(World Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week: September 15–21) September 15–21 is World Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week. In honor of this week, this article explains what mitochondria are, their genetics, the diseases associated with them, and why awareness is important. What Are Mitochondria? If you recall your biology classes, you may remember the phrase: “mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell.” That is essentially their main function. Our bodies are made of tril

The Problem: A Heart That Can't Heal Itself Heart disease remains one of the world’s top killers, largely because the human heart has almost no natural ability to repair itself. When heart tissue is damaged, like after a heart attack, the lost cardiomyocytes (the muscle cells that make the heart beat) do not grow back. As a result, many patients face long-term heart failure, and even transplants are limited by donor shortages and rejection risks. Stem Cells Enter The Picture

Introduction CAR-T cell therapy stands as one of the most groundbreaking innovations in cancer treatment in recent years. By “reprogramming” a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells, this personalized therapy offers the prospect of cure for various hematologic malignancies—including lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Yet behind the miracle of CAR-T lies a significant economic burden. Due to its highly complex manufacturing and administration pr

Introduction Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of adult leukemia and one of the most aggressive blood cancers. It mainly affects older adults and is marked by the rapid buildup of abnormal white blood cells that crowd out healthy ones. Standard treatments like chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation can help some patients, but many—especially older individuals—either cannot tolerate these treatments or eventually relapse. In recent years, scientists have

Image from GoMo Health ( https://gomohealth.com/oncology/nfcr/clinical-trial-graphic-research/ ) Why Clinical Trials? When new treatments are being developed, there comes a point when they must be evaluated on humans. This ensures that new treatments are both safe and effective. In the United States, human testing occurs in multiple phases called clinical trials. Later phases of these trials are aimed at ensuring that new drugs have a positive effect on patients with the t

Most people hit the gym to build muscle or lose some weight, but research shows the brain may be one of the biggest winners when we move our bodies. Far beyond burning calories, exercise sparks neurochemical and structural changes that shape how we think, feel, and remember. Reviews of recent studies demonstrate that both single exercise sessions and long-term physical activity directly impact brain function and plasticity. What’s happening in your brain? When you exercise, t

Stem Cells vs. Progenitor Cells: What's Better? The field of regenerative medicine is rapidly progressing and emerging as a promising solution for regaining the normal functioning of organs and tissues. Regenerative medicine works by repairing and regrowing damaged cells, thereby enhancing the regular operation in its targeted area. Regenerative therapy involves the incorporation of specialized cells that can generate new tissues, and to understand this mechanism, it is cruci

When it comes to getting in shape, losing weight, building muscle, and staying in shape, “track your macros” is so 2022. Could there be another way, a better way toward optimal health in 2025? In this article we’ll discuss why it may be time to start trending a new health and wellness phrase: “Step up your peptides.” Peptides? Perhaps you have never heard of peptides. What are  they, and what do they have to do with health and getting into shape? When it comes to our bodies,

In today’s fast-moving world of medicine, it’s no surprise that laboratories are beginning to reshape the way we think about blood transfusions. One of the most exciting steps in this direction is the RESTORE study —a clinical trial that, for the first time, transfused red blood cells grown entirely in a lab into human volunteers. Unlike traditional transfusions, this experiment used cells generated from adult stem cells, creating a small but history-making “mini-transfusion.

Introduction What if treating cancer could be as simple as taking a pill — but not just any pill, a smart pill  that travels through your body, locates the tumor, and delivers medication exactly where it’s needed? This vision is becoming more realistic as researchers develop capsule-targeted drug delivery systems , designed to improve treatment outcomes while reducing side effects. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which circulates through the entire body and often causes unwa

What is myocardial infarction?   A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle (the myocardium) is suddenly blocked, most often by a blood clot. An MI can sometimes go unnoticed, but it may also lead to severe complications such as hemodynamic deterioration—an inadequate supply of oxygen to the body’s organs—or even death. The primary cause of myocardial infarction is coronary artery disease, though genetic factors

Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) is revolutionizing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, promising earlier detection, better patient stratification, and accelerated drug discovery. Here is a comprehensive overview of how AI is transforming Alzheimer’s care in 2025 Early Detection of Alzheimer's Early Diagnosis and Risk Prediction in Alzheimer's AI has enabled the identification of early risk factors by analyzing large-scale patient data—including

Introduction In medical research and healthcare decision-making, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have traditionally been regarded as the “gold standard.” However, RCTs often face limitations such as restricted sample populations, short follow-up periods, and high costs. These constraints limit the generalizability of their findings to real-world clinical settings. Real-World Evidence (RWE) has emerged in response to these challenges. RWE is scientific evidence generated f

From Clinical Trials to the Real World Data collection has always been an indispensable part of the drug development process. Traditionally, after a drug is approved for market release, structured data collection from real-world settings has primarily focused on pharmacovigilance for safety monitoring. However, in recent years, both the academic community and regulatory agencies have increasingly recognized that relying solely on clinical trial data is insufficient to compreh

Robotic Surgery and AI Recently the presence of artificial intelligence has become widespread, and one may wonder what robotic surgery actually entails. As with most AI it can be used as an adjunct for medical professionals. Although the surgical robots do contain some adaptive AI, all surgical robots currently only provide assistance to the surgeon performing the procedure. They do not perform anything independently. History of Robotic Surgery The idea of robotic surgery cam

Neural Implant Overview Neural implants, for the purposes of this article, are medical devices implanted in or near the brain, spinal...

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Image showing popular ketamine effects when used. Image courtesy of Embrace Autism (2023). Ketamine is a drug first used as a...

By Sherry Ainsworth, MSN, RN, ARNP   You just left your dentist’s office, and she told you that you have two small cavities and one...

In the United Kingdom, around 9,700 women are diagnosed with endometrial (womb) cancer annually, making it the most common gynaecological...