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Researchers at the University of California- Riverside (UCR) recently published results from a study that looked at a protein called tau. By studying the different forms tau proteins take, researchers discovered the difference between people who developed dementia and those who didn’t. The tau protein was critical for researchers because they wanted to understand what the protein could reveal about the mechanism behind plaques and tangles, two critical indicators doctors look for when diagnosing people with Alzheimer’s. (Ali, 12/1)

An experimental pill from Vertex Pharmaceuticals reduced levels of a damaging urine protein by nearly half in a small clinical trial — encouraging evidence that a novel medicine can arrest the underlying genetic cause of a chronic kidney disease that progresses rapidly to kidney failure. Vertex called the mid-stage study results “unprecedented” and said it was working quickly to advance the drug, called VX-147, into a pivotal clinical trial, pending discussions with regulators. (Feuerstein, 12/1)

By the time cancer is discovered, it’s often too late to change its course. Close to half of cancers will already have spread, making death — whether within months, five years, or ten years —  a near certainty. Mammograms, colonoscopies, and other cancer screenings may have caught some. But medicine doesn’t screen for many cancers — though in the future, it’s likely we will be able to with a simple blood draw.  Biotech companies are working to develop what are known as liquid biopsies, tests designed to detect dozens of different cancers. Studies suggest some of these tests can even find aggressive cancers when they’re still constrained and likely curable, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. (Chen, 12/2)

For radiologists working today, the specter of artificial intelligence is inescapable. In the past year, venture capitalists have continued to invest significantly in startups developing AI for medical image analysis and support, with some groups projecting a $20 billion market by 2031. But despite the proliferation of research and investment, AI products are still a hard sell for many radiology practices — even those at academic centers leading clinical research into deep learning. The tools are still in the middle of the hype cycle for any new technology: Inflated expectations are giving way to skepticism and barriers to adoption. (Palmer, 12/2)

A study conducted in 15 hospitals found that discontinuing contact precautions for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) did not result in increased healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates, researchers reported today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. To determine the impact of removing contact precautions for MRSA and VRE, which are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce transmission but are controversial because of associations with patient harms, the researchers performed a retrospective, quasi-observational study at 15 acute care hospitals in a Pennsylvania healthcare system. Twelve of the hospitals (the intervention hospitals) had removed MRSA and VRE contact precautions after a policy change recommended doing so, and 3 (non-intervention hospitals) continued them. (12/1)