Health + Wellness

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers have discovered a way to get anti-inflammatory medicine across the blood-brain barrier, opening the door to potential new therapies for a range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and cancer cachexia.

The delivery method involves specially engineered nanoparticles, tiny bits of matter no larger than 100 billionths of a meter.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – More than two-fifths of Oregon community pharmacies require a prescription to purchase syringes, even though they can be sold over the counter, creating an access barrier that could exacerbate the spread of bloodborne diseases like hepatitis C.

PORTLAND, Ore. – New magnetic nanoparticles in the shape of a cube sandwiched between two pyramids represent a breakthrough for treating ovarian tumors and possibly other types of cancer, according to the Oregon State University researchers who developed them.

The scientists say the study underscores the importance of shape in magnetic nanoparticle design and that the findings will potentially revolutionize treatments that use heat to damage or kill cancer cells.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An analysis of high school soccer players suggests that incorporating a lower extremity injury prevention program results in fewer anterior cruciate ligament tears and a big reduction in health care expenses.

The study by Oregon State University researchers shows that every dollar spent on preventing ACL tears saves more than seven times that much in treatment and rehabilitation costs, which the researchers note could mean a huge return on investment for insurance companies willing to fund lower extremity injury prevention programs, or IPPs.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – New research shows that wild birds can account for much of the avian influenza virus evidence found in wastewater in Oregon, suggesting wastewater detections of the virus do not automatically signal human, poultry or dairy cattle cases of bird flu.

The study looked at the new clade of avian influenza virus that first appeared in the United States in January 2022 and by the end of 2024 had infected poultry and cattle throughout the country.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Adults with high levels of playfulness showed strong resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to less playful individuals, new research shows.

The study led by Xiangyou “Sharon” Shen of Oregon State University is important because playfulness is a vital but underappreciated resource for building resilience and maintaining well-being during difficult periods such as the pandemic, Shen said. And it’s a resource that individuals can cultivate.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A new drug delivery system shows promise for treating a rare, aggressive form of cancer affecting pregnant women and new mothers, and it has potential with other cancers as well.

Scientists led by Olena Taratula, a nanomedicine researcher at Oregon State University, have found a way to better ensure the drug used to combat the disease reaches tumor cells without damaging healthy tissue.

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded up to $11.9 million to Oregon State University to invent new drug delivery technologies for protecting members of the military from a range of health threats in combat areas.

Once designed, developed and tested, the technologies could also be applied as needed within the general public, said OSU College of Pharmacy nanomedicine researcher Gaurav Sahay, the project leader.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The majority of low-income mothers in Oregon who rely on federal cash assistance around the time of childbirth are in the program for less than a year, suggesting they’re using it as a form of paid family leave, Oregon State University research shows.

The first-of-its-kind study has important implications in the state, which in 2023 established a taxpayer-funded paid family leave program, and throughout the United States as poverty has a particularly high incidence among young children.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Hiking by yourself deep in a forest and similar episodes of intense solitude are not as likely to restore energy and enhance social connectedness as less complete forms of solitude, such as reading in a café or listening to Spotify while commuting, research by Oregon State University suggests.