SEARCH · PubMed Health

Search PubMed Health

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources

PubMed2026

Retention of a single Cenp-C gene in different syntenic locations in the montium group of Drosophila species.

Chromosome segregation in eukaryotes requires the orchestrated interaction of chromosomes with microtubules, mediated by the kinetochore multiprotein complex that assembles on chromosomal regions known as centromeres. In most eukaryotes, CenH3 and Cenp-C centromeric proteins are essential for centromere function. In Drosophila, the localization of CenH3 (or Cid in Drosophila) depends on its chaperone CAL1 and Cenp-C. Previous studies have shown that both Cid and Cenp-C underwent a coincident gene duplication and likely functional specialization in the Drosophila subgenus. Independently, Cid duplications led to three paralogs in the montium group (Sophophora subgenus). Here, we investigated whether this group also underwent parallel Cenp-C duplications by analyzing sequenced genomes of 23 montium group species. We identified Cenp-C genes in five distinct syntenic loci. Despite their distinct synteny, all but two montium group species (except D. birchii and D. vulcana) encode a single Cenp-C, whose phylogeny mirrors the species phylogeny, and all encode protein motifs indicative of intact Cenp-C function. These Cenp-C genes resulted from gene translocations or duplication followed by loss of the ancestral copy. Therefore, the co-retention of three Cid paralogs in the montium group did not result in coincident Cenp-C paralog co-retention. Analysis of the selective constraints in Cenp-C reveals more prominent positive selection in the Drosophila subgenus (with two retained Cenp-C paralogs) than in the Sophophora subgenus, including the montium group. Our work highlights differences in functional retention and potential specialization of CenH3 and Cenp-C, two of the most conserved eukaryotic centromeric proteins in Drosophila.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Seasonal variation in the office and ambulatory blood pressure control in patients treated with two dual antihypertensive therapies.

We investigated seasonal variation in the office and ambulatory blood pressure control in hypertensive patients treated with two single-pill dual-combination antihypertensive therapies. The study participants (n = 560) were hypertensive patients enrolled in a 24-week therapeutic study. Antihypertensive treatment was initiated with amlodipine/benazepril 5/10 mg/day or benazepril/hydrochlorothiazide 10/12.5 mg/day, with the possible up-titration to 10/20 mg/day or 20/25 mg/day during follow-up, respectively. Office blood pressure was measured at each clinic visit, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed at baseline and 24-week follow-up. At 24 weeks of follow-up, in patients who continued antihypertensive treatment (n = 511), the proportion of up-titration to higher dosages was significantly different across seasons of treatment commencement in the benazepril/hydrochlorothiazide group (P = 0.002), but not in the amlodipine/benazepril group (P = 0.84). The between-group difference was significantly different in 134 patients who commenced treatment in winter (18.9% vs. 5.0%, P = 0.02), but not in 377 patients who commenced treatment in the other seasons (P ≥ 0.33). The control rate of office blood pressure (<140/90 mmHg) was significantly different across seasons of treatment commencement in the amlodipine/benazepril group (P = 0.01), but not in the benazepril/hydrochlorothiazide group (P = 0.16). The mean changes from baseline to 24-week follow-up tended to be smaller in the benazepril/hydrochlorothiazide than amlodipine/benazepril group in 24-h (mean between-group difference, -2.8 mmHg) and daytime diastolic blood pressure (mean between-group difference, -3.2 mmHg) in patients who commenced treatment in winter, though statistical significance was not achieved (P ≥ 0.07). In conclusion, there was seasonality in the clinic and ambulatory blood pressure-lowering effect of antihypertensive drug combinations, with a marginally significant difference in treatment intensity and blood pressure control between treatment with amlodipine or hydrochlorothiazide in combination with benazepril.

Ambulatory blood pressure↗

PubMed2026

For better blood pressure control in Asia.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Blood pressure↗

PubMed2026

Chromosome-scale genomes and population resequencing resolve subgenome diversity and halophyte adaptation in Salicornia.

