A multiprotein complex is essential for regulating cellular transcription response to oxygen deprivation, a key feature of cancer, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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More NewsDaily immunotherapy delivered via a dermal patch reduced risk of reactions, including anaphylaxis, in children with an immunoglobulin E (IgE)–mediated cow’s milk allergy, according to a recent clinical trial published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Northwestern postdoctoral scholar Rogan Grant has been selected as a 2024 Schmidt Science Fellow, a program that sponsors promising, emerging scientists with postdoctoral placement in internationally renowned labs and promoting an intersectional approach to addressing global challenges.
Postmenopausal women who took calcium and vitamin D supplements demonstrated reduced cancer mortality but increased cardiovascular mortality after a 20-year follow-up period, according to post-hoc analysis results published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
A multi-institutional team of investigators has discovered that targeting a specific protein interaction within immunosuppressive breast cancer cells may increase antitumor immune responses, according to findings published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Abby Citterman, ’24 MPO, a recent graduate of Northwestern’s Master of Prosthetics & Orthotics program, was awarded the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists Women in O&P Research Award at their 50th annual meeting in Chicago.
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More Media CoverageWhen in Life Are Folks Most Lonely?
A new review maps it out, finding that people are more lonely as young adults, grow less lonely as they approach middle age, and then fall back into loneliness in old age, researchers reported April 30 in the journal Psychological Science. “What was striking was how consistent the uptick in loneliness is in older adulthood,” said researcher Eileen Graham, PhD, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “There’s a wealth of evidence that loneliness is related to poorer health, so we wanted to better understand who is lonely and why people are becoming lonelier as they age out of midlife, so we can hopefully start finding ways to mitigate it,” Graham said. Social isolation can increase the risk of premature death to levels comparable to daily smoking, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. “Our study is unique because it harnessed the power of all these datasets to answer the same question — ‘How does loneliness change across the lifespan, and what factors contribute to becoming more or less lonely over time?’” Graham said. All of the studies were conducted prior to the pandemic, which has made loneliness even more pronounced, researchers said. Graham said the dip in loneliness during middle-age might be because people that age have many demands that require more social interaction — like being married, having kids and going to work.
Loneliness has been a big topic in health over the past year, with the U.S. surgeon general. Now, new research is breaking down when people are the most likely to feel lonely — and what other risk factors might also be at play. “Loneliness is a growing concern in the aging population,” study author Eileen Graham, PhD, associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, explained. But Graham’s work found that loneliness is more common in younger adults too. Here’s what’s behind this — and what other risk factors to be aware of. In older adulthood, it can be difficult to maintain social connections, especially if you move or “snowbird” someplace away from home. Graham points out that middle adulthood is “a uniquely complex and busy time” for many people. Gallagher agrees. “If you have kids, you have to be social because of them,” she says. “You inevitably end up talking to people and making playdates, where you socialize.”
Can a Sound Bath Wash Away Your Worries?
Therapeutic sound “baths” have been around for a few decades, but they have grown in popularity over the last five years. During a sound bath, participants are immersed in tones and vibrations from instruments like gongs, chimes, bells and singing bowls. Sound can affect both our physical and mental health, said Nina Kraus, a neurobiologist at Northwestern University and the author of “Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World.” “It’s underrecognized because it’s invisible.” Kraus added. For example, few people realize how much background noise — an air-conditioner or a leaf blower — can affect how we feel, she said. Kraus said a number of systems within the body play a role in how we process sound, affecting how we think, how we feel and how we move. Sound is also deeply linked to memory, she said, so it may affect you emotionally and psychologically.
Moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for the heart, but better research methods have thrown cold water on that. Guidelines vary a lot from country to country but the overall trend is toward drinking less. “There is a trend towards recommending less and less alcohol that comes with the emerging data that we’re seeing, that a low amount of alcohol can be harmful,” says Amanda Cheung, MD, assistant professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “The degree of alcohol that will cause problems, is still to be determined. We do know for sure that anything that is more than moderate can cause a lot of different diseases.”