Blood

Researchers have developed an ultrafast-acting form of insulin that promises to work up to four times faster than current formulations. The novel drug has only been tested in animals so far but the researchers hope to test it in human trials soon.

A new blood test is promising a non-invasive way for clinicians to diagnose and classify brain tumors. The test will need further verification before it is available but it points to a novel way to detect brain cancer without needing tissue biopsies.

Many readers are likely already familiar with the oximeters that measure blood oxygen levels via the patient's finger. Well, scientists have now developed a device that works on the same principle, but it can be non-invasively used on unborn fetuses.

Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics presented new data from one of the first trials testing gene-editing therapy in human subjects. Fifteen months on from first patient treatment, the therapy is showing remarkable efficacy treating two rare blood diseases.

New research has shown how diluting the blood plasma of older mice can have strong rejuvenation effect on tissues and organs, by reducing the concentration of inflammatory proteins that typically increase with age.

Researchers have created synthetic red blood cells that have all of the useful properties of the real thing, plus a few new tricks. These new cells could be put to work carrying oxygen or drugs through the body, sensing toxins, and other tasks.

A study from Stanford University has delivered the most thorough investigation into a human body’s molecular response to exercise ever conducted. The research points to a future blood test that could objectively measure a person’s general fitness.

A team of scientists has developed software that could make diagnoses of blood disorders much more straightforward, using a smartphone camera to assess levels of hemoglobin as a way of detecting conditions like anemia.

A new experimental drug could help mitigate some of the dangerous side effects caused by a once-promising diabetes medication. Animal tests suggest the combination treatment is both safe and effective at helping regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Researchers have developed a novel technique that combines two diabetes drugs into a single injection. Previously these compounds required separate injections, creating a barrier for treatment that led to few diabetics embracing the novel therapy.

Research from a medical student is pointing to an early-stage biomarker for a variety of cancers. The research found subjects with abnormally small red blood cells were twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer as those with normal blood results.

In a first-of-its-kind study thousands of people with no history of cancer were screened with an experimental multi-cancer blood test. The results caught several pre-symptomatic early stage cancers, but more work is needed before clinical deployment