Amid escalating water scarcity and groundwater depletion, halophytes such as Salicornia (Amaranthaceae) represent valuable models for extreme salt tolerance and hold promise for saltwater-based agriculture. Here, we show chromosome-scale genome assemblies for six Salicornia species, revealing four distinct subgenomes, reconciling our assemblies with two existing reference genomes (S. ramosissima UK and S. europaea China), correcting chromosome numbering and orientation. Comparative analyses across ploidy levels demonstrate genome expansion in North American lineages driven by Gypsy retrotransposons, and lineage-specific expansions of two gene families implicated in stress metabolism. Phylogenetic and population-structure analyses of a global resequencing panel of 318 accessions resolve interspecific relationships and establish curated germplasm collections for future crop breeding. Genetic analyses uncover a contrasting population-genetic signal on chromosome 6A between two species, highlighting an OSCA calcium-permeable channel gene as a candidate locus for osmotic adaptation. Together, these resources establish a genomic framework for Salicornia that supports evolutionary studies of halophyte adaptation and crop development.

Chenopodiaceae↗

PubMed2026

Dense RNA motif modifications enable robust in vivo prime editing and enhance efficiencies of diverse editing systems.

Prime editing holds promise for therapeutic applications. However, viral delivery of the prime editor presents challenges for clinical translation due to concerns regarding long-term expression. Meanwhile, systemic delivery using non-viral vectors has been limited by low efficiency, the need for repeated injections and reliance on doses that exceed clinically translatable levels. Here we develop engineered prime editing guide RNAs (pegRNAs) with densely modified RNA motifs and demonstrate their application for efficient in vivo prime editing. By systemically delivering the prime editor in RNA format via a single injection of lipid nanoparticles, we achieved nearly 70% editing efficiency in the bulk mouse liver, indicating successful editing of the majority of hepatocytes. Notably, a single injection at a clinically translatable lipid nanoparticle dose was sufficient to suppress target protein expression in vivo, resulting in a near 80-fold increase in editing efficiency compared with conventional end-modified pegRNAs. Furthermore, incorporating densely modified RNA motifs, including the widely used MS2 motif, proved broadly applicable across various RNA sequences and split RNA-guided genome editing platforms, resulting in up to an 11-fold increase in base editing efficiency. These findings present a generalizable approach for enhancing the therapeutic potential of prime editing and expanding the utility of RNA-based therapeutics.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Genomic insights into natural selection in recent human history.

For over a century, scientists have debated the extent to which genetic and phenotypic variation among present-day humans is the result of natural selection - in which heritable traits influence survival or reproduction - versus neutral processes such as genetic drift or population history. The initial sequencing of the human genome and subsequent population resequencing studies enabled genome-scale searches for signatures of selection in present-day genomes. This first generation of genome-wide selection scans identified many targets but left open questions about the timing and nature of selection, making it challenging to identify environmental and biological drivers. Recent methodological advances based on reconstructing ancestral recombination graphs have increased the potential power and resolution of selection scans based on present-day genomes, while the availability of new data on ancient DNA has facilitated the direct reconstruction of genetic change through time. However, there is little consensus on how to use these data to detect and interpret signatures of selection, while avoiding confounders. Here, we review the current state of knowledge about the impact of selection on human genomic diversity and highlight conceptual advances in our understanding of human evolution over the past 10,000 years.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Recommendations for return of secondary genomic findings in observational cohort studies.

The return of secondary genomic findings (ROSF) to participants in observational cohort studies has evolved from a topic of debate to an accepted standard. This Perspective synthesizes the proceedings of a 2024 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute-sponsored workshop and the broader literature to provide updated guidance for ROSF. Building on the 2010 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Working Group recommendations and the 2014 Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research/Electronic Medical Records and Genomics 'floor and ceiling' framework, we address four areas: an integrated ethical framework for observational cohort settings; the emerging challenge of returning novel result types beyond monogenic variants, including polygenic risk scores, somatic mosaicism and pharmacogenomic findings; health equity and community engagement as structural prerequisites for ethical ROSF; and scalability challenges, including technology-assisted disclosure. Drawing on implementation experience from large-scale sequencing programs, we offer recommendations that balance researcher obligations with participant autonomy and equitable access to the benefits of genomic research.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Contribution of copy number variants to schizophrenia in East Asian populations.

