Ticks are found in every U.S. state, and different tick-borne illnesses are found in different parts of the country. Lyme — which is caused by four main species of bacteria — is the most common tick-borne disease. But ticks carry many other pathogens that can cause disease. In this Answers…

A growing number of people are dying from antibiotic-resistant infections. These infections are fueled by microbial species that are mutating to evade the drugs developed to destroy them. More than 1.2 million people worldwide died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant infections.  In response, a team of researchers from …

Approximately 80 million CT scans are performed in the United States every year. Adrenal tumors are found incidentally in about 5% of these scans. Most of these tumors will turn out to be benign, but a small fraction will be adrenal cortical carcinoma, a type of cancer with high mortality and frequent…

Medical teams at Mayo Clinic can use radiology images to create 3D models that are life size and specific to each patient. The 3D models help give patients a better understanding of what will happen during a procedure and the risks involved, which improves communication with their doctors. For surgeons,…

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a new set of molecular markers in blood plasma. This discovery could lead to the development of improved diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting 6.2 million people in the U.S. The Mayo Clinic study, published in eBioMedicine, is…

New research from Mayo Clinic shows that lack of sufficient sleep combined with free access to food increases calorie consumption and consequently fat accumulation, especially unhealthy fat inside the belly. Findings from a randomized controlled crossover study led by Naima Covassin, Ph.D., a cardiovascular medicine researcher at Mayo Clinic, show that lack…

Mayo Clinic researchers say senolytic drugs can boost a key protein in the body that may protect older people against aspects of aging and a range of diseases. Their findings, which are published in eBioMedicine demonstrate this in mice and human studies. Senolytics developed at Mayo Clinic and given once clear…

Mayo Clinic researchers have taken the first step in using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict early outcomes with antidepressants in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder, in a study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. This work resulted from a collaborative effort between the departments of…

It is well-established that the human body’s microbiome ― the bacteria in the gut ― dramatically affects health and disease. However, the role of the gut in women’s health outcomes is largely unknown. Mayo Clinic and Wellesley College researchers focused on how the interactions of steroids on gut and vaginal…

Identifying hereditary gene mutations in pancreatic cancer can help determine individualized treatments and potentially prolong survival, according to new Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine research. In the study, which was published in Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, nearly 1 in 6 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer were found to have an inherited cancer-related gene…

A regenerative alternative to total hip replacement delayed the need for artificial implants by at least seven years for 35% of patients who had surgery to treat avascular necrosis. That condition occurs when blood flow to the hip joint known as the femoral head is constricted, causing bone cells to die.

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a method for generating bile duct cells from stem cells. This technology enables them to study important aspects of primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare bile duct disease that often destroys the liver. Using these regenerative technologies, Robert Huebert, M.D., and Nidhi Jalan Sakrikar, Ph.D., also confirmed that primary sclerosing…

An emergence of new therapies to treat stomach cancer has received FDA approval in recent years, according to Dr. Lionel Kankeu Fonkoua, a Mayo Clinic oncologist. Over the last year, immunotherapy has been incorporated into the treatment for stomach cancer. Immunotherapy unleashes the immune system to go after the cancer,…

New year, same topics: nutrition, healthy eating and slowing the downhill roll of aging. Eat this, not that — never that — and try this one weird thing to look younger, right? Advice spans the spectrum from dubious to scientifically supported, but there is an approach that sidesteps it all:…

Mayo Clinic is sequencing the exomes of tens of thousands of people from diverse backgrounds to investigate large-scale patterns of distinctive mutations that fuel disease. Exome sequencing analyzes almost all the 20,000 genes that provide instructions for making proteins, which play many critical roles in the body. This is where…

Nearly 25 years ago, a 10-year-old boy was admitted to Mayo Clinic Children’s Center after being rescued from the bottom of a public pool. To resuscitate the boy, first responders delivered a lifesaving shock from an automatic external defibrillator to his chest poolside. Michael Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric resident at the time,…

Mayo Clinic scientists lead the way on research into diseases of aging and their link to stressed or damaged cells that linger and cause chaos in the body. Called senescent cells, these cellular zombies have been ordered by the body to stop dividing but continue to pump out inflammatory signals…

A growing number of hospitals have implemented patient blood management programs to reduce unnecessary blood transfusions and costs. A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings finds that such a program can not only substantially reduce transfusion use, but also reduce length of hospital stays and in-hospital adverse outcomes. The observational study…

Barnacles stick to pretty much anything in or near the ocean and come in more than 1,000 species. They feed using a feathery net that extends out from their hard shells when they are submerged in water, collecting a microscopic feast. On its way through the body, the oil layer…

The microbiome — the microorganisms that live within and on the body — plays an important role in our health, according to Dr. Marina Walther-Antonio, assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and in the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine Microbiome Program. In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr.

Adding messenger RNA, or mRNA therapy, improves the response to cancer immunotherapy in patients who weren’t responding to the treatment, Mayo Clinic research shows. Immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to prevent, control and eliminate cancer. The study is published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer…

Researchers within Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine and Division of Rheumatology have developed a first-of-its-kind machine learning algorithm that can predict rheumatoid arthritis disease activity in a patient. The algorithm analyzes biochemical metabolites ― the product of the body’s metabolism ― in blood. “Having fast, reliable and scalable measures for predicting…

Discover what Mayo Clinic experts are most excited about in the field of medical research. Some new treatments may sound like sci-fi, but they’re the real deal. Video: Mayo Clinic experts on promising new medical research…

Exosomes, a new tool in regenerative research, have implications for cardiac and tendon regeneration, wound healing, and incontinence, as well as many other applications. In the 60 or so years since stem cells were first defined, they’ve become heralds of a new type of medicine, one that promises to harness…

