Illnesses and conditions

Fresh air might not be quite as fresh as we think. Viruses and bacteria get swept up into the atmosphere in enormous amounts, and now a new study has quantified that amount, finding that untold billions of microorganisms are raining down across the Earth every day.

For decades we have known that alcohol consumption increases a person’s risk of developing cancer, but how this actually occurs has never been completely understood. Now a team has demonstrated how alcohol permanently damages DNA in stem cells which subsequently increases cancer risks

Mosquitoes do a superb job of spreading diseases like malaria – now researchers have shown it's possible to hijack these pests and distribute vaccines via mosquito bite. In human trials, these mozzie-borne vaccines proved around 90% effective.

The lamprey is not something you’d normally want anywhere near your brain. But now, researchers have used molecules taken from the freaky fish’s immune system to deliver drugs inside the body – and even managed to sneak them into the brain.

Brown fat has been studied as a potential treatment for obesity and related health issues. Now a team at Boston University has sequenced the genes of different fat types and found that white fat may be turned brown through several different mechanisms, including by way of an experimental chemo drug.

Scientists fed fruit flies a diet to make them extra plump. In their old age, the researchers put them on a diet and found remarkable results. If the findings transfer to humans, it might mean we can improve our health at any age by cutting calories.