Treatment

​Acyclovir is one of the most commonly-used herpes-treatment drugs. It can also damage the kidneys, however, so the less of it that's used, the better. According to a new study, combining the drug with activated carbon helps make it more effective, so a smaller amount of it is required.

​Commonly known as Paneer dodi, the herb Withania coagulans has been used in traditional Indian medicine for many years now – among other things, it is claimed to help control diabetes. A new study shows that it indeed may do so, particularly when it's ingested within special capsules.

​When a spinal cord injury occurs, sometimes it's the body's own immune system that causes the subsequent paralysis. In the not-too-distant future, however, it's possible that an injection of nanoparticles at the injury site may be able to rein in the well-meaning but destructive immune cells.

​Despite some promising research, there is currently no one reliable cure for vitiligo. There may be new hope, however, as a recent study has shown an existing medication to be quite effective at repigmenting the affected skin.

​In developing nations with limited infrastructure, obtaining vitamin supplements can be difficult. With that in mind, German scientists are now suggesting that people in such regions could fight tuberculosis (TB) by ingesting something else – oyster mushrooms that have been sitting in the sun.

​The box jellyfish is the world's most venomous creature, with a sting from its trailing tentacles causing intense pain, necrosis of the skin, and in some cases death by cardiac arrest. Now, however, scientists have found an antidote for such stings – and it's an existing cholesterol-lowering drug.

​In MS, the immune system attacks and damages myelin, which is the insulation on nerves in the spinal cord, brain and optic nerve. This causes the nerves to short-circuit. In "a potential game-changer," scientists have now demonstrated that a synthetic molecule can restore compromised myelin.

Doctors in the south of the UK can now run through virtual reality simulations of emergency care for folks suffering from Type 1 diabetes, before applying what they've learned on real patients.

​It was just last month that we heard about a brain implant which dispenses a protein to stop seizures in epileptic rats. An unrelated study now suggests that a brain implant in humans, which delivers that same protein, could be used to treat and even reverse the effects of Parkinson's disease.

​It's safe to say that no one likes the thought of getting a needle in the eye. If they have to, therefore, it would certainly be best if the procedure were performed correctly the first time. A new "smart" tissue-sensing needle is designed to help that happen.

Tumors are made up of many different types of cancer cells, and we can’t always clear them all out. Now Oxford researchers have developed a way to track the genetic “life histories” of thousands of individual cancer cells at once, which may lead to more effective and personalized cancer treatments.

​Resulting from bone-breaks, deep puncture wounds, severe tooth decay or other causes, osteomyelitis is a bone infection that in serious cases may lead to amputations or even death. It's also notoriously difficult to treat, although a newly-developed implant could help change that.