news

Surgical removal of the prostate to treat prostate cancer is currently determined on the basis of tissue sample analysis (Gleason grading). As this method is invasive and often unreliable, scientists around the world are looking for alternatives. A research team at MedUni Vienna has now developed a new method that can be used to identify those patients for whom surgical treatment is the best option.

The results of a multicentre study on multiple sclerosis recently published in the journal "Neurology" could significantly improve the treatment of this chronic inflammatory disease. Researchers from the Medical Universities of Innsbruck and Vienna and the Inselspital, University Hospital Bern have shown that two or more lesions in the brain visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within one year are an indication in favour of intensifying treatment.

A study currently published in the top journal The Lancet Public Health looks at suicide prevention from the point of view of transmission, the transferability of suicidal thoughts and actions, but also of hope and coping strategies. Schools are an important setting for this transmission in children and young people.

Previous studies have shown that patients immediately following and up to one year after discharge from in-patient psychiatric treatment have an increased risk of suicide. A MedUni Vienna research team has now analyzed the data of 18,425 patients treated at MedUni Vienna's Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Vienna General Hospital over 15 years.

In a study led by MedUni Vienna, previously unknown cellular processes in the occluded coronary artery that can lead to a heart attack have been revealed. At the same time, natural antibodies have been identified that can limit the damage caused by a heart attack. Despite medical advances, acute myocardial infarctions are still one of the most common causes of death in the western world.

Suicide rates among doctors have fallen over time, but the risk for women in the medical profession is still significantly higher compared to the general population, according to an analysis of data from 20 countries recently published in the British Medical Journal by a MedUni Vienna research group.

Theranostics integrates molecular imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy - a concept that is already in clinical use for the treatment of various types of cancer. A position paper from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), written under the leadership of Matthias Preusser from MedUni Vienna, summarises the potential of this concept for the treatment of brain tumours.

The most common form of colorectal cancer, microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer (MSS CRC), can currently only be treated to a limited extent with modern immunotherapies. A research team led by MedUni Vienna has now identified the possible cause of treatment failure and thus found a way to improve treatment for patients.

An international research group led by MedUni Vienna and IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna, has made significant progress in understanding the mechanisms that influence the sensation of pain after surgery. Currently available treatment methods for post-operative pain can cause considerable side effects and are often only partially effective.

Hepatitis C can be cured in almost all cases with modern medication. However, if advanced liver damage is already present at the time of cure, there is still a residual risk of liver cancer and complications of portal hypertension, such as abdominal fluid, bleeding from the digestive tract and confusion.

How can diseases of the cardiovascular system be detected before symptoms appear? Researchers at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have found a way to track them down at an early stage. Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death worldwide. They are often only discovered when symptoms have already appeared and the disease is already relatively advanced.

New practical guidelines provide an overview of senescence markers in rodent tissues, transgenic models, non-mammalian systems, human tissues and tumors and their use in the identification and specification of senescent (aging) cells. The guidelines provide a unified, modern and accessible set of tools to improve the understanding of cellular senescence in vivo.

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has led to severe humanitarian crises, including widespread food shortages. According to the United Nations World Food Programme, an estimated 11 million Ukrainians - about one-third of the populationwere at risk of hunger in 2023. This crisis, exacerbated by supply chain disruptions and extreme weather events, could increase diabetes prevalence not only in Ukraine but globally, argue Peter Klimek and Stefan Thurner from the Complexity Science Hub in a commentary published in the journal "Science".

In a recent study, researchers at the Medical University of Vienna have investigated the cellular and molecular basis of idiopathic subglottic tracheal stenosis (ISGS) and identified specific cells that contribute to disease development. ISGS is a rare disease which mainly affects women and leads to a narrowing of the upper trachea due to scar formation.

A research team led by MedUni Vienna has shown in a study that purely optical measurements of the viscosity of blood plasma may provide information about the severity and progression of COVID-19. The employed technique, Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy, can analyse the smallest amounts of plasma in less than a second, making it a promising method for monitoring severely ill patients.

A MedUni Vienna study has investigated gender-specific differences in the diagnosis of systolic heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. The results, recently published in the specialist journal "Cardiovascular Diabetology", show that the current methods are less reliable in women than in men.

Surgical removal of the tumour is considered the basis for curing gastric cancer. However, 40 per cent of patients who have undergone surgery suffer a relapse within two years. A research team led by MedUni Vienna has now investigated a prognostic marker that can be used to identify patients with a high risk of tumour recurrence.

A new combined cell therapy for kidney transplants can help to reduce the donor-specific reaction against the transplanted organ without the need for maintenance triple immunosuppression. The overall diversity of the T-cell receptor repertoire, which is important for immune defence, is preserved. This is shown by an international study led by MedUni Vienna, which was recently published in the journal eBioMedicine of the Lancet Discovery Science series.

Targeted therapies are a powerful weapon against skin cancer, but their side effects can severely impact a patient's quality of life. A new study shows that some targeted therapies manipulate signaling events in cells that line blood vessels and result in a weaker vascular barrier. This knowledge sheds some light on possible mechanisms leading to side effects and it can contribute to the development of better therapies for skin cancer.

In a study recently published in the renowned journal "Allergy", a MedUni Vienna research team shows that COVID-19 leads to considerable long-term changes in the immune system, even in mild cases. The findings could help to better understand the long-term consequences of an infection with SARS-CoV-2.