ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new tool that can estimate a person's risk of developing memory and thinking problems associated with Alzheimer's disease years before symptoms appear. The research, published in The Lancet Neurology, builds on decades of data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging — one of the world's most comprehensive population-based studies of brain health.

The study found that women have a higher lifetime risk than men of developing dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional stage between healthy aging and dementia that often affects quality of life but still allows people to live independently. Men and women with the common genetic variant, APOE ε4, also have higher lifetime risk.

Predicting Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is marked by two key proteins in the brain: amyloid, which forms plaques, and tau, which forms tangles. Drugs recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration remove amyloid from the brain and can slow the rate of disease progression for people with MCI or mild dementia.

"What's exciting now is that we're looking even earlier — before symptoms begin — to see if we can predict who might be at greatest risk of developing cognitive problems in the future," says Clifford Jack, Jr., M.D., radiologist and lead author of the study.

The new prediction model combined several factors, including age, sex, genetic risk as associated with APOE genotype and brain amyloid levels detected on PET scans. Using the data, researchers can calculate an individual's likelihood of developing MCI or dementia within 10 years or over the predicted lifetime. Of all the predictors evaluated, the brain amyloid levels detected on PET scans was the predictor with the largest effect for lifetime risk of both MCI and dementia.

"This kind of risk estimate could eventually help people and their doctors decide when to begin therapy or make lifestyle changes that may delay the onset of symptoms. It's similar to how cholesterol levels help predict heart attack risk," says Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., neurologist and director of the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, who is a co-author of the study.

The research stands apart because it draws from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a long-running effort in Olmsted County, Minnesota, that tracks thousands of residents over time. The analysis for this study included data from 5,858 participants. Unlike most studies, Mayo researchers are able to continue following participants even after they stop actively taking part, using medical record data — ensuring nearly complete information about who develops cognitive decline or dementia.

"This gives us a uniquely accurate picture of how Alzheimer's unfolds in the community," says Terry Therneau, Ph.D., who led the statistical analysis and is the senior author of the study. "We found that the incident rate of dementia was two times greater among the people who dropped out of the study than those who continued to participate."

The study elevates the significance of MCI, which is the stage targeted by current Alzheimer's drugs that slow but do not stop progression.

While the new tool is currently a research instrument, it represents a major step toward more personalized care. Future versions may incorporate blood-based biomarkers, which could make testing more accessible.

The work was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the GHR Foundation, Gates Ventures and the Alexander Family Foundation.

The research is part of a larger effort at Mayo Clinic called the Precure initiative focused on developing tools that empower clinicians to predict and intercept biological processes before they evolve into disease or progress into complex, hard-to-treat conditions.

"Ultimately, our goal is to give people more time — time to plan, to act and to live well before memory problems take hold," says Dr. Petersen.

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.

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About Mayo Clinic 
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact:

• Tia Ford, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic scientists create tool to predict Alzheimer’s risk years before symptoms begin appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a pioneering method to mend damaged hearts without open-heart surgery, an advance that could one day transform the treatment of heart failure. 

The new approach uses lab-grown heart tissue made from reprogrammed adult stem cells, delivered through a tiny incision rather than a surgically opened chest cavity. In preclinical testing, the stem cell patch restored heart function and improved healing.

"For patients with severe heart failure, there are very few options beyond mechanical pumps or transplants. We hope this approach will offer a new way to repair their own hearts," says Wuqiang Zhu, Ph.D., senior author of the study published in Acta Biomaterialia and a cardiovascular researcher at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

Reversing the irreversible

Heart attacks remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide. When blood flow to the heart is blocked, oxygen-starved cells die and are replaced by scar tissue that cannot contract or conduct electrical signals — weakening the heart’s ability to pump blood.

"The adult human heart doesn't regenerate once those cells are lost," Dr. Zhu explains. "That's why heart failure, especially chronic heart failure due to the loss of functional cardiac muscle, is often difficult to treat; the muscle simply can't repair itself."

For years, scientists have been working on ways to replace damaged tissue with healthy heart cells derived from stem cells. Early efforts showed promise, but most required open-heart surgery — a procedure too risky for many patients already struggling with severe heart failure.

