Author: studyblog

Key points: America’s schools are moving quickly to respond to the rise of artificial intelligence, with parents, teachers, administrators, and lawmakers working to wrap their arms around what this means for student education.  But regulation that comes ahead of a clear definition of preparedness may set students back in the AI race. For the future of America’s students — and economy — leaders need to first define what the future of career preparedness looks like.  The speed at which education leaders have moved to respond to AI has been nothing short of remarkable. Just a few years ago, there were…

Cardiovascular August 6, 2026 DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My neighbor spends a lot of time outdoors gardening and doing yard work, especially during the summer. Recently, after working outside on a hot day, she became lightheaded and noticed her heart racing. She suspected dehydration was to blame, but it made me wonder: Can dehydration affect your heart? When should symptoms like this be taken seriously?  ANSWER: Dehydration can affect much more than your thirst. It also can place extra stress on your heart and cardiovascular system.  Think of the heart as a pump. For it to work properly, enough blood needs…

Neurosciences August 6, 2026 ROCHESTER, Minn. — An international study led by Mayo Clinic researchers has identified interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blockers as a promising option for preventing relapses in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). MOGAD is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that can cause vision loss, paralysis and other serious neurological complications. The study, published in JAMA Neurology, provides one of the largest real-world evaluations to date of IL-6 receptor blockade in patients with MOGAD and offers new evidence to help guide treatment decisions while randomized clinical trials are underway. MOGAD occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks myelin,…

Key points: There’s a confusing trend going on in the nation’s classrooms: While national test scores have dropped to levels not seen in decades, average high school GPAs are actually climbing. Grading systems vary heavily from classroom to classroom and teacher to teacher. A student who receives a B+ could be proficient in a subject, but it may just mean they consistently turned their homework in on time. These inconsistencies suggest the traditional grading system is increasingly disconnected from the skills students have truly mastered. The research is hard to ignore: A 2023 study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute…

Transplant ByJulie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D. August 5, 2026 Organ transplantation has transformed countless lives, offering hope to people with end-stage organ failure. But for many patients, the journey doesn’t end with surgery. Lifelong anti-rejection medications protect transplanted organs, but they also can increase the risk of infection, cancer and other serious health complications. On the latest episode of “Tomorrow’s Cure,” host Lindsay Sievert explores a question researchers have pursued for decades: What if the immune system could be taught to accept a transplanted organ instead of suppressing it for life? Joining the conversation are Timucin Taner, M.D., Ph.D., a transplant surgeon…

Getty JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an experimental drug with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to target the “undruggable” PDZ-domain of GIPC1 protein that helps different types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, to grow and resist treatment. In laboratory studies, the drug slowed tumor growth, improved survival and enhanced the effects of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine. The findings, published in Cell Reports, also demonstrate how AI could help develop a small molecule inhibitor of a target protein that can be less toxic and speed the discovery of new cancer treatments. Pancreatic cancer is one of the…

Key points: School safety emergencies are inherently chaotic, frightening, and made even more perilous by a lack of real-time visibility once an emergency is underway. In an active shooter incident, first responders often arrive at the scene with little or no knowledge about what is happening inside the school. Nearly every public school has security cameras. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 93 percent of schools had video surveillance systems as of 2021, up from 61 percent a decade earlier. Yet during an actual emergency, the people coordinating the response, the 911 dispatchers, can’t see events as they…

Transplant August 4, 2026 Shannon Williams and Kelly Harrington in Shannon’s classroom. For patients waiting for a kidney transplant, finding a compatible donor can take time. A paired kidney donation program can make transplantation possible, even when a donor isn’t a direct match. That’s what reunited two former high school classmates, now teachers, and gave one of them a new kidney and a new lease on life. Watch: Teachers connect beyond the classroom through paired kidney donation Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:33) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: “Mayo Clinic News Network.” Read the script. “I kind…

Key points: Adolescence is one of the most consequential periods of human development, yet the environments designed to support it often fail to reflect its complexity. Spanning ages 10 to 18, this stage is marked by rapid neurological, emotional, and social transformation. During this time, the brain is not simply maturing; it is being actively rewired in response to experience. As a result, learning environments are not neutral settings but active participants in shaping how adolescents think, engage, and develop. Neuroscience highlights adolescence as a period of profound plasticity. Gray matter is pruned to strengthen efficiency, while white matter increases…

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a protein that cancer cells use to shut down the body’s immune response, a discovery that could help scientists develop new treatments that make cancer immunotherapies more effective. Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the study identifies a previously unknown role for a protein called TRAILshort, which acts like an immune “off switch.” The researchers found that TRAILshort prevents T cells — the immune system’s primary cancer-fighting cells — from recognizing and destroying cancer and virus-infected cells. In preclinical models, blocking the protein restored T-cell activity and improved immune response.  The…