Researchers at the University of Geneva are combing through collections of approved drugs to find new therapies for rare diseases – with some success. This approach is gaining traction around the world, while pharmaceutical companies' interest in developing drugs is waning. Five years ago, Vladimir Katanaev's laboratory at the University of Geneva made a [...]
By pairing robust artificial enzymes with highly selective aptamers, nanozyme aptasensors could help detect disease biomarkers, pathogens, and contaminants faster, but the review shows that real-world deployment still depends on overcoming matrix interference, biofouling, and manufacturing challenges. A recent review accepted as an 'Article in Press' in the journal npj Biosensing explored how synthetic enzyme-like nanomaterials, [...]
Aneuroprosthetic system has allowed a man with paralysis to grasp and lift objects and feel touch again. The device helped 42-year-old Keith Thomas of Massapequa, New York, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a diving accident in 2020. After the accident, he couldn’t lift his hands to his face and had no [...]
New data reveal major geographic disparities and highlight the urgent need for global action on prevention, early detection, and equitable access to treatment. For roughly one in five people worldwide, cancer will become part of their lifetime. Global Cancer Statistics, 2026 estimates that nearly 21 million people were diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and [...]
BU virologist Nancy Sullivan says the Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo underscores the need for broader outbreak preparedness. The death of a nurse marked the moment health officials recognized that something dangerous was spreading. The illness was Bundibugyo virus, a rare but potentially deadly infection now driving a growing outbreak in [...]
From receptor mismatch to risky human-animal interfaces, this article explains why spillover is common but true pandemic emergence remains rare. Introduction Humans are constantly exposed to animal viruses through farming, wildlife contact, and the environment; however, most animal viruses never reach pandemic potential. Successful spillover events are uncommon, as viruses must navigate complex biological, [...]
A Stanford University team has shown that vascular organoids derived from human stem cells can repair the heart’s microvessel network in pigs with ischaemic heart disease – a proof-of-concept advancement that could open new therapeutic opportunities. Scientists have developed a potential new treatment for coronary artery disease that could help repair tiny blood vessels in [...]
Prevention is suddenly everywhere in NHS reform. The recent £340m community pharmacy deal is moving more services onto the high street. Community Diagnostic Centres are being expanded, and the Neighbourhood Health Framework sets out a clearer route towards more preventative, local care. The government’s NHS Modernisation Bill points in the same direction, with proposals [...]
Effective response depends on cooperation with communities and frontline workers, writes Zaeem ul Haq The current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda is exposing dangerous gaps in global health security. Experts warn that, amid the aid cuts and ongoing conflict in the region, the outbreak could become [...]
Scientists discovered that building a healthy brain involves an unexpected step: young neurons routinely break and rapidly repair their own DNA. As the brain develops, newly formed nerve cells must travel through tightly packed tissue to reach the locations where they will become part of the brain’s neural networks. That demanding journey turns out to [...]