Scientists have long hoped that stem cells could provide a way to rebuild what the body cannot. By reprogramming ordinary adult cells such as skin or blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), researchers can coax them into becoming replacement heart cells.

But safely and effectively delivering engineered heart tissues made from these cells has remained a major challenge.

Innovation at heart

In collaboration with engineers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Mayo researchers developed a flexible, paper-thin patch made of nano- and microfibers coated with gelatin. This hybrid scaffold supports a blend of human heart muscle cells, blood vessel cells and fibroblasts—cells that form the tissue’s structural framework—to create a living, beating piece of heart tissue. Before transplantation, the tissue is infused with bioactive factors such as fibroblast growth factor 1 and CHIR99021 that encourage the growth of new blood vessels and help the cells survive once they are in place.

"The beauty of this design," says Dr. Zhu, "is that it can be folded like a piece of paper, loaded into a slender tube, and delivered precisely where it's needed through a small incision in the chest. Once in place, it unfolds and adheres naturally to the heart's surface."

Instead of using stitches, the team used a biocompatible surgical adhesive that holds the patch in place while minimizing additional trauma to the surrounding tissue.

Testing in preclinical models showed that the minimally invasive method improved heart function, reduced scarring, enhanced vascular growth and lessened inflammation compared with conventional approaches.

"Our results show that these engineered tissues not only survive but actually help the heart heal itself," says Dr. Zhu. "That's the ultimate goal: to replace what's lost and restore function."

A step toward regeneration

The research aligns closely with Mayo Clinic's Genesis Initiative, which aims to accelerate discoveries that restore or regenerate human organs and tissues.

"Genesis is about pioneering new ways to repair and rebuild the human body," Dr. Zhu says. "What we're doing here is exactly that — using regenerative science and minimally invasive delivery to give the heart a chance to recover."

Currently, more than 4,000 heart transplants are performed in the United States each year, while thousands more patients die waiting for a donor organ. Dr. Zhu hopes this technology could eventually offer another option.

"Our vision," he says, "is that patients could one day receive engineered heart tissue made from their own reprogrammed cells, delivered through a minimally invasive procedure — no donor organ, no long recovery, just a repaired heart."

Next steps

The Mayo Clinic team plans to advance this work through larger-scale preclinical testing to ensure the therapy's safety and effectiveness before moving to human clinical trials, a process that Dr. Zhu estimates could take five years or more.

"Heart failure remains a devastating condition," he says. "If we can make stem cell treatment accessible to more patients, especially those too fragile for open-heart surgery, we could save lives."

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic researchers identify a new stem cell patch to gently heal damaged hearts appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Rochester, Minn. — Ten outstanding Mayo Clinic alumni have been honored with this year's Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Awards. The recipients have made remarkable contributions to medical practice and research, including vital work in the areas of stroke prevention and treatment, magnetic resonance imaging, pancreatic and molecular biology, healthcare reform, and more.

The Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 1981 by the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees to acknowledge and show appreciation for the exceptional contributions of Mayo Clinic alumni to the field of medicine, including medical practice, research, education and administration. Alumni receiving this award are recognized nationally — and often internationally — in their fields.

This year's recipients were honored at the Mayo Foundation House in Rochester in October. 

The 2025 recipients:

