In a survey of almost 2,000 people who said they had had a past negative experience when taking psilocybin-containing “magic mushrooms,” Johns Hopkins researchers say that more than 10 percent believed their worst “bad trip” had put themselves or others in harm’s way, and a substantial majority called their most distressing episode one of the top 10 biggest challenges of their lives

When people with chronic health problems couldn't get around town to their doctors' appointments, a four-year Johns Hopkins program brought the appointments to them.

Johns Hopkins Medicine hosted its second annual awards program, the Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Awards for Physicians and Care Teams, honoring 42 physicians and care teams who embody the best in clinical excellence. The program was launched by the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians, and awards were open to providers who practice within Johns Hopkins Medicine, including Johns Hopkins Community Physicians locations.

A clump of just a few thousand brain cells, no bigger than a mustard seed, controls the daily ebb and flow of most bodily processes in mammals — sleep/wake cycles, most notably. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists report direct evidence in mice for how those cell clusters control sleep and relay light cues about night and day throughout the body.

In experiments on mice with a form of aggressive brain cancer, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown that localized chemotherapy delivered directly to the brain rather than given systemically may be the best way to keep the immune system intact and strong when immunotherapy is also part of the treatment.

By combining two treatment strategies, both aimed at boosting the immune system’s killer T cells, Johns Hopkins researchers report they lengthened the lives of mice with skin cancer more than by using either strategy on its own. And, they say, because the combination technique is easily tailored to different types of cancer, their findings — if confirmed in humans — have the potential to enhance treatment options for a wide variety of cancer patients.

Experimenting with human cells and mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have found that a genetic mutation that alters a protein called NOD1 may increase susceptibility to human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. CMV is a common pathogen that infects almost 60 percent of adults in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and can lead to devastating developmental defects in fetuses and severe disease in people with weakened immune systems.

Experimenting on mice with a genetic change similar to that found in people with a rare inherited disease called Kabuki syndrome,  Johns Hopkins scientists report that a very low-carbohydrate diet can “open up” DNA and improve mental function.

The holidays are a time for family, fun and happiness. They are usually spent with the ones we love reflecting on the past year and feeling grateful. However, even with all the joy, the holidays can cause quite a large amount of stress. Whether it be trying to forgive someone for a mishap, trying not to let your worries impact your sleep, dealing with the dark and gloomy days, or merely learning the joys of giving, our experts are here with tips on how to make this holiday season a little brighter.

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a computer simulation that helps predict under which circumstances a new short-course treatment regimen for drug-resistant tuberculosis could substantially reduce the global incidence and spread of the disease.

Gene variants associated with disease are typically considered faulty; problems arise when the proteins they make don’t adequately carry out their designated role. But a new biochemical study from Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that a common variant that increases type 2 diabetes risk makes a protein that is more efficient than its less risky counterpart. Using a screening method it developed, the research team now hopes to use that information to identify drugs that would slow the protein down and perhaps lower diabetes risk for millions.

Investigators at Johns Hopkins report they have new evidence that a bacterium known to cause chronic inflammatory gum infections also triggers the inflammatory “autoimmune” response characteristic of chronic, joint-destroying rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The new findings have important implications for prevention and treatment of RA, say the researchers.

Johns Hopkins scientists report success in using a cocktail of cell-signaling chemicals to further wind back the biological clock of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs), giving the cells the same flexibility researchers have prized in mice ESCs. 

Calling for an “unwavering focus on the primacy of patient welfare,” a pair of medical ethics scholars urges careful consideration of how the concept of high-value care (HVC) should be integrated in medical education.

Johns Hopkins researchers report that implementing a checklist-style set of procedures appears to cut almost in half the number of potentially unnecessary blood culture draws in critically ill children without endangering doctors’ ability to diagnose and treat life-threatening blood infections.

In a bid to improve mental health screening of Latino children from immigrant families, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have identified a culturally sensitive set of tools that are freely available to pediatricians, take less than 10 minutes to use, are in easy-to-read Spanish, and assess a wide range of emotional and behavioral problems.

In what is believed to be the first proof-of-concept study of its kind, Johns Hopkins researchers have determined that large bags of blood products, such as those transfused into patients every day, can maintain temperature and cellular integrity while transported by drones.

Results of a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers offer new evidence for a strong link between angiotensin receptor autoantibodies and increased risk of frailty. In a report on the work, published online in the journal Circulation on Nov. 30, the team says a large class of common blood pressure drugs that target the angiotensin receptor, called angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), may help patients depending on the levels of the autoantibodies.

North Chicago, Ill. and Baltimore, Md. December 5, 2016 – AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a global biopharmaceutical company, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine today announced that they signed a five-year collaboration agreement with the goal of advancing medical oncology research and discovery at both organizations.

Combination drug treatments have become successful at long-term control of HIV infection, but the goal of totally wiping out the virus and curing patients has so far been stymied by HIV’s ability to hide out in cells and become dormant for long periods of time. Now a new study on HIV’s close cousin, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), in macaques finds that a proposed curative strategy could backfire and make things worse if the virus is in fact lurking in the brain.

Working with human immune cells in the laboratory, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a critical cellular “off” switch for the inflammatory immune response that contributes to lung-constricting asthma attacks. The switch, they say, is composed of regulatory proteins that control an immune signaling pathway in cells.

In a small double-blind study, Johns Hopkins researchers report that a substantial majority of people suffering cancer-related anxiety or depression found considerable relief for up to six months from a single large dose of psilocybin — the active compound in hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms."

Two recently discovered genetic differences between brain cancer cells and normal tissue cells — an altered gene and a snippet of noncoding genetic material — could offer clues to tumor behavior and potential new targets for therapy, Johns Hopkins scientists report.

Flu cases are being reported in Maryland and across the country, and experts at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine expect to see numbers continue to rise. To prevent the flu, Johns Hopkins experts say everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated against the influenza virus every year.

Cancer experts from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center are now embedded in a newly expanded facility within Johns Hopkins Medicine-owned Sibley Memorial Hospital in northwest Washington, D.C.

Johns Hopkins investigators report that their analysis of a national database representing more than 1 billion emergency department visits shows that over a recent eight-year period, nothing much has changed in the rates of unsuccessful suicide attempts, or in the age, gender, seasonal timing or means used by those who tried to take their lives in the United States.

