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Carle Illinois College of Medicine receives LCME accreditation
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the world’s first engineering-based medical school, has received full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The college, which launched in 2017 and graduated its first class in 2022, operated under provisional accreditation until the LCME’s full review could be completed. […]
Mutation increases enzyme in mouse brains linked to schizophrenia behaviors
Researchers found a key role for an enzyme regulating glycine in the brain while investigating a rare genetic mutation found in two patients with schizophrenia.
New study evaluates public policy preferences for limiting children’s access to energy drinks
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Energy drinks are becoming an increasingly important topic in public health, nutrition and food policy, with global sales more than doubling from 2018-2023 and product selection expanding by 20% since 2021. Just as sales of the drinks have surged, so has their caffeine content, elevating concerns about childhood energy drink consumption. A […]
What makes the bird flu virus so unusual?
The H5N1 virus attacks specific body systems in each species and behaves very differently in each depending on which body systems are involved, causing widespread death in some animals while barely affecting others, says University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign veterinary clinical medicine professor Dr. Jim Lowe. He spoke with News Bureau life sciences editor Diana Yates […]
How does alcohol consumption elevate risks of various cancers?
Zeynep Madak-Erdogan is associate director for education at the Cancer Center at Illinois and a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Madak-Erdogan’s research explores the impact of hormones and metabolism on breast cancer and individuals’ responses to treatment. She spoke with News Bureau research editor Sharita Forrest about […]
Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice
A new gene editing tool that helps cellular machinery skip parts of genes responsible for diseases has been applied to reduce formation of amyloid-beta plaque precursors in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.
How should we view the national decline in drug-overdose deaths?
Preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that drug-overdose deaths declined more than 16% between June 2023 and June 2024, the biggest drop in a decade marked by staggering increases. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign health and kinesiology professor Rachel Hoopsick, an epidemiologist who studies mental health challenges and substance use […]
How can the health care system more effectively support caregivers?
More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults provide unpaid care to another individual. Caregivers to loved ones with aging, disability or health concerns face challenges within the healthcare system and in their personal lives, but policy and culture changes can help, said Mina Raj, a professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Nanorobot hand made of DNA grabs viruses for diagnostics and blocks cell entry
A tiny, four-fingered “hand” folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report.
How are outbreaks of foodborne illness found and fixed?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Outbreaks of foodborne pathogens, such as the E. coli linked to fast-food hamburgers in several states, expose vulnerabilities in the food supply chain but also present opportunities to learn new prevention strategies, said Matt Stasiewicz, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Communication with doctor during first visit affects pain patients’ outcomes
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Chronic pain — defined as daily or significant pain that lasts more than three months — can be complicated to diagnose and treat. Because chronic pain conditions are clouded with uncertainties, patients often struggle with anxiety and depression, and they and their doctors often find these conditions challenging to discuss and manage, […]
Mouse model reveals liver involvement in muscular dystrophy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois researchers developed a mouse model of muscular dystrophy that reveals the liver’s involvement in the disease, which has rendered many treatments toxic to patients.