• Thomas Brott, M.D.
  Dr. Brott is a professor of neurology and consultant in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Florida, as well as the emeritus Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Professor of Neurosciences. Dr. Brott led the charge to treat stroke as a neurologic emergency and materially improved the management of carotid artery disease, affecting the care of millions of patients around the world. He also played a major role in the approval of alteplase, the first drug deemed safe and effective for acute ischemic stroke treatment.
• Richard Ehman, M.D.
  Dr. Ehman is a consultant in the , a professor of radiology and the Blanche R. and Richard J. Erlanger Professor of Medical Research at . Dr. Ehman is a pioneer in groundbreaking clinical applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He helped shape modern imaging science and led the Mayo Clinic body MRI practice to become one of the largest in the world.    
• Herbert Gaisano, M.D.
  Dr. Gaisano is a professor of medicine and physiology at the University of Toronto, a staff physician in the Division of Gastroenterology in the University Health Network, and a senior scientist at Toronto General Research Institute in Canada. He is recognized worldwide as one of the top investigators in the pancreatic exocrine and islet function fields, and he leads a premier pancreatic cell biology research laboratory. His research has illuminated the pathogenesis of common diseases such as diabetes and pancreatitis. 
• Raymond Gibbons, M.D.
  Dr. Gibbons is an emeritus professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a retired consultant in the  at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Dr. Gibbons is an expert in coronary artery disease, the founder and former co-director of the Mayo Clinic Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory, a past president of the American Heart Association and a noted leader in healthcare reform.
• Allan Jaffe, M.D.
  Dr. Jaffe is a consultant in the Division of Ischemic Heart Disease and Critical Care and the Wayne and Kathryn Preisel Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Research at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, as well as professor of medicine and professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Dr. Jaffe is a researcher and leading authority on myocardial disease biomarkers, and he helped develop and validate the first cardiac troponin I assay, the blood test of choice for the diagnosis of heart attacks.
• Peter Layer, M.D., Ph.D.
  Dr. Layer is former medical director and physician-in-chief of the Israelitic Hospital and an emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Hamburg in Hamburg, Germany. He played a crucial role in developing the hospital into one of the leading clinical and academic institutions for gastrointestinal disease in Germany. His research has illuminated the diagnosis and therapy of gastrointestinal diseases such as acute and chronic pancreatitis. 
• David Lee, M.D.
  Dr. Lee is a professor of ophthalmology and the Susan and Richard Anderson Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology at McGovern Medical School, in the University of Texas Health Science Center, in Houston, Texas. Dr. Lee is a highly sought-after specialist known for his ability to handle the most complex and challenging diabetes and glaucoma cases, and his academic contributions have advanced the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma worldwide.
• Eric Matteson, M.D.
  Dr. Matteson is an emeritus professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a retired consultant in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. As an internationally renowned clinician-scientist, Dr. Matteson conducted extensive epidemiological, mechanistic and clinical studies that have significantly advanced the understanding of rheumatic diseases. He was a pioneer in the use of biologics for the treatment of rheumatic disease, which have improved the quality of life for countless patients. 
• Vladimir Parpura, M.D., Ph.D.
  Dr. Parpura is a distinguished professor and director of the International Translational Neuroscience Research Institute at Zhejiang Chinese Medical University in Hangzhou, China. He discovered that astrocytes — non-neuronal cells of the central nervous system — could release chemicals/transmitters, much like neurons, and communicate with neurons. His discovery of this process, known as gliotransmission, and his subsequent research has had a remarkable impact on the fields of neuroscience and cell biology.
• Vicente Torres, M.D., Ph.D.
  Dr. Torres is a consultant in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is also a professor of medicine and the Robert M. and Billie J. Pirnie Professor of Kidney Disease Research in Honor of Michael J. Krowka, M.D. Dr. Torres is an international leader in nephrology and a founding figure in the research of polycystic kidney disease (PDK). He led clinical trials that resulted in the clinical development of tolvaptan, the first and only specific treatment for autosomal dominant PDK (ADPKD). 

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About the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association
The Mayo Clinic Alumni Association was incorporated in 1915 with a mission to connect our alumni and bring Mayo Clinic values to the world. The association serves more than 32,800 alumni who live and work in over 80 countries.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Lisa Speckhard-Pasque, Mayo Clinic Alumni Relations, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic Alumni Association announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that can identify obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using the results from an electrocardiogram (ECG) – a common heart test. The innovation could make it faster, cheaper, and easier to spot sleep apnea, particularly in women, who are often underdiagnosed.

A common but underrecognized condition

OSA affects more than 936 million adults ages 30-69 worldwide and poses significant cardiovascular risks. People with OSA experience repeated episodes of upper airway collapse or blockage during sleep. This collapse causes breathing to stop or become shallow repeatedly, which often leads to loud snoring and gasping. Despite its prevalence, it often goes undiagnosed.

"Obstructive sleep apnea or OSA is a highly prevalent disease with important cardiovascular consequences," says Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., Alice Sheets Marriott Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and senior author of the study published in JACC: Advances. "OSA affects the heart to the point where AI algorithms can detect the OSA signature from the ECG, which in essence is a representation of the electrical activity of the heart muscle cells," Dr. Somers adds.