Since the discovery of the fossil dubbed Lucy 42 years ago this month, paleontologists have debated whether the 3 million-year-old human ancestor spent all of her time walking on the ground or instead combined walking with frequent tree climbing. Now, analysis of special CT scans by scientists from The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Texas at Austin suggests the female hominin spent enough time in the trees that evidence of this behavior is preserved in the internal structure of her bones. A description of the research study appears November 30 in the journal PLOS ONE.

An international group of researchers report success in mice of a method of using positron emission tomography (PET) scans to track, in real time, an antibody targeting a hormone receptor pathway specifically involved in prostate cancer. This androgen receptor pathway drives development and progression of the vast majority of prostate cancers. The technique shows promise, the investigators say, as a novel way to use such an antibody to detect and monitor prostate and other hormone-sensitive cancers, as well as to guide therapy in real time.

In a small study of young or recently retired NFL players, researchers at Johns Hopkins report finding evidence of brain injury and repair that is visible on imaging from the players compared to a control group of men without a history of concussion.

A common cause of hair loss and breakage known as acquired trichorrhexis nodosa, or TN —often more prevalent in African-Americans — can actually be remedied through appropriate use of cleansing products, hair care and styling practices, say researchers at Johns Hopkins.

To “turn off” particular regions of genes or protect them from damage, DNA strands can wrap around small proteins, called histones, keeping out all but the most specialized molecular machinery. Now, new research shows how an enzyme called KDM4B “reads” one and “erases” another so-called epigenetic mark on a single histone protein during the generation of sex cells in mice. The researchers say the finding may one day shed light on some cases of infertility and cancer.   

Four Johns Hopkins University researchers have been elected by their peers as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Pioneering heart surgeon Denton A. Cooley, a 1944 graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine who participated in the birth of cardiac surgery at Hopkins as a young intern and went on to become one of the greatest heart surgeons of the 20^th century, died today in Houston, Texas. He was 96.

Diabetes affects about one in 11 Americans, and 40 percent of adults who have the disease don’t know it. Diabetes occurs when your body does not properly process food as energy — it either doesn’t respond to the hormone insulin or doesn’t produce any at all. If left untreated, the disease can lead to major health problems. Our experts can provide insight on diabetes, how to care for it and where research is headed.

Johns Hopkins Medicine specialists report they have developed a urine test for the likely emergence of cervical cancer that is highly accurate compared to other tests based on genetic markers derived directly from cervical tissue.

Living cells respond to biochemical signals by moving toward those at higher concentration, a process carefully mapped out by biologists over the past several decades. But cells also move in response to mechanical forces, such as bumping up against other objects — although the details of that action have been poorly understood. Now, results of a new study, published Nov. 7 in the journal PNAS, reveal that cells use the same network of molecules to react to both chemical and mechanical signals, allowing them to combine potentially conflicting signals into a unified path.

The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine and Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) have extended their collaboration in translational research, which started in 2015, to include a joint postdoctoral fellowship training program.

A new five-year collaboration between The Johns Hopkins University and Bristol-Myers Squibb aims to answer why some patients respond to immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint blockers and some do not, and to develop more effective combination immunotherapies. Projects included in the collaboration will span laboratory research on patients’ tumor samples and several early-stage clinical trials led by Johns Hopkins scientists at the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins report they have laid the foundation to develop novel antibiotics that work against incurable, antibiotic-resistant bacteria like tuberculosis by targeting an enzyme essential to the production and integrity of bacterial cell walls.

Johns Hopkins University received a $10 million grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation to explore Lyme disease and develop potential new therapies to address the illness. Johns Hopkins is the only institution in the nation to receive multiple Lyme disease grants from the foundation.

An experimental drug that targets abnormally high levels of a protein linked to cancer growth appears to significantly reduce the proliferation of prostate cancer cells in laboratory cell cultures and animals, while also making these cells considerably more vulnerable to radiation, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins scientists.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in collaboration with the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and Colorado State University, has been awarded a five-year, $30 million grant for a field study on the impact of cleaner-burning cooking fuel on household air pollution and health in four countries. The funding comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Johns Hopkins Health System announces the launch of Nobilant, a new supply chain management organization with a progressive vision to resolve a critical issue faced by many health care providers: how to address rising costs while maintaining positive patient outcomes.  Nobilant’s approach includes cultivating clinical collaboration by elevating engagement with clinicians around the products and services they use to care for patients. 

Using specialized CT scans of a healthy heart and one with heart disease, a team of Johns Hopkins cardiologists and biomedical engineers say they’ve created computer models of the “shape” of blood flow through the heart’s upper left chamber that someday may help predict stroke risk.

Officials at Johns Hopkins Medicine’s teen health program announce the launch of a new website, Y2CONNECT, designed to connect Baltimore City youth with a wide range of clinical and community-based health and non-health programs and resources.

A headache can be just a migraine, or it can be something more. It could be caused by a number of different health concerns: allergies, stress or possibly worse — a stroke. Headaches are just one of the many symptoms that often lead doctors to misdiagnose a medical issue. Research shows that diagnostic errors affect roughly one in 20 adults in the U.S., or 12 million Americans a year. As many as one-third of these errors may result in serious permanent injuries, including disability or death.

A robotic arm and a virtual game were essential tools in a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine. The study results suggest that while training doesn’t change neurological repair in chronic stroke patients, it can indeed help such patients learn new motor skills and achieve more independence in their daily lives.

A free smart-phone app, developed by Johns Hopkins researchers to help screen for a rare but life-threatening liver disorder in babies, has been modified for users as part of a trial designed to learn whether information delivered by the app, now known as PoopMD+, ultimately leads to better diagnosis and treatment.

A newly published study of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) concludes that long-term supplemental oxygen treatment results in little or no change in time to death, time to first hospitalizations or significant quality of life improvements for those with moderately low blood oxygen levels.

The Johns Hopkins Hospital has launched a state-of-the-art, advanced hospital control center. The Judy Reitz Capacity Command Center, designed and built with GE Healthcare Partners (GE), combines the latest in systems engineering, predictive analytics and innovative problem-solving to better manage patient safety, experience, volume, and the movement of patients in and out of the hospital, enabling greater access to Johns Hopkins’ lifesaving services. The Capacity Command Center incorporates systems engineering principles, which are commonly seen in most complex industries, such as aerospace, aviation and power. But for health care, an industry that deals with critically ill patients, integrating these tools has been difficult.

