Illnesses and conditions

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have hit upon new technologies to deliver a double whammy to chronic wounds in diabetics, using tiny needles barely visible to the human eye.

Extracts made from parts of the cashew plant that are usually thrown away when the nuts are processed commercially were found to significantly limit the development of fat cells and the accumulation of fat, according to new research.

It was only a matter of time until the GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy were superseded, and now it looks like we'll have the next generation of these breakthrough weight loss and diabetes medicines on shelves by early next year.

In what's expected to soon be commonplace, artificial intelligence is being harnessed to pick up signs of cancer more accurately than the trained human eye. This latest AI model has a near 100% success rate and serves as a sign of things to come.

COVID antiviral Paxlovid wasn't perfect. Many patients couldn't take it due to extreme side effects but now the second generation of antivirals are on the way and they promise better efficacy and fewer drug complications.

A mainstay of Parkinson's disease treatment, levodopa can cause nasty side-effects with long-term use. A recent human trial found that a new drug significantly reduces these effects, representing a breakthrough milestone in Parkinson’s treatment.

Recent human trials of a new one-year-long immune-based treatment for post-polio syndrome, which can strike polio survivors years after the initial infection and be very debilitating, have produced positive results.

When experienced researcher Renato Aguilera happened across the chemical structure of a tried-and-true antimalarial drug, he thought it might effectively fight cancer. He was right, and he has the research, the patent, and the pharma company to prove it.

After screening 20,000 protein-encoding genes in the human body, Stanford researchers have identified a naturally occurring molecule that works like semaglutide, most popularly known as Ozempic, to put the brakes on appetite and weight gain.

A clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a plant-based pill to treat type 2 diabetes has produced some promising results, significantly improving blood glucose control and boosting heart and liver health. Larger clinical studies are pending.

Scientists in the UK have successfully used gene therapy to restore some vision to legally blind children with an inherited retinal condition. All 11 children in the clinical trial saw improvements within weeks of a single surgical treatment.

Scientists in China have found a new potential drug target for weight loss. Blocking a protein called CD44 has been shown to protect against obesity in mice on a high-fat diet, specifically by suppressing the formation of white fat cells.

Human protection against bird flu may be easier than previously thought, thanks to new findings about the genetic makeup of the virus and one particular immune cell that all of us have. It also paves the way for fast-tracking the first H5N1 vaccine.

Transplanting insulin-producing cells along with engineered blood-vessel-forming cells has successfully reversed type 1 diabetes in a new preclinical study. With further testing, the novel approach could one day cure the as-yet incurable condition.

An antioxidant found in broccoli sprouts in high concentrations can improve blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes, the precursor to type 2 diabetes, according to new research. The findings suggest a personalized treatment approach is needed.