AI model shows strong performance — especially for women

In the study, the researchers used AI algorithms to review the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) test results of 11,299 patients at Mayo Clinic who had undergone the test along with sleep evaluations. More than 7,000 of them had a known diagnosis of OSA, and 4,000 were controls.

"The most surprising finding was the increased visibility on the ECG of OSA in the females compared to the males, even though the OSA severity was less in the females," says Dr. Somers.

"This is relevant since emerging data consistently suggest that females have a greater relative likelihood of suffering the cardiovascular consequences of OSA, even if their OSA may be considered 'milder' by standard diagnostic criteria," he adds.

The test also strongly suggests women may suffer more damage to their heart muscle cells from OSA, Dr. Somers says.

Dr. Somers underscores that this approach may have the potential to evaluate whether a given OSA treatment may be able to reduce a patient's cardiovascular risk.

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post How Mayo Clinic experts are using AI to better detect sleep apnea, especially in women appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

New program extends reach of Mayo Clinic's data-driven expertise to benefit more patients 

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic today announced the launch of Mayo Clinic Platform_Insights, a new offering from Mayo Clinic Platform designed to give healthcare organizations of all sizes across the globe access to Mayo Clinic's digital expertise, data-driven insights and clinical knowledge. 

Mayo Clinic Platform_Insights delivers Mayo Clinic's rich clinical and operational expertise to healthcare providers through a guided, affordable path to reduce the digital divide driven by the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI). Many healthcare providers risk falling behind in keeping up with AI advances. The Mayo Clinic Platform_Insights program helps organizations navigate the complex AI landscape in healthcare and implement solutions to solve their biggest challenges. 

Technology to benefit patients 

"When we share knowledge, we make better decisions — both in diagnosis and treatment," says Maneesh Goyal, chief operating officer, Mayo Clinic Platform. "This new program allows us to extend the reach and expertise of leading healthcare organizations within our digital ecosystem to help others perform better and improve patient outcomes everywhere." 

At the core of Mayo Clinic Platform_Insights is data-driven insights, enabled by AI, shared alongside Mayo Clinic's best practices, guidance and support.

"Digital solutions and artificial intelligence have enormous potential to transform healthcare but there are barriers to widespread adoption," Goyal adds. "When organizations partner with us, they gain access to proven clinical and administrative solutions and the technical framework to integrate them seamlessly."

Solutions available on Mayo Clinic Platform are trained and validated on the data network available through Mayo Clinic Platform_Connect, a global health data network of academic research partners powering limitless innovation and next-generation care. This growing network today encompasses 26 petabytes of clinical information, including more than 3 billion laboratory tests, 1.6 billion clinical notes and more than 6 billion medical images from hundreds of complex diseases.  

"Technology should enhance, not complicate, the practice of medicine," says Clark Otley, M.D., Mayo Clinic Platform's chief medical officer. "Mayo Clinic Platform_Insights brings the humanism back into medicine by ensuring that every digital innovation serves one purpose: improving the patient experience and outcomes."

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About Mayo Clinic Platform
Mayo Clinic Platform is a strategic initiative of Mayo Clinic that enables collaboration, data-driven innovation and responsible AI development to transform healthcare globally. By securely connecting health systems, innovators and researchers, Mayo Clinic Platform accelerates the discovery, validation and deployment of solutions that improve care for patients everywhere. 

Media contact:

• Tom Millikin, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic launches Mayo Clinic Platform_Insights to advance digital innovation and quality improvement across healthcare    appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — HealthLocator, a new, free digital tool, launches today to help patients and families find hospitals that consistently provide high-quality care.

HealthLocator gathers national quality data into a single, easy-to-navigate tool that allows users to search by city, specialty, or hospital. With just a few clicks, people can compare hospitals based on performance and make more informed choices about their care.

"HealthLocator brings together existing external national quality data into one clear, trusted source to help people select a high-quality hospital for themselves or a loved one," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic.

For more than a decade, Mayo Clinic has used a combination of publicly available data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on clinical quality, hospital patient safety and associated infection metrics, and patient experience to inform and advance its own improvement initiatives. These same evidence-based measures are used to rate more than 5,000 U.S. hospitals featured in HealthLocator.

"HealthLocator offers a clear, evidence-based view of hospital quality that aligns with Mayo Clinic's primary value: the needs of the patient come first," says Sean Dowdy, M.D., chief value officer for Mayo Clinic and the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Associate Dean for Practice Transformation. "By helping people make informed healthcare decisions, we're improving lives."

