Illnesses and conditions

A new nanoparticle drug has shown preclinical promise in both preventing rheumatoid arthritis and reducing painful flare-ups, offering hope for a targeted, steroid-sparing treatment that calms the immune system without widespread suppression.

A novel way to prevent the spread of malaria by directly targeting the proteins that enable the infectious parasite to reproduce could soon be realized, thanks to scientists at WEHI in Australia.

Borrowing a cancer cell’s disguise, scientists shielded insulin-producing cells from attack by the immune system, a breakthrough that could pave the way for targeted type 1 diabetes treatments without whole-body immunosuppression.

The preserved lung of an 18-year-old Swiss man has been used to create the full genome of the 1918 "Spanish flu," the first complete influenza A genome with a precise date from Europe, offering insights into the pandemic that claimed up to 100 million lives.

Researchers have discovered a secret super power that cancer cells exhibit while squeezing themselves through our bodies. The finding now gives scientists the chance to discover the kryptonite that will sap them of this extra boost of strength.

While obesity significantly increases the risk of many cancers, scientists have now uncovered that there are specific dietary fat drivers that impede the body's ability to fight tumors. This landmark reveals that not all fats are created equal.

An epidemic that's been sustained for 44 years might finally be quelled, with the milestone approval of the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with its twice-yearly injections. It's a landmark achievement set to save millions of lives.

Adding to the growing body of evidence supporting the health benefits of cramming all your weekly exercise into two days, a large new study has found that it can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality in adults with diabetes.

The US Food and Drug Administration has instructed all GLP-1 drug-makers to update warning labels to include the risk of serious kidney injury that can result from dehydration. This comes after cases of acute kidney injury have required hemodialysis.

The first human-tested weight-loss drug that burns calories through creatine-based heat generation, without reducing appetite, has successfully completed its Phase I trial. In the trial, participants lost an average of 3% fat mass in two weeks.

For decades now, obesity has been defined by a number on a scale or where you land on the body mass index measure. But a groundbreaking study has found that it’s far more complex, finding 11 distinct biological types, each with their own health risks.

What if you could inject a drug into a "problem area" – like the abdomen – and have it safely and rapidly kill off fat cells? We could be within 12 months of this reality, as the world's first safe, targeted fat-loss jab enters Phase 3 trials.

Following on from a breakthrough human trial that reprogrammed the immune system to overpower an aggressive brain tumor, scientists have now used the same mRNA tech to attack any cancer. It could make chemotherapy, surgery and radiation redundant.

A massive global study has ranked the best and safest treatments for chronic hives when antihistamines fall short. The findings provide a clear treatment roadmap for both patients and clinicians alike.

Scientists have created a hydrogel “rest stop” that shields cancer-fighting T cells, delaying their exhaustion and boosting their killing power. The game-changing strategy could supercharge immunotherapy, giving T cells time to regroup and hit harder.