Studying brain tissue from deceased donors, Johns Hopkins scientists have found common groups of genes disrupted among people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. The commonly affected genes sets, identified with RNA sequencing methods, engage in making proteins, controlling brain cell communications and mounting an immune system response, the researchers say

In a proof-of-concept study with mice, scientists at The Johns Hopkins University show that a novel coating they made with antibiotic-releasing nanofibers has the potential to better prevent at least some serious bacterial infections related to total joint replacement surgery.

More and more medical centers are relying on hospitalists — hospital-based internal medicine specialists who coordinate the complex care of inpatients. Now,  an 18-month study comparing two hospitalist groups — one with a high physician assistant (PA)-to-physician ratio (“expanded PA”) and one with a low PA-to-physician ratio (“conventional”) — has found no significant differences in key clinical outcomes achieved by both groups.

Investigators at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Brain Injury Outcomes program and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research have been awarded a seven-year, $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to form, along with Tufts University School of Medicine, one of three Trial Innovation Centers.

It is estimated that approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. With that statistic, knowledge is certainly power — from understanding prevention and screening to learning more about survivorship, our experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center can provide the information needed to understand all aspects of breasts cancer.

In efforts to develop new treatments for brain cancer, scientists from Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery and the Kimmel Cancer Center's Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy report they have altered the structure of an experimental drug that seems to enhance its ability to slip through the mostly impermeable blood-brain barrier. Results of their proof-of-concept experiments in monkeys, published Aug. 25 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, show a tenfold better delivery of the drug to the brain compared with the rest of animals’ bodies.  

In an effort to improve antibiotic use, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality a $16 million contract to identify which approaches are most helpful and to operationalize efforts to optimize antibiotic prescribing.

Paul B. Rothman, M.D., and Jeffrey P. Kahn, Ph.D., M.P.H., of Johns Hopkins have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).

Johns Hopkins Medicine, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, today announced a joint effort to apply rigorous data analysis and systems engineering practices in an effort to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

For the first time, all 10 Johns Hopkins Health System entities — spanning Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Virginia; and Florida — are coming together to host a Johns Hopkins-wide nursing job fair.

Pediatric critical care specialists at Johns Hopkins report that a test of their pilot program to reduce sedation and boost early mobility for children in an intensive care unit proves it is both safe and effective.

After analyzing 10 years of medical tests on more than 2,700 people in a federally funded heart disease study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and elsewhere conclude that taking calcium in the form of supplements may raise the risk of plaque buildup in arteries and heart damage, although a diet high in calcium-rich foods appears be protective.

Researchers led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists report they have developed a free web-based app that could take some of the guesswork out of decisions to order an additional and costly molecular test for assessing risk for recurrence in women with early stage breast cancer.

Drugs called PARP inhibitors, which sabotage cancer cells’ ability to repair damage to their DNA, have shown some promise in treating human breast cancers that contain BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Now, a new study in lab-grown cancer cells and mice suggests that their effectiveness could be strengthened and expanded to other forms of breast cancer and leukemia not linked to BRCA mutations by adding a so-called epigenetic drug.

A new study suggests that a specialized area of the mosquito brain mixes tastes with smells to create unique and preferred flavors. The findings advance the possibility of identifying a substance that makes “human flavor” repulsive to the malaria-bearing species of the mosquitoes, so instead of feasting on us, they keep the disease to themselves, potentially saving an estimated 450,000 lives a year worldwide.

Despite their different triggers, the same molecular chain of events appears to be responsible for brain cell death from strokes, injuries and even such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have pinpointed the protein at the end of that chain of events, one that delivers the fatal strike by carving up a cell’s DNA. The find, they say, potentially opens up a new avenue for the development of drugs to prevent, stop or weaken the process.

In a collaborative effort with scientists at six Colombian hospitals, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report what they believe to be the strongest biological evidence to date linking Zika virus infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

A new study by a team of Johns Hopkins researchers found that most survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) decline physically in the five years after hospital discharge, and those at higher levels of risk of decline are older and had greater medical problems prior to hospitalization for ARDS.

Johns Hopkins Medicine today announced that six of the region’s largest and most prominent health systems are investing in its Medicare managed care health plans, which offer comprehensive health care coverage to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries in 11 counties in Maryland.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins say they are one step closer to understanding the genetic mechanism of a rare, complex, multiple-gene disorder called Hirschsprung’s disease. The results of their latest study suggest that many patients develop the disease when multiple mutations in gene regulatory sequences of a specific gene combine to destroy the normal cooperative function of a whole network of genes. 

Researchers at Johns Hopkins report they have identified a protein that enables a toxic natural aggregate to spread from cell to cell in a mammal’s brain — and a way to block that protein’s action.

Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions, a part of Johns Hopkins Medicine, today announced the opening of its 55^th onsite employee health and wellness center for The Coastal Companies. A leading processor and distributor of produce and dairy in the Mid-Atlantic region employing more than 1,000 people, The Coastal Companies has chosen Johns Hopkins to operate the crew member clinic at the company’s 330,000 square foot food distribution center in Laurel, Maryland.

Johns Hopkins Community Physicians celebrates the opening of a new, state-of-the-art medical facility with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event.

Going to the gynecologist can be a little daunting. You’re not sure what questions you should be asking or if there are certain things that should be brought to your doctor’s attention. From understanding screening and prevention methods for gynecologic cancers to simply knowing what to look out for, our experts are here to ease the worry and help you understand your body even better.

In studies on rats, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that the predominance of the hormone testosterone in males may explain why women are up to 10 times more likely than men to injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in their knees.

Patients deserve valid and transparent measures of quality in health care, but a lack of standards and auditing for these measures can misinform consumers rather than guide their health care choices, say researchers from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.

Working with animals, a team of scientists reports it has delivered stem cells to the brain with unprecedented precision by threading a catheter through an artery and infusing the cells under real-time MRI guidance

Using the results from a computerized mathematical model, Johns Hopkins researchers investigated whether they could improve heart and lung transplantation procedures by transferring patients from low-volume to high-volume transplant centers.

Gregg L. Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., whose discoveries on how cells respond to low oxygen levels could result in treatments for illnesses ranging from cancer to diabetes, today was among three researchers given the 2016 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award.