More information about HealthLocator’s methodology is available in New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst.

Created for patients by those who serve them, HealthLocator is offered as a free public service. Users do not need to create an account, and there are no subscriptions.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Andrea Kalmanovitz, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Find trusted, high-quality hospitals nationwide with HealthLocator  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a specific immune cell that can be targeted to give a boost to standard immunotherapies for cancer. Two research teams, working collaboratively but using distinct approaches, found that "first-responder" immune cells known as myeloid cells can be manipulated to enhance the activity of tumor-killing T cells.

The finding suggests that enhanced myeloid cells may boost certain immune checkpoint therapies, which are the standard of care for some cancers but may not have lasting effects. A clinical trial is now being developed at Mayo Clinic to test the enhanced cells in patients.

In a study in Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, Mayo Clinic researchers detailed how they found a way to boost cancer-killing T cells. The goal was to improve treatments that interfere with immunosuppressive proteins, PD-1 and PD-L1, which together suppress T cells' ability to fight cancer. Even though PD-L1 immunotherapies aim to block PD-L1, the researchers found that the molecule can persist through a natural recycling process that puts it back in play.

"Our study found the importance of the recycling process, and we present a way to address it," says Haidong Dong, M.D., Ph.D., a cancer immunology researcher at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and principal investigator of the study.

The research team developed an antibody, H1A, which they found can reduce PD-L1 in human myeloid cells and keep it from recycling. The protein PD-L1 is present in abundance on the surface of myeloid cells. When the protein was prevented from recycling on myeloid cells, the cells then boosted the action of cancer-killing T cells.

"We now have a tool that can completely remove PD-L1 and in doing so we have more myeloid cell activation," says lead author of the study, Michelle Hsu, who conducted the research as her graduate thesis at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. "Identifying the myeloid cell was an unexpected discovery," she says.

Another Mayo Clinic team took a different approach and arrived at a similar conclusion about the importance of myeloid cells. A research team led by immunology researcher Jessica Lancaster, Ph.D., at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, reported in iScience that macrophages, a type of myeloid cell, play a role in activating the cancer-killing T cells.

Watch animation

Animation available in the downloads: Live cell microscopy shows a cancer-killing T cell (magenta) as it migrates and interacts with macrophages (blue) in the tumor microenvironment. Black spaces are packed with non-fluorescent tumor cells. Image captured by Tina Kwok, Mayo Clinic.

Using the complex approach of live-cell microscopy, the team found that in mice, T cells interact closely with the macrophages and create a molecular environment that has greater capacity to kill a tumor.

"This is a paradigm shift for PD-L1 immunotherapy, which has traditionally focused on the interaction of the tumor and the T cells," says Dr. Lancaster. "We found that it’s important to co-opt the macrophage, which acts as another immune cell partner."

Further, says lead author Tina Kwok, who completed the studies during her Ph.D. research at Mayo Clinic, "We can directly reprogram tumor macrophages to be more pro-inflammatory. They can become better T-cell activators and drive better tumor control. Reprogramming of the macrophage may be key to being able to prevent therapy resistance and change outcomes for patients."

Based on the findings from both labs, a phase 1 clinical trial of H1A is being planned. The research could ultimately better address resistance to immunotherapy and expand treatment options for people with cancer.

Review the studies in Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer and iScience for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.

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About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center 
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world's most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic researchers find enhancing the body’s ‘first responder’ cells may boost immune therapy for cancer appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A new study from Mayo Clinic underscores the widespread impact of menopause symptoms on midlife women — and raises concern that most are navigating this stage of life without medical care to help manage those challenges.

The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, was based on responses from nearly 5,000 women ages 45-60 who were surveyed across four Mayo Clinic primary care locations. More than 3 out of 4 respondents experienced menopause symptoms, with many reporting substantial effects on daily life, work productivity and overall well-being.

Despite the availability of safe and effective treatment options, Mayo Clinic researchers found that menopause symptoms remain underrecognized, undertreated and inadequately addressed in the health care system.

Severe symptoms affect daily life, yet few women seek care or receive treatment

More than one-third (34%) of women who were surveyed reported moderate to very severe symptoms. Sleep disturbances and weight gain were among the most common issues reported by more than half of participants.

