Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and TUM have developed Synthetic Transfer Vehicles (STVs), an entirely new class of RNA transporters. To do so, they combined naturally occurring protein building blocks with synthetic protein structures designed using generative AI. Systematic screening identified STV-C8 as the most efficient candidate: In cell culture, it transports RNA far more efficiently than the lipid nanoparticles tested and can be adapted to different RNA cargoes and target cells. In animal models, the team demonstrated that the system also works in a living organism. RNA-based therapeutics use RNA as a blueprint that enables cells to produce specific proteins –…

Medical imaging platform Scan.com announced Monday it has secured $220 million in combined equity and debt financing, including a $90 million series C funding round, to build the nation’s “largest” imaging network. The $90 million equity round was led by Noteus Partners, with participation from Aviva, Concord Health Partners, YZR Capital, Oxford Capital and more. The company said $130 million of debt facilities were provided by VerisFi Capital and Atempo Growth. “Scan.com’s ability to improve access to high-quality diagnostic imaging while reducing cost and complexity is directly aligned with Concord’s mission to support companies that improve quality, increase access and…

An international consortium of researchers found that more than 1,200 different genetic variants are associated with the Big Five personality traits – and surprisingly, these personality genetics are linked to dozens of life outcomes. This study, led by the Revived Genomics of Personality Consortium, combined results from 46 different research cohorts around the world. Participants in each cohort provided a DNA sample and completed a questionnaire that measured the Big Five personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. These Big Five personality traits are relatively stable and habitual differences in how people think, feel and act. These…

More attention than ever is being paid today to midlife women’s health, including the menopause transition. However, a new scoping review reveals that ongoing inconsistencies and gaps in documentation of symptoms, menopause status, and reproductive stage in electronic health record (EHR) systems are preventing consistent quality care, research analysis, and positive health outcomes. Scoping review results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Approximately 1.3 million US women enter the menopause transition each year, with an estimated 1.1 billion women globally classified as postmenopausal. Although menopause is a normal life stage, it is associated with a…

Thyme Care landed a series E financing round of more than $125 million backed by strategic payers and providers as it aims to expand beyond cancer care navigation. The fresh financing will fuel the company’s continued growth and establishes a new parent organization, Thyme Companies, that aims to building a broader portfolio of businesses to address broader cancer care challenges. JP Morgan’s Morgan Health led the series E round with participation from strategic investors including Humana and CVS Health Ventures, valuing the oncology-focused company at more than $2 billion. Institutional investors AlleyCorp, HealthQuest Capital, Foresite Capital, Concord Health Partners, Frist…

Twin studies have placed the heritability of schizophrenia at roughly eighty percent for decades. Concordance between identical twins, who share the entire genome, does not reach fifty percent. Both figures are well established, and they do not fit together comfortably. Something that is not sequence variation accounts for the difference, and identifying it remains one of the open problems of psychiatric genetics. The book that carries this question opens on an image. A young woman in a flowered dress is walking through an airport in Mexico City with three small children and no husband beside her. It is December 1976.…

Precision oncology care company Cureety announced Wednesday the acquisition of artificial intelligence-driven oncology care organization Reimagine Care. Through the acquisition, the two companies now support more than 250 cancer centers—covering more than 100,000 patients—across five countries, according to the Sept. 2 announcement. Cureety built its platform specifically for oncology, embedding therapy-specific monitoring and triage intelligence to help care teams identify potential deterioration and prioritize patients, while alleviating administrative burden through digital workflows. Reimagine Care, a 2025 Fierce 15 honoree, partners with health systems and providers to become an extension of the cancer center. Patients have access to a virtual care…

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is excited to announce the appointment of new leadership – as well as new tools, analytical services, and a bold vision for the future – for the Single Cell Genomics Center. SCGC is currently the only facility in the world that offers open-access services and educational programs in microbial single cell genomics. Senior research scientists Nicole Poulton and Julia Brown are now jointly leading the state-of-the-art facility. Poulton already serves as director of the Center for Aquatic Cytometry that provides the flow cytometry expertise for SCGC so her joint appointment will enable stronger coupling between…

Employers’ healthcare costs are projected to spike again in 2027, with Marsh (formerly Mercer) estimating an 8.2% increase—the highest since 2003. Analysts project it will be the fifth consecutive year of increased costs after a decade of “more moderate annual increases,” as well as the highest increase in the five-year period. Projections are based on preliminary results of Marsh’s 2026 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Heath Plans, drawing insights from more than 1,800 employers as of Aug. 10.  Moreover, employers estimate the cost of current plans would increase by 11% in 2027 if no actions were taken to mitigate their spending…

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), published by Elsevier, explored elementary school teachers’ experiences before and after the end of the federal universal free school meals (UFSM) policy. Researchers found that teachers perceived the policy had helped reduce student hunger and family stress, while its expiration was associated with increased hunger, anxiety about meal costs, and decreased participation in school meal programs. Researchers conducted online interviews with 25 kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers from six elementary schools in Anchorage, Alaska. Teachers reflected on their experiences during the 2021-2022 school year, when universal free school meals…