Health

The results of a new study in which fruit flies were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) and back could help develop treatments designed to keep astronauts' hearts healthy on long-haul missions to Mars.

A new study is the first to investigate the relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the gut microbiome. The preliminary investigation confirms patients suffering from COPD present with changes to microbial populations in the gut.

Pfizer and BioNTech have announced their large Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial is complete. The trial has reportedly met all its primary endpoints and the vaccine is claimed to be 95 percent effective.

A unique study is looking at the effects of universal basic income during a pandemic. Using data from a massive trial in Kenya, the research suggests the policy may help individual well-being but it is not a silver-bullet in times of extreme disruption.

Preliminary results from a trial investigating whether time-restricted eating influences weight loss suggest limiting your caloric intake may be more important than what time you eat. The research, not yet published or peer-reviewed, will be presented at the upcoming American Heart Association’s virtual Scientific Sessions meeting.

Exactly how exercise could be directly helping the body fight cancer has been unclear. Now, a study led by researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet has discovered the way exercise can bolster the cancer-killing ability of certain immune cells.

Researchers have engineered bovine cells to produce lab-grown beef containing a plant nutrient that is converted into vitamin A in the human body. The researchers suggest lab-grown meats could be engineered to convey a broad assortment of health benefits.

Scientists at Penn State University have developed a flexible sensor they say can be safely printed directly onto the skin, where it can track things like body temperature and blood oxygen levels, before being washed off once the job is done.

Do tattoos impair the skin’s ability to sweat? Despite the ubiquitousness of tattoos this question has received little research attention. A first-of-its-kind study suggests inked skin may damage sweat glands and reduce the body’s ability to cool itself.

A new survey has found owning a pet is associated with better mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns. The survey also linked pet ownership to lower levels of loneliness, and both positive associations were detected regardless of species.

The promising results of a Phase 2 trial testing a new, once-weekly insulin treatment for type 2 diabetes have been published. The weekly injection was found to be as safe and effective as daily insulin shots and a larger Phase 3 trial is currently being planned.

A new study has compared the physical and cognitive performance of a group of older people in 2017 with a similarly aged group three decades earlier. Improvements were seen in almost every test, suggesting progress has been made extending healthspan.