Studies on schizophrenia-associated rare copy number variants (CNVs) have predominantly focused on people of European (EUR) ancestry. Here we present a rare CNV study of schizophrenia in East Asian (EAS) populations, comprising 20,903 cases and 23,258 controls. We observed a significantly elevated genome-wide rare CNV burden in EAS cases compared with controls. Cross-population comparisons showed largely consistent rare CNV effects on schizophrenia risk. In the EAS sample, we identified nine genome-wide-significant schizophrenia-associated rare CNV loci. Meta-analysis with EUR data yielded 14 significant loci, including 8 that reached genome-wide significance for the first time. Genes within these 14 loci were significantly less tolerant to loss-of-function variants than genes in other CNV loci. The new rare CNVs associated with schizophrenia in EAS populations showed higher carrier frequencies in EAS than in EUR populations (0.38% versus 0.0017%). Overall, this study underscores the importance of increasing population diversity to fully capture the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

A global digital navigator of human health for precision medicine.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Teclistamab versus lenalidomide-dexamethasone in high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma: a randomized phase 2 trial.

Teclistamab, a B cell maturation antigen-targeting bispecific antibody, has demonstrated substantial activity in relapsed multiple myeloma (MM), particularly in earlier lines of therapy, and may have higher efficacy in high-risk smoldering MM (HR-SMM) with a more functional immune system. In the randomized phase 2 ImmunoPRISM trial, we compared fixed-duration teclistamab with lenalidomide-dexamethasone (Rd) in HR-SMM. After a six-patient safety run-in, patients were randomized 2:1 to teclistamab or Rd. The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) rate. As of 26 May 2026, 59 patients were treated-45 received teclistamab and 14 received Rd. Teclistamab treatment induced a CR in 77.8% patients versus 0% with Rd, and minimal residual disease negativity at 10-5 in 82.2% patients. At a median follow-up of 24.5 months, 2-year progression-free survival was 92% with teclistamab versus 49% with Rd. Overall, response rates, duration of response and time to progression (TTP) were significantly improved in teclistamab compared to Rd. Toxicities in the teclistamab arm included grades 1-2 cytokine release syndrome, no neurotoxicity and no increase in grade 3 infections compared to Rd (20% versus 21%). No deaths occurred in either arm. Teclistamab represents a highly active immune-interception strategy for HR-SMM. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05469893 .

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Generation of eight-cell embryo-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells.

Mammalian embryonic development is a highly orchestrated process initiated by the fusion of the oocyte with sperm to generate the zygote. In humans, the zygote remains transcriptionally quiescent until the major wave of zygotic genome activation (ZGA) occurs around the eight-cell (8C) stage (day 3 after fertilization). These cells and the derived morula cells are totipotent: they have the capacity to form a whole individual. Our understanding of human totipotency is very limited because of ethical concerns using embryos and the scarcity of material available for research. Recently, we established a controllable transgene-free methodology to generate totipotent eight-cell embryo-like cells (8CLCs) from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) in vitro. These 8CLCs are produced using a novel medium, formulated by us, containing specific chemical compounds and cytokines. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for inducing, isolating and characterizing 8CLCs generated with this medium. The induction process can be done either in a stepwise manner (primed-naive-8CLC) that requires only 5 d starting from naive PSCs or directly from primed PSCs, which takes ~7 d. The resulting 8CLCs exhibit transcriptional and epigenetic features resembling those of human 8C embryo cells. On the basis of our experience, we expect that an individual with ~1 year of experience working with human PSC culture would be able to carry out this protocol. Our approach provides a valuable model for studying human early embryogenesis, particularly the molecular events surrounding ZGA.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Effect of knee and hip joint positions on passive stiffness of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis in healthy individuals.