Several large international groups of researchers report data that more than doubles the number of sites in the human genome tied to blood pressure regulation. One of the studies, by Johns Hopkins University scientists in collaboration with many other groups, turned up unexpected hints that biochemical signals controlling blood pressure may spring from within cells that line blood vessels themselves.

A chemical biologist and his colleagues at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine report that the antigrowth activity of the small molecule triptolide, tested in human cells and mice, is vastly improved by the chemical attachment of glucose to the triptolide molecule. The chemical add-on makes the molecule more soluble and essentially turns it into a “cruise missile” that preferentially seeks out cancer cells, the research says. The change might also decrease side effects in patients and make the drug easier to administer. 

Johns Hopkins researchers report evidence from mouse studies that a “repurposed” drug that would be expected to improve the immune system response of tuberculosis patients may be increasing resistance to the antibiotic drugs these patients must also take.

A group of Johns Hopkins physicians and researchers today published an article in the Journal of Hospital Medicine suggesting that data on mortality and hospital readmission used by the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) suggest a potentially problematic relationship.

By analyzing medical records gathered over three decades on more than 11,000 Americans participating in a federally funded study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have more evidence that driving diastolic blood pressure too low is associated with damage to heart tissue.

The Johns Hopkins Medicine Research Council has announced the 2016 Discovery Fund Synergy Awards and Innovation Awards. Established in 2014, these awards support new collaborative research projects and are meant to spark new synergistic interactions between investigators to generate scientific achievements of the highest quality and impact.

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies will co-lead a $15.4 million effort to develop new systems for quickly screening libraries of drugs for potential effectiveness against schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has announced. 

As the number of patients with Zika virus grows worldwide, Johns Hopkins Medicine announces the opening of the new Johns Hopkins Zika Center, dedicated to caring for pregnant women and newborn babies, but also men and women of all ages with the mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted virus.

Scientists report that a specialized drug screen test using lab-grown human cells has revealed two classes of compounds already in the pharmaceutical arsenal that may work against mosquito-borne Zika virus infections.

Johns Hopkins neuroscientists believe they have figured out how some mammals’ brains — in this case, rats — solve certain navigational problems. If there’s a “reward” at the end of the trip, like the chocolatey drink used in their study, specialized neurons in the hippocampus of the brain “replay” the route taken to get it, but backward. And the greater the reward, the more often the rats’ brains replay it. 

Cancer researchers have long observed the value of treating patients with combinations of anti-cancer drugs that work better than single drug treatments. Now, in a new study using laboratory-grown cells and mice, Johns Hopkins scientists report that a method they used to track metabolic pathways heavily favored by cancer cells provides scientific evidence for combining anti-cancer drugs, including one in a nanoparticle format developed at Johns Hopkins, that specifically target those pathways.

A study by Johns Hopkins researchers of more than 13,000 people has found that even after accounting for such risk factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, so-called morbid obesity appears to stand alone as a standout risk for heart failure, but not for other major types of heart disease.

With the Zika virus emerging as a public health concern worldwide, experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine are closely monitoring the spread of the mosquito-borne illness and offering useful information to help prevent transmission. To this end, a Zika virus website was created to provide up-to-date information, answers to common questions, and videos and additional resources in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

A so-called meta-analysis of reports on more than 4,000 patients suggests that almost one in three people discharged from hospital intensive care units (ICUs) has clinically important and persistent symptoms of depression, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine. In some patients, the symptoms can last for a year or more, and they are notably more likely in people with a history of psychological distress before an ICU stay, the investigators say.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and reduced in fats and saturated fats (the DASH diet), designed decades ago to reduce high blood pressure, also appears to significantly lower uric acid, the causative agent of gout. Further, the effect was so strong in some participants that it was nearly comparable to that achieved with drugs specifically prescribed to treat gout, a new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers shows.

A cache of exquisitely preserved bones, found in a coal mine in the state of Gujarat, India, appear to be the most primitive primate bones yet discovered, according to an analysis led by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University and Des Moines University. Their assessment of the bones, belonging to ancient, rat-sized, tree-dwelling primates, bolsters the controversial idea that primates native to what is now India played an important role in the very early evolution of primates, mammals that include humans, apes and monkeys. 

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a new disease gene that, when mutated, appears to increase the risk in a small number of people of developing emphysema and a lung-scarring condition known as pulmonary fibrosis.

For patients with the most common type of noninvasive breast cancer, routine testing for estrogen and progesterone receptors in tissue taken at the first “needle” biopsy is both unnecessary and wasteful, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins pathologists.

After fully sequencing the latent HIV “provirus” genomes from 19 people being treated for HIV, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report that even in patients who start treatment very early, the only widely available method to measure the reservoir of dormant HIV in patients is mostly counting defective viruses that won’t cause harm, rather than those that can spring back into action and keep infections going.

Our experts are available to comment on the science behind the Olympic games — from infectious diseases like Zika, to sports injuries, to the neuroscience of choking under pressure — we’ve got you covered! #TeamUSA

Eliminating racial disparities in the outcomes of programs to control blood pressure can be accomplished with a few one-on-one coaching sessions delivered by health professionals —but not if the program requires people to get to a clinic, according to results of a new Johns Hopkins Medicine study.

With the lazy days of summer ending, the new school year is right around the corner. A new year brings some new challenges, whether it be dealing with anxiety, sporting injuries or how to keep lunch interesting yet nutritious. Our experts are here to make the transition from summer to classroom a little easier.

Out of nearly 5,000 hospitals reviewed, The Johns Hopkins Hospital ranked #1 in Maryland and #4 in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report annual Best Hospitals list. 

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have developed a system that uses transformed human stem cells to speed up screening of existing drugs that might work against rare brain and other cancers.

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named two Johns Hopkins trainees winners of the Damon Runyon-Sohn Pediatric Fellowship Award and another the Damon Runyon Fellowship Award. The recipients will receive a four-year award for a total of $248,000. 

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have identified a biochemical pathway linking oxidative stress and the amino acid cysteine in Huntington’s disease. The findings, described in last week’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide a mechanism through which oxidative stress specifically damages nerve cells in Huntington’s disease, an inherited and fatal neurodegenerative disorder.

The Maryland-based health care informatics company CTIS and its founders, Raj and Bharti Shah, have collaborated with the Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Global Health Education and Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College to equip and dispatch a custom-designed mobile health care services van in the state of Maharashtra in India. 

