Health

An international team of scientists has found compelling evidence that early-infancy infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) significantly increases the risk of developing childhood asthma.  The risk is especially higher in children with a family history of allergy or asthma. The study, published in the Science Immunology journal, suggests that protecting newborns against RSV could substantially reduce asthma cases later in life. "Childhood asthma is a complex disease with many contributing factors," said Prof. Bart Lambrecht from VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and Ghent University in Belgium. "We found that early-life RSV infection and genetic allergy risk interact in a very specific way that pushes the immune system toward asthma. The encouraging news is that...

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called on countries to strengthen access to affordable and science-based care to people facing infertility.  The WHO defines infertility as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Estimated to affect 1 in 6 people of reproductive age at some point in their lives, infertility can cause significant distress, stigma, and financial hardship, affecting people’s mental and psychosocial well-being. In its first-ever global guideline for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infertility, the global health body urged for safer, fairer, and more affordable fertility care. The guideline includes 40 recommendations that seek to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infer...

 The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released an eight-report highlighting a concerning trend of increasing antibiotic resistance in Indian hospitals. According to the report, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have increased by 91 pct over the past few years, rendering many drugs ineffective. The report`s key findings are based on an analysis of 99,027 culture-positive samples, taken from hospitals across the country between January and December 2024. According to the report, Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) are responsible for most infections, which are particularly concerning due to their rapid development of antibiotic resistance. "Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) remained the most commonly isolated pathogens from most clinically relevant samples, like blood, urine, CSF, and respir...

Even as cities and urban spaces are getting more polluted, a new technology developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) can help keep city streets clean and also eliminate harmful airborne dust.  The dust from the streets has been among the biggest contributors to air pollution in cities. Inhaling this dust, particularly fine particles called PM2.5, is known to lead to health problems ranging from asthma and cough to other lung diseases. In India, road sweeping is mainly done by long broomsticks- the job is not only labour-intensive but also exposes sweepers to dangerous dust. While there are large machines available in the market, they tend to be costly and cannot easily venture into tight lanes or crowded places. The innovative device is an easy...

Scientists at the S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that could change how we understand and treat cancer, and also pave the way for personalised therapies,  the Ministry of Science and Technology said on Wednesday.  The framework, developed in collaboration with Ashoka University, gives a new lens to look at cancer -- not by its size or spread alone, but by its molecular personality. “Cancer is not just a disease of growing tumours -- it is powered by a set of hidden biological programmes called the hallmarks of cancer. These hallmarks explain how healthy cells turn malignant: how they spread, evade the immune system, and resist treatment,” the Ministry said. While for decades, doctors have relied on staging systems like TNM...

Children in India districts that are highly vulnerable to climate change could be 25 per cent more likely to be underweight, compared to those in less vulnerable districts, indicating how climate vulnerability can impact public health outcomes, a study has found. Districts highly vulnerable to climate change consistently underperform on achieving health targets, such as stunting and problems accessing healthcare, compared to less vulnerable districts, the study published in the journal PLOS one said. Researchers from Delhi`s Institute of Economic Growth said that with 80 per cent of India`s population living in areas highly vulnerable to extreme weather events such as cyclones, floods and heatwaves, risks due to climate change could undermine the country`s progress on several Sustainable...

Integrating palliative care into the public health system can help universalise access and improve healthcare, according to a study.  Palliative care is a branch of medicine that aims to prevent and relieve the physical, social, and spiritual suffering of patients suffering from chronic life-limiting illnesses and their caregivers. The World Health Organisation defines palliative care as ‘an approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illness’. The study showed that nearly 7-10 million people require palliative care in India, but less than 4 per cent have access to it. "With rising burden of chronic diseases in the country and associated suffering, there is an urgent need to imp...

The human brain goes through five major eras of structural changes over a lifetime -- marked by turning points at ages nine, 32, 66 and 83 -- as it rewires to support varied ways of thinking as one grows, matures and ultimately declines, a study has suggested. Age nine is when communications between brain networks developed since birth transition to the adolescent phase, which then lasts up to age 32, researchers led by those from the UK`s University of Cambridge explain. Early thirties is when the brain`s neural wiring shifts into "adult mode" -- the longest era lasting over three decades and marked by a stabilising of the brain`s architecture. Age 32 is also the "strongest topological turning point" of the entire lifetime, they said. Age 66 was found to signal the start of an "early a...

Researchers in Australia have found that Parkinson`s disease causes significant and progressive changes in the brain`s blood vessels, changing the understanding of the disease.  While Parkinson`s disease is characterised by alpha-synuclein protein deposits, the research demonstrated that region-specific changes to blood vessels in the brain underlie disease progression, Xinhua news agency reported. "Traditionally, Parkinson`s researchers have focused on protein accumulation and neuronal loss, but we have shown the impacts on our cerebrovasculature -- the blood vessels in our brain," said Derya Dik, postdoctoral student at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). "Our research identified region-specific changes in the brain`s blood vessels, including an increased presence of string vesse...

A natural compound found in long pepper can be an effective and cost-efficient agent against colon cancer cells, said researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela on Tuesday.  Colon cancer is a disease in which the cells grow uncontrollably in the large intestine of the body, forming a tumour. It is one of the most common types of cancer globally. According to the World Health Organization, in 2022, nearly 1.9 million new cases and almost 900,000 deaths occurred due to colon cancer. While various international cancer research studies have examined natural molecules’ activity towards a variety of cancers, the team at NIT Rourkela conducted a set of laboratory experiments to demonstrate the activity of Piperlongumine -- a natural compound -- as an alternative to chemo...