The most striking finding was that more than 80% of the women who responded to the survey did not seek medical care for their menopause symptoms. While many women said they preferred to manage symptoms on their own, others said that they were too busy or unaware that effective treatments exist. Only about 1 in 4 women were receiving any treatment for menopause symptoms at the time of the survey.

"Menopause is universal for women at midlife, the symptoms are common and disruptive, and yet, few women are receiving care that could help them," says lead author Ekta Kapoor, M.B.B.S., an endocrinologist and menopause specialist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "This gap has real consequences for women's health and quality of life, and it's time we address it more proactively."

Without proper treatment, menopause symptoms can negatively affect sleep, mood, cognition, and productivity at work and at home. The findings underscore the importance of healthcare professionals proactively identifying and managing menopause symptoms in patients who may be struggling with them, the authors said.

Researchers call for proactive care strategies and new tools to close the treatment gap

The study noted that women often do not voluntarily mention concerns about menopause symptoms to their healthcare professional. Mayo Clinic researchers emphasize the need for strategies that destigmatize menopause care and make it more visible and accessible. Efforts are underway to develop questionnaires, digital tools and smartphone apps that help women identify symptoms, learn about treatment options and have more productive discussions with their primary care professionals.

"Our goal is to educate women and healthcare professionals about menopause," Dr. Kapoor says. "By making it easier to recognize and understand symptoms, we can close the gap between need and care — and help midlife women live healthier, more fulfilling lives."

Review the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.  A video of Dr. Kapoor discussing the findings is available.

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About Mayo Clinic Proceedings
One of the premier peer-reviewed clinical journals in general and internal medicine, Mayo Clinic Proceedings is among the most widely read and highly cited scientific publications for physicians. Continuously published since 1926 and celebrating its centennial next year, Mayo Clinic Proceedings is sponsored by Mayo Clinic, guided by its Bold. Forward. vision to transform medicine as the global authority in the care of serious or complex disease. The journal publishes original research, articles and commentary from authors worldwide and has an Impact Factor of 6.7, placing it in the top 10% among general and internal medicine journals.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.  

Media contact:

• Sharon Theimer, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic study finds majority of midlife women with menopause symptoms do not seek care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a key reason why certain breast cancers might not respond to an important new class of therapeutics called antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). These treatments pair an antibody that targets cancer cells with a strong chemotherapy drug. For many patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancers, ADCs such as trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) have dramatically improved outcomes.

"While T-DXd has shown remarkable results for many patients, it hasn't worked for everyone with advanced HER2+ breast cancer," says Peter Lucas, M.D., Ph.D., vice chair for research in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and co-senior author of the study, published in Nature Cancer. "This indicates that some tumors have built-in resistant mechanisms that prevent the drug from doing its job."

In the study, researchers in the Oncoimmune Signaling and Therapeutics Laboratory at Mayo Clinic discovered that a shortened version of the HER2 protein, called p95HER2, that is produced by a subset of HER2+ breast cancers can alter treatment response. The protein p95HER2 "signals differently" from the full HER2 oncoprotein — which proved to be the key to how it drives therapy resistance.

"Our discovery that p95HER2 has the unique ability to induce signals that produce an immune-protected microenvironment strongly suggested that p95HER2 could function within cancer cells to actively resist T-DXd," says Dr. Lucas.

The study also revealed that a drug called neratinib is highly effective at blocking the action of p95HER2, even causing the protein to be degraded.

"In fact, treatment with neratinib results in complete p95HER2 degradation, abolishing the protein from the cancer cells in our preclinical models," says Dong Hu, Ph.D., a research scientist in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic and lead author of the manuscript.

Based on these findings, the research team believes the next step is a clinical trial to evaluate the combination of neratinib with T-DXd in patients with HER2+ early breast cancer. The goal is to determine if this combination therapy can improve the response in cancers that co-express p95HER2 along with full HER2.

They note that this is just one of many therapeutic combinations being considered.

"No single, one-size-fits-all approach to treatment will work for every patient with HER2+ breast cancer," says Linda McAllister, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Mayo Clinic and co-senior author of the study.

However, with the discovery of p95HER2's role, a clear roadmap for future treatment is in sight.