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve been hearing a lot about lab tests that can look at my genetics to see how I metabolize medications. How does this work and why is it important for me to know how my body metabolizes medicine? ANSWER: Testing for how a person metabolizes medications is called pharmacogenomics testing, or…

Mayo Clinic researchers have linked the T cell dysfunction seen in rheumatoid arthritis with a metabolic deficiency, according to a new publication in Nature Immunology. In “helper” T cells donated by Mayo Clinic patients, low levels of a specific amino acid lead to cellular  miscommunication, and supplying it may provide…

Erwin Kruger, M.D. — a Mayo Clinic surgeon who’s leading a Medicare claims study that uses people’s own blood to create a medical patch to trigger wound healing — is motivated by challenges that evolve into enhanced clinical care. He chose the rigors of college, medical school and fellowships in…

Viral hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. Hundreds of millions of people live with chronic hepatitis and, because the infection often progresses to liver failure and liver cancer, millions die from it every year. But it doesn’t have to be…

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a new, shorter treatment for patients with HPV-associated oropharynx cancer leads to excellent disease control and fewer side effects, compared to standard treatment. The new treatment employs minimally invasive surgery and half the standard dose of radiation therapy, compared to current treatments. The new…

In a recent paper published in Cell Reports, Mayo Clinic scientists found that a sensory device on cells determines if a fat cell burns fat or stores it. Understanding the difference may lead to therapies for metabolic disorders, obesity and potentially kidney disease. “We started this work by studying polycystic…

As the end of the year approaches, it’s only the beginning of the season for illnesses like the cold and flu. Add COVID-19 and other viruses to the list, and that can damper plans or even make gatherings dangerous. So, what can you do to keep safe? Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family…

In a podcast recorded for the Mayo Clinic News Network, Gregory Poland, M.D., discuses the latest information on COVID-19 variants and shares advice on how to stay safe this holiday season. More Americans are now eligible for COVID-19 booster doses as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the Pfizer…

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 35 and have had various knee issues for a few years. I’m a runner and played other sports. My primary care physician said I would need a knee replacement eventually. Am I too young for a knee replacement? ANSWER: Whether or not knee replacement is ideal for younger patients…

Doctors have observed for many years that people age at different speeds, according to Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, chair of preventive cardiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The vascular system can also show signs of age and can offer clues about risk of developing a heart attack, vascular disease or…

Most people who have COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks. But some people — even those who had mild versions of the disease — continue to experience symptoms after their initial recovery. Sometimes called “long haulers” or “long COVID,” these patients can have fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog…

The emergence of a new COVID-19 variant, omicron, has heightened safety protocols and plans to help people stay safe from illness as researchers and experts learn more about the newest strain of SARS-CoV-2.  This includes plans to expand access to COVID-19 over-the-counter tests for people to use at home in the…

This year’s World AIDS Day will be commemorated on Dec. 1. It was 40 years ago in June that the first scientific report was made describing pneumocystis pneumonia, which later became known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The AIDS epidemic has claimed more than 36 million lives since the first cases were reported in…

Omicron, a new COVID-19 variant of concern, has been detected in all regions of the world, including North America. While research and clinical observations on the new strain are underway, it is not yet known what impact, if any, omicron will have on the immune response, transmissibility, or specific COVID-19 treatments.

The first oral antiviral medication to treat COVID-19 is one step closer. A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel has voted to recommend emergency use authorization for molnupiravir. This drug, which is manufactured by Merck & Co Inc., treats mild to moderate COVID-19 infection in adults at risk for progressing…

Regenerative neurosurgery is poised to transform care of neurological disorders that previously had little hope for improvement, according to a Mayo Clinic review published in The BMJ. Healing diseases of the central nervous system remains a highly coveted but formidable challenge, Terry Burns, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon scientist at Mayo Clinic, writes in…

A remote-controlled bronchoscope that acts like a GPS system hunts down hard to find lung masses and accurately biopsies them, according to a Mayo Clinic collaborative study. This multisite research, which is published in Annals of Thoracic Surgery, lays the foundation for precisely finding early stage cancer and targeting…

Millions of people who thought colorectal cancer screening was somewhere off in their distant future recently got a wake-up call. The recommended age for taking one of the available tests was lowered to 45 years from 50, suddenly pushing the next generation of people into the group of those who…

Fishing them out of a drink, you may not see the benefit of fruit flies. But they are a vital scientific model, and at Mayo Clinic, they are helping researchers investigate a debilitating chemotherapy side effect: nerve damage called peripheral neuropathy. “The platinum drugs — cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin — are…

Clinical trials follow rigorous scientific processes that usually take many years to complete. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical trials are operating on fast-forward. In this video, Naveen Pereira, M.D., a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, and Andrew Badley, M.D., an infectious diseases specialist and chair of Mayo’s COVID-19 Research Task…

The cells in the brain and spinal cord don’t replace themselves after they’ve been injured, such as from a neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s, or as a result of trauma or stroke. Researchers are working to find ways to improve the function of the brain and spinal cord after damage. In…

It’s been 40 years since the release of the first scientific report describing acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Thanks to innovative research, scientists learned how the HIV virus that causes AIDS replicates and how the immune system responds to the virus. Today, many people with HIV take just one pill…

Experts estimate that 10 percent to 30 percent of people who have had COVID-19 experience fatigue and other symptoms many months after initial infection. In this episode of the Mayo Talks podcast, Ravindra Ganesh, M.B.B.S., M.D., and Amit K. Ghosh, M.D., talk about symptoms of the so-called “COVID-19…

A new Mayo Clinic study bolsters evidence that colorectal cancer is often imprinted in family genes and passed on from one generation to the next. In the study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, researchers within the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine found 1 in 6…