Month: November 2024

Wild birds in cities might spread drug-resistant bacteria: Wild ducks, crows and other birds living in proximity to people can carry antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, posing threats to human and animal health, according to a study in Current Biology. Researchers found genetic markers of antimicrobial-resistant Campylobactor jejuni in all 30 bird species studied in multiple countries, and birds living near humans carried more bacterial strains and had much higher levels of AMR genes than birds in sparsely populated places.

Studies of fruit bats may shed light on human diabetes: Fruit- and nectar-eating bats’ blood glucose levels rise when they consume sweet fruits and flower nectars; however, blood sugar levels quickly return to normal, and bats do not develop diabetes. Scientists have discovered that fruit bats have more insulin-producing pancreatic cells than their insect-eating cousins, and have genetic differences that appear to influence how quickly their bodies process sugar. The findings may lead to new treatments for diabetes.

Preliminary research offers hope for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) patients: Recent studies have revealed important insights into inflammatory bowel disease, including the identification of a gene involved in immune system regulation that may worsen IBD, the discovery of autoantibodies that inhibit anti-inflammatory proteins, and the detection of bacteria in stool samples of IBD patients that could predict disease severity. Immunologist Gabriel Nunez cautions that these studies are preliminary and may only benefit a few IBD patients, but even that would be significant progress.

Brain implant dramatically reduces seizures: Oran Knowlson, a teenager with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, has experienced an 80% reduction in his daytime seizures after becoming the first person to trial a new brain implant called Picostim, which delivers constant electrical signals deep into his brain to block abnormal brain impulses. The latest generation of neural implants not only decode but also regulate brain activity, offering promising treatments for a wide range of conditions including epilepsy, Parkinson’s and brain cancer.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)software, brain implants restore patient’s voice: Researchers have restored the voice of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using a brain-computer interface implant and AI-driven text-to-speech software. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed the approach achieved an accuracy rate of more than 97% in translating brain signals into speech.

Investors unshaken by Medicare’s drug price cuts: Investors have remained calm despite Medicare negotiating a 22% reduction in net spending on some top-selling drugs, with the pharmaceutical industry expected to manage the impact without disruption to profits or drug development. “It’s not surprising to me that the markets haven’t come crashing down, because I think this process was not set up to bankrupt the pharmaceutical industry,” said Aaron Kesselheim, physician and attorney at Harvard.

Scientists who fled Afghanistan try to settle into new lives: Clinical scientist Shekiba Madadi left Afghanistan after the Taliban took power and began suppressing research and oppressing women, and she is now in the United States pursuing a medical degree and working at a private cardiac treatment center. Another female scientist, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her family in Afghanistan, says that the Taliban took away her life, and despite facing severe limits due to her nationality, she was able to obtain a position in fetal medicine in the US and organizes virtual training sessions for young women who have been blocked from medical schools in Afghanistan.

Biomaterial regenerates cartilage in sheep knee joints: A new biomaterial has shown potential in regenerating high-quality cartilage in sheep’s knee joints, offering a promising treatment for osteoarthritis, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The biomaterial uses modified hyaluronic acid to create a scaffold that supports cartilage regeneration and could potentially make total knee replacement surgeries obsolete.