Summary Biomedicine Two Americans win the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery of microRNA and its role in how organisms develop and function. MicroRNA is critical in post-transcriptional gene regulation. It is now known that the human genome encodes more than 1,000 different microRNAs, which control a wide variety of processes. Major advances […]
Summary Biomedicine The father of CAR-T therapy, Dr. Carl H June, winner of the 5th edition of the Abarca Prize. The prize is awarded to Dr. June, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, for his pioneering study and development of a revolutionary strategy to treat blood cancers, based on cellular engineering. Slow progress […]
Summary Biomedicine Organ donation, lessons from the Spanish model. Transplantation is the only valid treatment for the failure of certain organs and can transform the lives of these patients. According to the Global Observatory on Donations and Transplants, only 10% of the global demand for transplants is met. Transplant ratios vary greatly between countries, […]
Summary Biomedicine Recognition for the scientists who developed anti-obesity drugs. Joel Habener (USA), Svetlana Mojsov (North Macedonia) and Lotte Bjerre Knudsen (Denmark), the parents of Ozempic, win the American Nobel Prize, the Lasker-DeBakey Prize for Clinical Medical Research 2024. Their scientific achievements are estimated to have allowed the discovery and development of FLP-1, the […]
Summary Biomedicine Direct-to-consumer medical testing: an industry built on fear. This industry is growing rapidly and will reach $9 billion by 2033. Genetic tests, biochemical tests and monitoring systems are the most common offerings. A recent Australian study analyses several hundred tests offered directly to consumers and shows that the vast majority have little […]
Summary Biomedicine Prostate cancer incidence in Europe: beware of overdiagnosis. The conclusion of an article published in the BMJ is that the incidence of prostate cancer varies very significantly in the different countries of Europe (rates of 46 in Ukraine to 336 in France, per 100,000 inhabitants). The incidence began to decline in some […]
Summary Biomedicine AI to predict dementia. Scientists are using AI to analyse 1.6 million brain scans to develop predictive tools for dementia. The aim is to create digital tools that radiologists can use to determine their risk of dementia and diagnose the disease earlier. The obesity drug Wegovy prevents deaths from Covid. People who […]
Summary Biomedicine Brain implants to reduce Parkinson’s symptoms. Implants reduce Parkinson’s symptoms by reading brain activity. Parkinson’s is known to affect about 10 million patients globally. This approach, called deep brain stimulation (DBS), reduces Parkinson’s motor symptoms by half. Global Health The need for international coordination on Mpox. Editorial from The Lancet. 15 months […]
Summary Biomedicine The Lancet provides a clinical update on persistent covid. Defined as symptoms that persist for more than three months. Although the approach is based on symptoms, work is being done on identifying the molecular profile and biomarkers. There is no benefit for adults who drink alcohol in moderation. A long study shows […]
Summary Biomedicine How to reduce the risk of dementia. A healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay at least half of cases. The Lancet article adds two risk factors to the 12 already identified in 2020: untreated vision loss and high cholesterol levels. Modifiable factors include tobacco, obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes and […]
