Disease

There's been a significant rise in people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in recent years, with some 61.8 million cases worldwide. Experts are calling for better access to medical support as it moves into the top 10 of non-fatal health burdens.

The hugely ambitious project of mapping the estimated 37.2 trillion cells of the human body is close to reaching a historic milestone – the first draft of the 'atlas.' We got a glimpse at what's in store from this unprecedented biological guidebook.

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.

Researchers at UCSF have developed a single genomic test that can quickly detect virtually any kind of pathogen in a patient. This allows for much quicker diagnoses, enables targeted treatment to begin sooner, and could lower healthcare costs.

A condition that killed millions of sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries has made a modern-day resurgence in parts of the world you'd least expect to see it. While it's easily treated, it can still prove fatal if ignored or wrongly diagnosed.

Science's war against the super-small and, sometimes, super-deadly bacteria that have evolved to resist destruction by antibiotics may have just enlisted new, unlikely allies: invertebrate creatures living in the frigid depths of the Arctic Ocean.

If you're getting plenty of leafy greens, dark chocolate, nuts, and beans, you're probably doing fine. But if your diet is lacking, you might want to pay attention to this new eye-opening study that links a mineral deficiency issue to DNA changes.

In a completely different kind of germ warfare, researchers have tested out a way to drop mosquitoes infected with disease-fighting bacteria over populations prone to outbreaks of dengue fever. It's an ingenious way to scale up a proven solution.

Scientists are again on high alert, as whole genome sequencing of the H5N1 virus has revealed that it is capable of multidirectional infections across species. While human risk is low, it's a step forward for the pathogen in this biological arm's race.

A new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has shown promise in not only slowing the progression of the disease but potentially even reversing the muscle damage, with human trials set to begin within two years.

To Brie or not to Brie: A massive study of 2.3 million people has found that mental well-being may be the most important aspect to healthy aging and living longer. And, surprisingly, eating more cheese had a rather interesting impact on the results.

New research uncovering the DNA-damaging mechanism by which a mutated gene causes a rare, fatal disease may have repercussions for the treatment of many other diseases linked to aging, including heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.