February 2026

Alternate path for inflammation could improve rheumatoid arthritis treatment

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / rheumatoid arthritis

by Shawn Vestal, Washington State University edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya from Pexels The class of anti-inflammatory drugs known as TNF-inhibitors has brought relief to many sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, but they don’t work for up to 4 of every 10 patients. New research […]

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Secondhand vape plumes could form lung-damaging radicals

February 2, 2026 / Patient education / InnovateMed Author / lung-damaging radicals, vaping

by American Chemical Society edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Electronic cigarettes—or vapes—can release puffs of vapor in aromatic clouds. The health risks of breathing in this secondhand or passive vapor aren’t fully understood. So, researchers reporting in Environmental Science & Technology conducted a preliminary study on lingering

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A benchmark for antibodies: Open dataset aims to standardize sequencing and measurement

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / antibodies

by University of Oslo edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Figure illustrating the study. The upper layer introduces the knowledge gap in antibody sequencing. The middle layer provides a brief overview of the experiment where the researchers put antibody mixtures in LC/MS-MS and tried to reconstruct the sequences

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Specialized sensor tracks wound pH continuously to monitor healing

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / wound pH

by Koc University edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Detailed illustration of the layer-by-layer layout of the patch with a schematic representation of its working principle. Credit: ACS Sensors (2025). DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c02172 In a study led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Levent Beker from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Koç

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A new molecular atlas of tau enables precision diagnostics and drug targeting across neurodegenerative diseases

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / neurodegenerative disease

by Children’s Hospital Boston edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.12.036 Tau protein aggregation is a shared feature in over 20 neurodegenerative diseases (collectively referred to as “tauopathies”). New research led by Boston Children’s Hospital challenges the current “one-size-fits-all” approach to diagnosing and treating these tauopathies.

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Engineered micro scaffolds show promise for helping people recover from severe muscle loss

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / muscle loss

by Rachel Bedford, University of Oregon edited by Stephanie Baum, reviewed by Andrew Zinin Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Myoblasts attaching to the MEW scaffolds. Blue shows the muscle cell nucleus (DAPI), and pink shows the filaments of the muscle cells (F-actin). Here, you can see the grid design of the scaffold that the cells

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Stimulating the brain with electromagnetic therapy after stroke may help reduce disability

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / ECT

by American Heart Association edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source The brain has about 100 billion cells called neurons. It’s made up of distinct parts, that developed through human evolution. Credit: American Heart Association A type of therapy that stimulates specific brain pathways with electromagnetic pulses combined with

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Gut-derived metabolite hippuric acid ‘turns up’ immune inflammation, study finds

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / immune inflammation

by The Wistar Institute edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Andrew Zinin Editors’ notes The GIST Add as preferred source Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116749 Scientists at The Wistar Institute have identified a previously overlooked mediator in the body’s response to life-threatening infections: hippuric acid, a metabolite produced when gut bacteria break down polyphenols from berries, tea,

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New-Onset Allergies Another Woe for Patients With Long COVID

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / long covid

Lois Anzelowitz Levine, MA January 27, 2026 If your patients have been coming in with new asthma-like symptoms or sudden allergies to foods or the environment, long COVID could be to blame. In an article published in Nature Immunology last December, researchers examined immunologic and inflammatory profiles in people with long COVID, comparing blood samples from patients who fully recovered

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Biologic Plus GLP-1 Agonist Improves Quality of Life in Psoriatic Disease

February 2, 2026 / Research update / InnovateMed Author / psoriatic disease

Ted Bosworth January 28, 2026 When obesity and psoriatic diseases were treated concomitantly with a biologic and a GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA), more than 90% of patients reported satisfaction with their treatment, in a newly completed real-world study. The high rate of patient satisfaction was based on a cross-sectional survey, not a placebo-controlled assessment, so drug interactions

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