In research using patient medical records, investigators from Johns Hopkins and Sheppard Pratt Health System report that people with serious mental disorders who were hospitalized for mania were more likely to be on antibiotics to treat active infections than a group of people without a mental disorder.

Artifact Health Inc., a leading innovator in physician-centric clinical documentation improvement (CDI) solutions, today announced a collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine to bring to market a cloud-based mobile application for physicians that leverages the expertise of CDI specialists and medical coders to capture a more complete picture of a patient’s health.

A recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins concludes that a substantial number of people with a history of the most frequent kind of nonmelanoma skin cancers still get sunburned at the same rate as those without previous history, probably because they are not using sun-protective methods the right way or  in the right amounts.

We have all had those mornings and nights: the ones where you wake up feeling groggy and completely unrested, or where you toss and turn relentlessly. Have you ever wondered if there were things you could do to limit these feelings? Our experts have some tips and guidelines on getting your most restful sleep and waking up rejuvenated.

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and University of Melbourne report they have used a genetic test that spots bits of cancer-related DNA circulating in the blood to accurately predict the likelihood of the disease’s return in some — but not all — of a small group of patients with early-stage colon cancer.

In a look-back study of medical records, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine concluded that a major operation to fuse the spines of children with a rare form of severe, early-onset scoliosis can be eliminated in many cases. 

Richard Huganir, Ph.D., has been appointed the next president of the Society for Neuroscience, a 38,000-member professional society for researchers who focus on the brain and nervous system. His term will run from 2017 to 2018.

Using a novel, newly developed mouse model that mimics the development of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have been able to determine that a one-two punch of major biological “insults” must occur in the brain to cause the dementia that is the hallmark of the disease. A description of their experiments is published online in the journal Nature Communications.

When an immune T cell divides into two daughter cells, the activity of an enzyme called mTORC1, which controls protein production, splits unevenly between the progeny, producing two cells with different properties. Such “asymmetric division,” uncovered by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers using lab-grown cells and specially bred mice, could offer new ways to enhance cancer immunotherapy and may have other implications for studying how stem cells differentiate.

Pablo Celnik, M.D. has been appointed director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins. He had served in the position in an interim capacity for the past 18 months. Celnik will also serve as physiatrist-in-chief for The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Lawrence Cardinal Shehan Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

In what is believed to be the largest study of its kind, scientists at the Johns Hopkins University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory led a study that examined the proteomes of 169 ovarian cancer patients to identify critical proteins expressed by their tumors

Johns Hopkins researchers report they have figured out a root cause of the lung damage that occurs in up to 10 percent of premature infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis, a disorder that damages and kills the lining of the intestine.

In a small study to determine the best way to assess the operating skills of would-be orthopaedic surgeons, Johns Hopkins researchers found that tracking the trainees’ performance on cadavers using step-by-step checklists and measures of general surgical skills works well but should be coupled with an equally rigorous system for tracking errors.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have gleaned two important new clues in the fight against Parkinson’s disease: that blocking an enzyme called c-Abl prevents the disease in specially bred mice, and that a chemical tag on a second protein may signal the disorder’s presence and progression.

In a sample study, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have found an association between the makeup of an individual’s microbiome and head and neck cancer, a finding that potentially advances the quest for faster and more accurate cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that an old drug once mostly used to treat amebiasis — a disease caused by a parasite — and induce vomiting in cases of poisoning appears to also halt replication of cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpesvirus that can cause serious disease in immunocompromised individuals, including those with HIV or organ transplant recipients.

Using so-called next-generation genome sequencing, researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified 84 potential inherited gene mutations that may contribute to the most severe forms of bipolar disorder. About 5.6 million Americans are estimated to have bipolar disorder.

What will it take to move cancer research forward? That’s the focus of a summit convened by Vice President Joe Biden at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on June 29. The gathering will include patients, cancer clinicians, scientists, industry leaders and others to discuss topics including how to accelerate the pace of cancer research discoveries and data sharing, improve access to care, remove regulatory barriers, and foster collaboration among scientists and industry partners. 

Case reports on 13 cancer patients suggest that a small number of cancer patients taking the immunotherapy drugs ipilimumab and nivolumab may be at some higher-than-normal risk of developing autoimmune joint and tissue diseases, including inflammatory arthritis, according to a preliminary study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers. 

Today, The Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, The Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, and The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai announced the establishment of a research consortium focused on accelerating the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics and diagnostics for the benefit of patients.

In a proof-of-principle study, a team of physicians and bioinformatics experts at Johns Hopkins reports they were able to diagnose or rule out suspected brain infections using so called next-generation genetic sequencing of brain tissue samples.

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that rising blood levels of a protein called hematoma derived growth factor (HDGF) are linked to the increasing severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a form of damaging high blood pressure in the lungs.

In a small study looking at pain assessments in adults with sickle cell disease, researchers at Johns Hopkins says overall, those treated long-term with opioids often fared worse in measures of pain, fatigue and curtailed daily activities than those not on long-term opioids.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins report that a type of lab-grown human nerve cells can partner with heart muscle cells to stimulate contractions. Because the heart-thumping nerve cells were derived from induced pluripotent stem cells that in turn were made from human skin cells, the researchers believe the cells — known as sympathetic nerve cells — will be an aid in studying disorders that affect the nervous system — that is, scientists will be able to grow nerve cells in the lab that replicate particular patients’ diseases. 

Sugar in the form of blood glucose provides essential energy for cells. When its usual dietary source — carbohydrates — is scarce, the liver can produce it with the aid of fat. But new research from Johns Hopkins now adds to evidence that other tissues can step in to make glucose when the liver’s ability is impaired, and that the breakdown of fats in the liver is essential to protect it from a lethal onslaught of fat. The new research findings, from studies in mice, are likely to help researchers better understand a growing class of often-deadly metabolic diseases, which affect how the body processes nutrients, the investigators say.

A Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine study of insurance coverage of more than 28,000 people with HIV concludes that a decades-old program that offers free medical care remains a critical necessity despite the availability of coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

In the wake of a tragic event like the massacre that occurred in Orlando last weekend, parents are often faced with a challenge: What, how and how much should they tell their children?