Passive muscle stiffness is a key determinant of musculoskeletal function and is influenced by structural components such as titin, connective tissue, and fascia. However, the effects of joint position, muscle depth, and sex on quadriceps passive stiffness remain unclear. To investigate the passive stiffness of the rectus femoris (RF) and vastus lateralis (VL) under different joint configurations, muscle depths, and between sexes using shear wave elastography (SWE). Thirty-six healthy young adults (18 men and 18 women) participated in this randomized crossover study. Passive stiffness was assessed in four positions of knee flexion: supine with 60° (SUP60), supine with 20° (SUP20), sitting with 60° (SIT60), and sitting with 20° (SIT20). SWE measurements (m/s) were obtained from 30 regions of interest (ROIs) per muscle, categorized into superficial, intermediate, and deep levels. Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE). A significant effect of position was observed, with higher stiffness values in the SUP60 condition for both RF and VL (p < 0.001). Superficial regions consistently exhibited greater stiffness compared to intermediate and deep regions across all positions (p < 0.001). Additionally, men demonstrated significantly higher stiffness values than women (p < 0.001). Significant interactions were found between position and muscle, as well as position and depth. Quadriceps passive stiffness is influenced by joint position, muscle depth, and sex. The SUP60 position elicits the highest stiffness, while superficial muscle regions are consistently stiffer. These findings highlight the non-uniform mechanical behavior of the quadriceps and may have implications for clinical assessment, rehabilitation, and exercise prescription. Clinical trial registration: This study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov in June 06th, 2023. Register number NCT05905406. Link to access https//clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05905406.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Scalable assembly of Ascaris mitogenomes from whole-genome data reveals a novel clade.

The genus Ascaris is an important group of giant parasitic roundworms, infecting over 700 million people globally and causing substantial economic losses in domestic pigs. Whilst species of Ascaris are morphologically indistinguishable, analysis of mitochondrial loci has revealed three clades (A, B, C) broadly associated with host species and geographic distribution. The diversity within these lineages may expand with the addition of further genomic data. Here, we present a bioinformatic framework for de novo assembly of complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from low-coverage whole-genome data through host-read depletion or mtDNA read enrichment, followed by mtDNA-specific assembly. Our approach yielded 149 high-quality Ascaris mitogenome assemblies, enabling the study of population-level diversity, including the identification of a novel clade (Clade D, designated here) associated with human samples from Ethiopia. Our analysis further revealed Clade C to comprise of pig-derived samples from Europe based on characterisation of worms isolated in Germany. The methods described here provide a scalable framework for mitogenome reconstruction with insights into roundworm population-genomic and phylogenetic studies.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

TFAP2B and FOXC1 are associated with biologically and clinically distinct differentiation states in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) comprises biologically distinct subtypes, including luminal androgen receptor (LAR) tumors, but routine immunohistochemical markers incompletely capture lineage-associated differentiation states. We investigated TFAP2B, an AP-2 family transcription factor linked to epithelial differentiation, and FOXC1, a basal-like-associated transcription factor, as complementary markers of luminal and basal differentiation in TNBC. In a tissue microarray of 105 TNBCs, tumors were stratified as TFAP2B-dominant, FOXC1-dominant, or double-negative according to relative marker predominance and characterized using lineage, proliferation, molecular, immune, and chemotherapy-response parameters. TFAP2B-dominant tumors were associated with a coherent luminal phenotype, including apocrine/lobular enrichment, strong MUCL1 and AR expression, high CK18, low SOX10, reduced proliferation, frequent wild-type p53 patterns and retained RB1 expression, and low PD-L1 expression. FOXC1-dominant tumors showed contrasting basal-like features. These associations were independently supported at the transcriptional and genomic levels in the METABRIC TNBC cohort. FOXC1-dominant tumors also showed more frequent chemotherapy-induced downstaging than TFAP2B-dominant tumors. Together, we identify TFAP2B as a marker associated with luminal differentiation in TNBC and support combined TFAP2B/FOXC1 assessment as a practical framework for identifying clinically relevant TNBC differentiation states.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Efficacy of prescription-eligible digital health applications for depression and generalized anxiety disorder in Germany: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In Germany, prescription-eligible digital mental health applications (DiGA) were introduced in 2020 as promising interventions to address, among others, depression and anxiety disorders, two of the most prevalent mental health conditions worldwide. Despite growing interest in DiGAs, their overall efficacy remains uncertain. This study aimed to systematically evaluate and quantify the efficacy of prescription-eligible digital interventions for depression and generalized anxiety disorder by synthesizing evidence from randomized controlled trials (19 trials; total N = 4,078; pooled mean age = 38.7 years, SD = 12.1). Here we show that prescription-eligible digital applications for depression and generalized anxiety disorder reduce symptom severity compared with control conditions. For depression, effects were observed both immediately after the intervention (number of apps = 5; k = 17; SMD = - 0.49; 95% CI - 0.65 to - 0.32) and at follow-up (number of apps = 1; k = 4; SMD = - 0.35; 95% CI - 0.46 to - 0.29), while evidence for generalized anxiety disorder was limited due to a small number of available studies (number of studies = 2). These findings support the integration of evidence-based digital tools into mental health treatment strategies in Germany. However, the available evidence is currently dominated by a small number of applications, particularly Deprexis, and should therefore not be interpreted as equally representative of all DiGAs currently listed for depression in Germany. The findings also highlight methodological limitations of current research and underscore the need for real-world evaluations, which address not only efficacy but also the effectiveness, content, quality and implementation.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder↗

