Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process. This transition may have coincided with changes in human lifestyles, like [...]
Summary: A large study suggests that symptomatic infection with herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)—best known for causing cold sores—may significantly raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that people with HSV-1 were 80% more likely to have Alzheimer’s, while those treated with antiviral medications had a 17% lower risk. The findings align with [...]
A recent study published in Small addresses the persistent difficulty of treating refractory melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer that often does not respond to existing therapies. Although diagnostic tools and immunotherapies have improved in recent years, a substantial number of patients remain unresponsive to current treatment options, highlighting the need for alternative therapeutic approaches. [...]
Rapidly mutating DNA regions were mapped using a multi-generational family and advanced sequencing tools. Understanding how human DNA changes over generations is crucial for estimating genetic disease risks and tracing our evolutionary history. However, some of the most variable regions of our DNA have been difficult for researchers to access, until now. Scientists from University of [...]
Mental health services around the world are stretched thinner than ever. Long wait times, barriers to accessing care and rising rates of depression and anxiety have made it harder for people to get timely help. As a result, governments and health care providers are looking for new ways to address this problem. One emerging solution is the use of AI chatbots for mental health care. [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm on the long-term health repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in its newly released World Health Statistics Report 2025. The report reveals a staggering decline in global life expectancy, which dropped by 1.8 years between 2019 and 2021 – the sharpest fall in recent history, effectively reversing [...]
How are we able to recall a word we want to say? This basic ability, called word retrieval, is often compromised in patients with brain damage. Interestingly, many patients who can name words they see, like identifying a pet in the room as a "cat", struggle with retrieving words in everyday discourse. Scientists have [...]
Melting sea ice changes not only how much light enters the ocean, but also its color, disrupting marine photosynthesis and altering Arctic ecosystems in subtle but profound ways. As global warming causes sea ice in the polar regions to melt, it is not just the amount of sunlight entering the ocean that changes. The color of [...]
A new study reveals that biofilms in washing machines may contain potential pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, posing possible risks for laundering healthcare workers’ uniforms at home. Washing healthcare uniforms at home could be inadvertently aiding the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections within hospitals, according to new research led by Katie Laird of De Montfort [...]
Researchers found the PHGDH gene directly causes Alzheimer’s and discovered a drug-like molecule, NCT-503, that may help treat the disease early by targeting the gene’s hidden function. A recent study has revealed that a gene previously identified as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease is not just a marker, it is a direct cause of the disease. [...]