Children have nearly impeccable radars for parental anxiety, a condition that can have a trickle-down effect. In the aftermath of a stressful event — whether it’s a natural disaster, a shooting or public unrest — children can feel confused, frightened and upset. 

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have developed an experimental laboratory test that accurately clocks the “speed” of human brain tumor cell movement along a small glass “track.” The assay, so far tested on the cells of 14 glioblastoma patients, has the potential, they say, to predict how quickly and aggressively a given cancer might lethally spread.

In an effort to identify a simple, reliable way to track the course of nasal polyps in chronic sinus disease, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they’ve linked rising levels of immune system white blood cells, called eosinophils, with regrowth of polyps removed by surgery.

A team of Johns Hopkins clinicians and researchers today published a study linking the length of time it takes a physician to complete a patient’s discharge report with the risk of that patient’s readmission to the hospital.

It’s that time of year again where the living is a little more carefree and many are taking advantage of the warmer weather. But with more outdoor activities, there tend to be more dangers. Whether it be the sun or pesky insect bites, our experts have some tips on how to stay safe outside and keep the fun all summer long.

Johns Hopkins scientists who indirectly investigated the blood sugar effects of 10 (out of 32 selected) commercial weight loss programs say a few show promise of benefit for diabetic patients, but far more rigorous research is needed before doctors can wholeheartedly recommend them.

A Johns Hopkins study on data from more than 7,000 older Americans has found that those who show signs of probable dementia but are not yet formally diagnosed are nearly twice as likely as those with such a diagnosis to engage in potentially unsafe activities, such as driving, cooking, and managing finances and medications.

Johns Hopkins researchers report they have inadvertently found a way to make human muscle cells bearing genetic mutations from people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

This year, the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission awarded 21 of its 26 grants to Johns Hopkins researchers. The grants will support projects contributing to cures for a wide range of debilitating diseases and conditions, including heart failure, stroke, multiple sclerosis, vascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders and cancer. In all, this year’s grants to researchers in Maryland will total more than $8 million.

Theodore DeWeese, M.D., assumes additional responsibilities as vice president of interdisciplinary patient care for Johns Hopkins Medicine. In this capacity, he will work with other directors to develop new service lines across the enterprise. In concert with faculty members, physicians, nurses, and clinical and administrative staff members, Dr. DeWeese will help lead ongoing pursuits to improve care for the patients and families Johns Hopkins serves.

In a new study using mice and lab-grown human cells, a scientific team led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers show how a triple-drug cocktail can shrink triple-negative breast cancers by killing off cancer cells and halting new tumor growth.

Johns Hopkins HealthCare Solutions today announced that it has signed an agreement with GE Aviation, a leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components worldwide, to supply work-site employee health and wellness services to the company’s 2,700 employees at its manufacturing facility in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Studying fruit flies, whose sleep is remarkably similar to that in people, Johns Hopkins researchers say they’ve identified brain cells that are responsible for why delaying bedtime creates chronic sleepiness.

Deborah Baker, D.N.P., C.R.N.P., has been appointed to the newly created position of senior vice president for nursing for the Johns Hopkins Health System. She will also serve concurrently as the vice president of nursing and patient care services for The Johns Hopkins Hospital, an interim role she has held since September 2015.

Many breast cancers are marked by a lack of HOXA5 protein, a gene product known to control cell differentiation and death, and lower levels of the protein correspond to poorer outcomes for patients. Now, results of a new study by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists suggests a powerful role for the protein in normal breast cells, acting as a tumor suppressor that halts abnormal cell growth.

A laboratory blood test developed at Johns Hopkins for the diagnosis of a rare genetic red blood cell disorder also shows promise in identifying HELLP syndrome, a life-threatening high blood pressure condition affecting 1 percent of all pregnant women.

On May 21, 2016, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is sponsoring a free education event for breast cancer survivors.

In a little more than a year, 1,000 people infected with the hepatitis C virus have been cured with help from the Johns Hopkins Infectious Disease Center for Viral Hepatitis. Doctors, nurses and other staff members from the clinic will celebrate this historic milestone with many of their cured patients on Thursday, May 19, at the William H. Welch Medical Library on the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine campus.

Alan R. Cohen, M.D., has been named the new chief of Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery and holder of the Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D., and Dr. Evelyn Spiro, R.N., Professorship in Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Johns Hopkins Hospital is making history today with the announcement of its new president, Redonda Miller, M.D., M.B.A., the first female in this role since the hospital was founded in 1889. She will assume the role on July 1.

Common measures used by government agencies and public rankings to rate the safety of hospitals do not accurately capture the quality of care provided, new research from the Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality suggests.

Latino Youth: A Glimpse into Baltimore’s Future is the theme for the Latino Health Conference 2016, sponsored by Johns Hopkins Centro SOL and the Urban Health Institute.

Carol Greider has been elected to join the American Philosophical Society, an honor that recognizes academics for extraordinary intellectual accomplishments in their fields of expertise. She joins five other researchers elected this year from the biological sciences, in addition to 27 from other academic fields.

In a study prompted in part by suggestions from people with mental illness, Johns Hopkins researchers found that a history of Candida yeast infections was more common in a group of men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder than in those without these disorders, and that women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who tested positive for Candida performed worse on a standard memory test than women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who had no evidence of past infection.

To make a good framework for filling in missing bone, mix at least 30 percent pulverized natural bone with some special man-made plastic and create the needed shape with a 3-D printer. That’s the recipe for success reported by researchers at The Johns Hopkins University in a paper published April 18 online in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.

Four members of the Johns Hopkins University faculty are among 84 new members and 21 foreign associates from 14 countries elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

Analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year period, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error in the U.S. Their figure, published May 3 in The BMJ, surpasses the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) third leading cause of death — respiratory disease, which kills close to 150,000 people per year.

This Friday, April 29, the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center will celebrate National Pet Therapy Day in the Children’s Center lobby from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

In a review of 19 studies, researchers at Johns Hopkins say they can confirm a “strong association” between certain scalp-pulling hairstyles — many common among African-Americans — and the development of traction alopecia, gradual hair loss caused by damage to the hair follicle from prolonged or repeated tension on the hair root. An estimated one-third of African-American women suffer from traction alopecia, making it the most common form of hair loss among that group.