PubMed2026

Accelerating natural product discovery, characterization and engineering by biofoundries.

Covering: From early developments to the presentNatural product (NP) discovery is increasingly constrained by low-throughput screening, repeated rediscovery, and challenges in scaling genome mining-guided validation workflows. This highlight examines how automated biofoundries are accelerating NP discovery, characterization, and engineering through integrated design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycles. We discuss recent advances in phenotype-first and genome-first discovery strategies enabled by robotics, high-throughput pathway reconstitution, and automated screening platforms. We further highlight emerging technologies, including cell-free biosynthesis, automated culturomics, programmable chassis engineering, and AI-assisted workflow orchestration, that may enable increasingly autonomous biofoundries for scalable exploration of NP chemical space and therapeutic discovery.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Privacy-Preserving Linkage of Distributed Biological, Clinical, and Imaging Data Supporting Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Oncology.

BACKGROUND: Cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related mortality in children over the age of one in Europe, with over 35,000 new pediatric cases and more than 6,000 deaths annually. Due to the rarity of pediatric cancers, clinical trial protocols often substitute for formal treatment guidelines, resulting in many children being enrolled in multiple trials, with biological samples and genomic data stored in various biobanks. Data collection in pediatric oncology is challenging, with sparse data acquired over extended periods, underscoring the need for optimal utilization of all available information through linked, privacy-preserving datasets. METHODS: Here, we report the development of a distributed, privacy-preserving data infrastructure for the PRIMAGE project, a European initiative aimed at supporting artificial intelligence (AI)-driven image analysis for pediatric cancer prognostics. The infrastructure leverages the European Patient Identity (EUPID) Services for Privacy-Preserving Record Linkage, enabling pseudonymized data integration across clinical, biological, and imaging sources. The system incorporates EUPID's hashing and phonetic matching protocols to pseudonymize patient identifiers and link distributed datasets, facilitating secondary data use in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation. RESULTS: Data from over 700 neuroblastoma patients from European trials and hospitals were linked and uploaded to the PRIMAGE platform, where AI models predict clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: This infrastructure successfully facilitated AI model development, advancing pediatric oncology research, and offering a scalable framework for future European health data initiatives, such as the European Health Data Space.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Genetic and pathogenic characterization of a novel infectious bursal disease virus field strain with natural reassortant and recombinant features from southern China.

NN040124 is a novel field-derived IBDV strain (vv-A/att-B) exhibiting both reassortment and recombination events.Infection with NN040124 causes 40% mortality and severe lymphoid depletion in three-yellow chickens.These findings demonstrate the pivotal role of the N-terminal domain of segment B in IBDV pathogenicity and virulence.

A3B1a↗