Author: studyblog

Getty Images ROCHESTER, Minn. — A series of seven Mayo Clinic studies is helping reshape scientists’ understanding of senescent, or “zombie,” cells — aging cells that no longer divide but remain metabolically active and release inflammatory molecules that contribute to age-related diseases. Marissa Schafer, Ph.D. Published across Nature journals, the seven studies authored by scientists within the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging move the field beyond recognizing that senescent cells contribute to aging. Together, they provide new tools to identify these cells, uncover mechanisms that drive inflammation and explore strategies to reduce their effects in preclinical models. In…

Microscopy image of the mitochondria network and staining of the histone acetylation. ROCHESTER, Minn. — Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps aging cells drive the chronic inflammation linked to many age-related diseases. The findings reveal how dysfunctional mitochondria — the cell’s energy-producing structures — work with the cell’s epigenetic machinery to switch on inflammatory genes, opening the door to a new therapeutic approach for promoting healthier aging. The study, published in Nature, builds upon years of research showing that senescent, or “zombie,” cells accumulate with age. While these cells no longer divide, they remain metabolically active and…

Key points: As a school leader, you learn to recognize the moments that quietly reshape what students believe is possible for themselves. During our most recent spring break, I stood beneath the towering Sequoias and watched a group of middle school girls navigate a low ropes course, cheer each other across a creek, and set out on their first backcountry hike. It was one of those moments. Our students were the first group of girls to attend R.M. Pyles Camp—a program with a nearly 75-year history of serving boys. That milestone matters. But what mattered more was what unfolded because…

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My friend was recently diagnosed with leukemia, and I’ve learned there are several types. How do these differences affect her treatment options and decisions?  ANSWER: It’s true — leukemia isn’t a single disease. It’s a group of blood cancers, and the exact type plays a major role in how it’s treated. Understanding these differences can help patients and families feel more informed and prepared.  Leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, where blood cells are made. Unlike cancers that start in one organ and spread, leukemia is usually considered a whole-body, or systemic, disease…

PHOENIX — A Mayo Clinic-led international phase 3 study found that a new immunotherapy helped many patients with an aggressive form of bladder cancer keep their bladder instead of having it surgically removed. The treatment also kept many patients cancer-free for more than two years and caused mostly mild side effects. The findings were published in The Lancet Oncology. Patients in the study had high-risk bladder cancer that had returned despite standard treatment with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG). For these patients, surgery to remove the bladder is typically the recommended next step. The new immunotherapy treatment, called cretostimogene grenadenorepvec, produced a…

Key points: Walk into almost any elementary classroom today and you will likely hear the same concern from teachers across grade levels: Many students can swipe, tap, and navigate a screen with ease, but struggle to hold a pencil comfortably, form letters fluently or sustain writing for more than a few minutes without fatigue. These observations matter because handwriting is a foundational literacy skill. When handwriting becomes automatic, students can devote their attention to spelling, sentence construction, and communicating ideas instead of concentrating on how to form each letter. The rapid expansion of classroom technology during the pandemic was a…

Key points: Professional development is one of a school district’s most powerful strategies for improving student outcomes. Yet, educators often leave workshops feeling inspired in the moment, but take little action in the classroom. The problem isn’t that teachers don’t want to learn, but that professional development is treated as an event, rather than an ongoing process. OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) found that only 38 percent of teachers participated in formal induction activities during their first teaching position, and just 22 percent of novice teachers had an assigned mentor. The teachers who experienced induction reported higher levels…

Gastroenterology July 27, 2026 Amy Marshak with her family. After years of living with Crohn’s disease and trying treatments that didn’t work, Amy Marshak felt she was running out of options. The chronic illness affected her career, her energy and the everyday family moments she cherished most. At Mayo Clinic, she found a new treatment approach and renewed hope for the future. Watch: A mom’s journey beyond Crohn’s disease and back to the moments that matter Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:35) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: “Mayo Clinic News Network.” Read the script. “I first started…

On January 11, 1996, I took Rebecca on our first date.We had dinner at Olive Garden, then went to see The American President. It wasn’t a particularly original date, even by 1996 standards. But something about it stuck. Every January since, we’ve returned to Olive Garden and watched that same movie. Thirty years later, it’s become less of a tradition than a marker—a way of remembering not just where we started, but who we were and how far we’ve come.We were twenty-three years old. I wasn’t a therapist. I was barely out of college. Rebecca and I had met only…

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My neighbor recently had an X-ray after hurting their leg, and the doctor found a bone lesion that needs more testing. They’re terrified it could mean bone cancer. It got me wondering: Does every bone tumor or bone lesion mean cancer?   ANSWER: Hearing that an imaging test found a bone tumor or bone lesion can be frightening. Fortunately, most bone tumors aren’t cancerous. The key is finding out exactly what type of tumor or lesion you have, so your healthcare team can recommend the right care.  A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the…