John Niparko, M.D., an internationally renowned otoneurologic surgeon and researcher whose extraordinary accomplishments as the founder of the Johns Hopkins Listening Center and pioneering innovator in cochlear implant procedures dramatically improved the lives of countless children and adults with hearing impairment, died on April 25 in Los Angeles. He was 61

Eight Johns Hopkins physicians have been elected to the Association of American Physicians (AAP) and two have been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI).

Journalists are invited to hear from several Johns Hopkins-affiliated startups as Digital Health Day continues with Mid-Atlantic University Technology Day. 

A new study using 5,000 stored blood samples found no increase in the presence of food-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) — a blood marker associated with food allergy — in children’s blood between the 1980s and the 2000s.

Studying a new type of pinhead-size, lab-grown brain made with technology first suggested by three high school students, Johns Hopkins researchers have confirmed a key way  in which Zika virus causes microcephaly and other damage in fetal brains: by infecting specialized stem cells that build its outer layer, the cortex. 

Johns Hopkins will host the first-ever U.S. International Tracheostomy Symposium with a keynote speech from former Ravens football player O.J. Brigance, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2007, a disease that left him with a long-term tracheostomy — a procedure to open a person’s airway with a tube, also called a trach.

Results of a multi-institutional national study of nearly 700 people who survived life-threatening illness with a stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) suggest that a substantial majority of them are at high risk for persistent depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder — especially if they are female, young and unemployed.

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences today announced the election of 213 new members, including two Johns Hopkins University faculty members, Alex L. Kolodkin, Ph.D., and Andrew J. Cherlin, Ph.D. Also elected was Sanford Greenberg, chair of the board of governors of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins.

Argye Hillis, M.D., a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is serving on a team of researchers from several institutions who will use an $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study stroke recovery.

In a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, half of 25 patients with a rare type of virus-linked skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma experienced substantial tumor shrinkage lasting nearly three times as long, on average, than with conventional chemotherapy. Several patients had no remaining evidence of disease. Results of the study are expected to be presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016 (abstract CT096) in New Orleans and published online April 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Social Innovation Lab at The Johns Hopkins University will host its Impact+Innovation Forum featuring presentations from our cohort of nine emerging social enterprises

A new analysis of 204 studies involving more than 1.4 million people suggests that metformin, the most frequently prescribed stand-alone drug for type 2 diabetes, reduces the relative risk of a patient dying from heart disease by about 30 to 40 percent compared to its closest competitor drug, sulfonylurea

On April 13, Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., was awarded the Salk Institute’s Medal for Research Excellence together with cancer biologist Robert Weinberg, from MIT’s Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. The award has only been given twice before in the Salk Institute’s 55-year history. 

An experimental antibody treatment decreased by half the number of cancer stem cells that drive the growth of tumors in nearly all patients with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow and bone tissue, according to results of a preliminary clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists.

In a small, phase I clinical trial, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say they show for the first time that the experimental drug guadecitabine (SGI-110) is safe in combination with the chemotherapy drug irinotecan and may overcome resistance to irinotecan in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Results of the study are expected to be presented April 17 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016 in New Orleans (abstract CT017). 

A review of blood samples for nearly 5,000 patients seen at The Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Department suggests that  federal guidelines for hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening may be missing up to a quarter of all cases and argues for updated universal screening.

Kelly Geer Ripken has been named a chair of A Woman’s Journey, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s annual health conference for women, which features seminars on diverse topics given by Johns Hopkins physicians and scientists and brings attendees up to date on the latest health findings and medical discoveries.

Results of a small study of people with tingling pain in their hands and feet have added to evidence that so-called prediabetes is more damaging to motor nerves than once believed, in a report on the study published online in JAMA Neurology on April 11.

Starting today, All Children’s Hospital will now be called Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The hospital officially announced its new name today while celebrating 90 years of acclaimed pediatric health care and service to patient families.

Findings from the early phase of a clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins investigators indicates that a new, minimally invasive weight loss treatment known as bariatric arterial embolization is safe and effective in sustaining weight loss in severely obese people.

Jeanne Sheffield, M.D., director of maternal-fetal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, offers some tips on Zika virus relating to pregnancy and sexual transmission.

Johns Hopkins Medicine is holding a news conference on the first-ever HIV-to-HIV liver transplant

Working with human breast cancer cells and mice, scientists say new experiments explain how certain cancer stem cells thrive in low oxygen conditions. Proliferation of such cells, which tend to resist chemotherapy and help tumors spread, are considered a major roadblock to successful cancer treatment.

The International Society for Eye Research (ISER) has named King-Wai Yau, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as the 2016 recipient of the Retina Research Foundation Kayser International Award in Retina Research.

All six Johns Hopkins Medicine member hospitals have been designated as Leaders in LGBT Healthcare Equality by the foundation of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBT civil rights organization in the United States.

Protein chemists at Johns Hopkins report they are closer to explaining why certain blood cancers are able to crack a molecular security system and run rampant.

In what investigators say is a surprise finding, results of a new study appear to strongly affirm the effectiveness of prescribing the anti-tuberculosis drug isoniazid alone — in place of the standard four-drug regimen — to prevent TB and reduce death in people with advanced HIV/AIDS infections. Those with HIV and AIDS are highly susceptible to TB.

While researching the brain’s learning and memory system, scientists at Johns Hopkins say they stumbled upon a new type of nerve cell that seems to control feeding behaviors in mice. The finding, they report, adds significant detail to the way brains tell animals when to stop eating and, if confirmed in humans, could lead to new tools for fighting obesity.

The wait is almost over for students who will soon graduate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: At noon on Friday, March 18, they will open the envelopes that let them know where they will spend the next chapter of their lives training for careers in the medical field of their choosing.

Johns Hopkins scientists report they have developed an antibody against a specific cellular gateway that suppresses lung tumor cell growth and breast cancer metastasis in transplanted tumor experiments in mice, according to a new study published in the February issue of Nature Communications.

In a study using mice, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine infectious disease experts have added to evidence that statin drugs — known primarily for their cholesterol-lowering effects — can significantly reduce the time it takes to clear tuberculosis infection.

In a small clinical study with an anticancer drug that halts blood vessel growth, a handful of people with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and hearing loss had restoration of hearing. Results of the collaborative study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and Massachusetts General Hospital were described online March 14 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Johns Hopkins Institute of Genetic Medicine’s Barbara R. Migeon, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was named the 2016 recipient of the annual March of Dimes/Colonel Harland D. Sanders Lifetime Achievement Award in Genetics.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say a new study of more than 1,000 incompatible kidney transplants demonstrates that, despite immunologic challenges, transplanting across human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies may be a significantly better long-term survival option than waiting years for a compatible donor.