"Having this new understanding of why T-DXd does not always work helps us to envision next steps toward customized therapies and more cures," says Dr. Lucas. "It's all about staying one step ahead of cancer."

For a complete list of authors, disclosures and findings, review the study. The work was supported by the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer SPORE.

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About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center 
Designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center is defining the cancer center of the future, focused on delivering the world's most exceptional patient-centered cancer care for everyone. At Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, a culture of innovation and collaboration is driving research breakthroughs in cancer detection, prevention and treatment to change lives.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact: 

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

The post Mayo Clinic discovery of breast cancer treatment resistance can lead to new hope for some appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — When it comes to treating disease, one promising avenue is addressing the presence of senescent cells. These cells — also known as "zombie cells" — stop dividing but don't die off as cells typically do. They turn up in numerous diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and in the process of aging. While potential treatments aim to remove or repair the cells, one hurdle has been finding a way to identify them among healthy cells in living tissue. 

In the journal Aging Cell, Mayo Clinic researchers report finding a new technique to tag senescent cells. The team used molecules known as "aptamers" — small segments of synthetic DNA that fold into three-dimensional shapes. Aptamers have the ability to attach themselves to proteins on the surfaces of cells. In mouse cells, the team found several rare aptamers, identified from among more than 100 trillion random DNA sequences, that can latch onto specific cell surface proteins and flag senescent cells.

"This approach established the principle that aptamers are a technology that can be used to distinguish senescent cells from healthy ones," says biochemist and molecular biologist Jim Maher, III, Ph.D., a principal investigator of the study. "Though this study is a first step, the results suggest the approach could eventually apply to human cells."

From a quirky idea to collaboration  

The project began with the quirky idea of a Mayo Clinic graduate student who had a chance conversation with a classmate.

Keenan Pearson, Ph.D. — who recently received his degree from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences — was working under the mentorship of Dr. Maher, studying how aptamers might address neurodegenerative diseases or brain cancer.

A few floors away, Sarah Jachim, Ph.D., — who was also then conducting her graduate research — was working in the lab of researcher Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D., Director, Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, who studies senescent cells and aging.

At a scientific event, the two happened to chat about their graduate thesis projects. Dr. Pearson thought aptamer technology might be able to identify senescent cells. "I thought the idea was a good one, but I didn't know about the process of preparing senescent cells to test them, and that was Sarah's expertise," says Dr. Pearson, who became lead author of the publication.  

They pitched the idea to their mentors and to researcher Darren Baker, Ph.D., who investigates therapies to treat senescent cells. At first, Dr. Maher acknowledges, the students' idea seemed "crazy" but worth pursuing. The three mentors were excited about the plan. "We frankly loved that it was the students' idea and a real synergy of two research areas," says Dr. Maher.

The students obtained compelling results sooner than they expected and quickly recruited other student participants from the labs. Then-graduate students Brandon Wilbanks, Ph.D., Luis Prieto, Ph.D., and M.D.-Ph.D. student Caroline Doherty, each contributed additional approaches, including special microscopy techniques and more varied tissue samples. "It became encouraging to expend more effort," Dr. Jachim says, "because we could tell it was a project that was going to succeed."

Identifying attributes of senescent cells

 The study has provided new information about senescent cells beyond a way to tag them. "To date, there aren't universal markers that characterize senescent cells," says Dr. Maher. "Our study was set up to be open-ended about the target surface molecules on senescent cells. The beauty of this approach is that we let the aptamers choose the molecules to bind to."

The study found several aptamers latched onto a variant of a specific molecule on the surface of mouse cells, a protein called fibronectin. The role of this variant fibronectin in senescence is not yet understood. The finding means that aptamers may be a tool to further define unique characteristics of senescent cells.

Additional studies will be necessary to find aptamers that can identify senescent cells in humans. Aptamers with the ability to latch onto senescent cells could potentially deliver a therapy directly to those cells. Dr. Pearson notes aptamer technology is less expensive and more versatile than conventional antibodies, proteins that are typically used to differentiate cells from one another.

"This project demonstrated a novel concept," says Dr. Maher. "Future studies may extend the approach to applications related to senescent cells in human disease."

See the study for a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding.

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Media contact:

• Julie Ferris-Tillman, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

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