Health

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a simpler and more efficient method to recover immune cells grown in the lab for T-cell–based cancer therapies.  In immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell, T-cells (a type of immune cell) are taken from a patient’s blood and modified in large numbers in the laboratory and infused back into the patient’s bloodstream to help fight cancer. These cells, grown outside the body, must be collected gently so that they remain alive and functional when returned to the patient. Finding safe and efficient ways to grow T-cells and retrieve them is therefore an important part of making these therapies work. “Cell recovery sounds simple on paper, but in practice it turns out to be one of the biggest challenges,” said Prof. Prakr...

As tuberculosis (TB) continues as the deadliest infectious cause of deaths globally, a new study has shown that artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled digital stethoscopes can help fill critical screening gaps, especially in hard-to-reach areas.  In a commentary published in the journal Med (Cell Press), global experts contended that stethoscopes combined with digital technology and AI can be a better option against the challenges faced in screening programmes, such as under-detection, high cost, and inequitable access. “AI-enabled digital stethoscopes have demonstrated promising accuracy and feasibility for detecting lung and cardiovascular abnormalities, with promising results in early TB studies. Training and validation in diverse, high-burden settings are essential to explore the poten...

Amid several claims of vaccination and reduced fertility, a study of nearly 60,000 women showed that the Covid vaccine played no role in a decrease in childbirth.  Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, unfounded rumours have circulated, especially on social media, alleging that vaccination impairs chances of becoming pregnant.   In the later stages of the pandemic, there was a decrease in the number of children born in some countries, including Sweden. This raised the question of whether this could be due to the new vaccines.  "Our conclusion is that it`s highly unlikely that the mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 was behind the decrease in childbirth during the pandemic," said Toomas Timpka, professor of social medicine at Linkoping University, Sweden.  The study, published in the ...

A world-first Australian trial has found that a simple fingerstick test for hepatitis B DNA is as accurate as standard lab testing, paving the way for wider access in remote and resource-limited settings.  Published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, the study showed that the point-of-care test can deliver results within an hour and be performed in decentralised clinics, Xinhua news agency reported.  The fingerstick test can help overcome delays caused by laboratory-based testing, according to a statement from the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales in Australia.  "The results of our trial found that the fingerstick point-of-care test is highly accurate, closely matching the accuracy of traditional tests," said Professor Gail Matthews, who led the research at the ...

A team of researchers in Japan has announced a clinical trial to confirm a vaccine`s efficacy against the deadly Nipah virus in humans.  The vaccine candidate developed at the University of Tokyo is set to start clinical trials in Belgium in April, Nikkei Asia, a Japan-based English-language news magazine, reported.  The new vaccine offers a potential breakthrough against a disease whose fatality rate is estimated to be between 40 per cent and 75 per cent.  Currently, there is no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for Nipah virus infection. The latest development comes even as India reported two confirmed cases of Nipah virus from West Bengal in January.   The new vaccine is reportedly being developed by inserting a portion of the Nipah virus`s genetic information into the measles...

Up to four in 10 or 7.1 million cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on Wednesday.  The study, released on World Cancer Day on February 4, identified tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer globally, responsible for 15 per cent of all new cancer cases. It also found, for the first time, that nine cancer-causing infections are responsible for about 10 per cent of cancer cases. Other reasons include alcohol, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, and ultraviolet radiation. The analysis, based on data from 185 countries and 36 cancer types, estimated that 37 per cent of all new cancer cases in 2022, around 7.1 million ca...

Scientists in Australia have mapped the "neighbourhoods" of lung cancer cells and found that cell metabolism plays a key role in determining how patients respond to immunotherapy.  Researchers from the University of Queensland`s (UQ) Frazer Institute studied cell interactions at cellular resolution in non-small cell lung carcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, to better understand why some patients don`t respond to immunotherapy treatment, Xinhua news agency reported. Using machine-learning algorithms and computational approaches, the team examined how cells interact and metabolise glucose, which cancer cells thrive on, said Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe from UQ`s Frazer Institute. "We were able to dive deep into the complex nature of cells, basically looking at the cell...

Slashing global aid, particularly by the US and European countries, will reverse decades of progress in fighting diseases, and lead to 22.6 million additional deaths in people of all age groups, including children under five years of age, by 2030, warned a new study published in The Lancet Global Health on Tuesday.  The peer-reviewed study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in Spain, showed that the additional deaths will be across 93 low- and middle- income countries, including India. The figures also include 5.4 million children under the age of five. Severe cuts to official development assistance (ODA) will affect Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for 38 of the 93 countries analysed, the most. In Asia, 21 countries, including India, are at risk, followed by 12 ...

Amid a rapidly ageing population in India, experts on Tuesday, February 3, stressed the need for a home-based, community-led and integrated elder care model to boost geriatric care in the country.  Speaking at an event held in the national capital, the health experts also discussed the growing challenges confronting the country’s elderly population and the urgent need for more responsive and inclusive approaches to geriatric care.  The experts highlighted that the challenges for geriatric care are multi-dimensional in nature. These include rising disabilities and age-related health conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, significant gaps in geriatric healthcare infrastructure coupled with a sharp urban–rural divide in access to medical services, and mounting economic pressures drive...

Routine childhood vaccinations are not associated with an increased risk of epilepsy in young children, according to a new study led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, showed that the aluminum used as vaccine adjuvants also does not increase the risk of the neurological condition. “Incident epilepsy was not associated with up-to-date vaccination status or cumulative vaccine aluminum exposure among children less than 4 years of age,” said the team, including those from the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, US. The study included 2,089 children diagnosed as having epilepsy from age 1 year to less than 4 years. These were compared with 20,139 children without epilepsy based on age, sex, and health care...