A 10-year follow-up study of more than 6,000 people who underwent heart CT scans suggests that a high coronary artery calcium score puts people at greater risk not only for heart and vascular disease but also for cancer, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Fifty-six million years ago, just before earth’s carbon dioxide levels and average temperatures soared, many species of primitive primates went extinct in North America for reasons unclear to scientists. Now, a study of fossilized molars appears to exonerate one potential culprit in the animals’ demise: competition with primitive rodents for food.

A popular smartphone app purported to accurately measure blood pressure simply by placing a cellphone on the chest with a finger over the built-in camera lens misses high blood pressure in eight out of 10 patients, according to research from Johns Hopkins.

Working with lab-grown human stem cells, a team of researchers suspect they have discovered how the Zika virus probably causes microcephaly in fetuses. The virus selectively infects cells that form the brain’s cortex, or outer layer, making them more likely to die and less likely to divide normally and make new brain cells.

A protein modified to increase the amount of time it circulates in the bloodstream appears to reverse liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in rats, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers.

The Johns Hopkins University and MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, today announced a first-of-its-kind Ph.D. training program between a major university and a biopharmaceutical company in the United States.

A study of obesity and related metabolic changes on bladder cancer incidence and deaths, and a plan to use stem cells to grow novel urinary tubes are among 10 research projects awarded funding by the Johns Hopkins Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute. 

Zika virus has emerged as a major health concern in certain areas of the world. So how can people traveling to Zika-affected areas and other warmer climates protect themselves? The key, according to a Johns Hopkins Medicine expert, is to keep the mosquitoes away.

When implementing a unified, whole care delivery system, a strong organizational framework that includes the participation of all staff members — from the board room to the community practice — is critical, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

In a small, placebo-controlled clinical trial, Johns Hopkins physicians report that the antidepressant paroxetine modestly improves decision-making and reaction time, and suppresses inflammation in people with HIV-associated cognitive impairment.

Contrary to popular belief among world relief workers, children in developing countries may not be eating enough protein, which could contribute to stunted growth, a Johns Hopkins-directed study suggests.

Namandje Bumpus, Ph.D., and Jordan Green, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are among 105 winners of Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, which were announced by the White House on Feb. 18. The awards recognize young researchers who are employed or funded by federal agencies “whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for assuring America’s pre-eminence in science and engineering and contributing to the awarding agencies’ missions,” according to a White House statement.

Reporting on the results of a phase III international clinical trial, Johns Hopkins Medicine physicians say use of a cardiac clot-busting drug to treat strokes that cause brain bleeding safely decreased the death rate in patients by 10 percent, compared to a control group receiving saline.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have used a precision sensor in a chicken embryo to find dramatic differences in the use of copper between developing and fully mature neurons.

Physicians and biomedical engineers from Johns Hopkins report what they believe is the first successful effort to wiggle fingers individually and independently of each other using a mind-controlled artificial “arm” to control the movement.

While working to improve a tool that measures the pushes and pulls sensed by proteins in living cells, biophysicists  discovered one  reason spiders’ silk is so elastic: Pieces of the silk’s protein threads act like supersprings, stretching to five times their initial length. The investigators say the tool will shed light on many biological events, including the shifting forces between cells during cancer metastasis.

With Zika virus emerging as a public health concern worldwide, experts at The Johns Hopkins Hospital are closely monitoring the spread of the mosquito-borne illness and offering useful information to help prevent transmission.

A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers concludes that people with medically serious weight problems can rarely find or have access to proven, reliable programs to help them shed pounds.

Johns Hopkins recently received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing to be the first hospital in the U.S. to perform HIV-positive to HIV-positive organ transplants. The institution will be the first in the nation to do an HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney transplant and the first in the world to execute an HIV-positive to HIV-positive liver transplant.

David J. McConkey, Ph.D., has been appointed director of the Johns Hopkins Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute, whose members include experts from the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, and the school of medicine’s departments of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Surgery, and Pathology.

There’s apparently safety in numbers, even for cancer cells. New research in mice suggests that cancer cells rarely form metastatic tumors on their own, preferring to travel in groups since collaboration seems to increase their collective chances of survival, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the Henry Ford Health System report evidence that higher levels of physical fitness may not only reduce risk of heart attacks and death from all causes, but also possibly improve the chances of survival after a first attack.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins say an online “pop quiz” they developed in 2009 shows promising accuracy in predicting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in young women, although not, apparently, in young men.

When practicing and learning a new skill, making slight changes during repeat practice sessions may help people master the skill faster than practicing the task in precisely the same way, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

During an animal’s embryonic development, a chemical chain reaction known as Hippo directs organs to grow to just the right size and no larger. Now Johns Hopkins researchers working with laboratory flies report that this signaling pathway also plays a role in revving up the insects’ immune systems to combat certain bacterial infections.

Biophysicists have discovered why the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB) are naturally somewhat resistant to antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones. Their findings also reveal why some TB drugs are more potent than others and suggest how drug developers can make fluoroquinolones more efficacious against mutations that make the lung disease drug resistant.

Working with mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have contributed significant new evidence to support the idea that high doses of cocaine kill brain cells by triggering overactive autophagy, a process in which cells literally digest their own insides. Their results, moreover, bring with them a possible antidote, an experimental compound dubbed CGP3466B.

Kathy DeRuggiero, R.N., D.N.P., a 32-year Johns Hopkins Medicine nursing veteran and leader, has been named vice president of patient services for Johns Hopkins Medicine International.

The compound CGP3466B, already proven nontoxic for people, may effectively and rapidly treat depression, according to results of a study in mice.

Using mice whose front paws were still partly disabled after an initial induced stroke, Johns Hopkins researchers report that inducing a second stroke nearby in their brains let them “rehab” the animals to successfully grab food pellets with those paws at pre-stroke efficiency.

The Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy of justice, equality and peaceful activism.

Year-old changes to the system that distributes deceased donor kidneys nationwide have significantly boosted transplantation rates for black and Hispanic patients on waiting lists, reducing racial disparities inherent in the previous allocation formula used for decades, according to results of research led by a Johns Hopkins transplant surgeon.