improve care for the elderly.

Dr. Gregg Gonsalves and Dr. Joshua Warren receive $3.5 million NIH grant to develop new methods for identifying and mitigating HIV outbreaks among drug users, focusing on temporal pattern-recognition, refined outbreak detection, and adaptive case-finding strategies. The project involves a multidisciplinary team and aims to integrate front-line responders' insights for practical interventions.

UC Davis and UCLA researchers developed four sarcoma models using mesenchymal stem cells, identifying potential therapeutic targets and possibly leading to new treatments. The models, created by manipulating oncogenes, offer insights into tumor development and metastasis, aiding in the search for more precise treatment options.

Adjuvant pembrolizumab nearly doubles cancer-free time in high-risk, muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients post-surgery compared to observation, according to a large clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study found pembrolizumab effective regardless of PD-L1 status, with patients remaining cancer-free for a median of 29.6 months versus 14.2 months with observation. The trial, led by the National Institutes of Health, suggests pembrolizumab as an alternative to cisplatin-based chemotherapy for these patients.

Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab nearly doubles cancer-free survival time in high-risk bladder cancer patients post-surgery, according to an NIH clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Both PD-L1-positive and PD-L1-negative patients benefited, suggesting PD-L1 status should not dictate treatment eligibility.