Illnesses and conditions

For the first time, people living with hepatitis B have a option that could make getting off antivirals no longer a death sentence. The Food and Drug Administration has approved an injection that lets the immune system keep the pathogen in check.

An overlooked population of immune cells could offer a new way to attack one of the deadliest forms of lung cancer.

Using both the popular weight-loss medication tirzepatide with another hormone mimic may boost the popular drug's effectiveness, according to the results of a recent clinical trial. Essentially, it means greater weight loss than using only Mounjaro.

Suspicions of a link between extremely rare congenital infections and the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been supported by a massive new study led by scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

A systematic review of previous studies has delivered mixed results linking health problems with cell phone use while pregnant, making it hard to rule out a risk to fetal heart function and a slightly higher chance of earlier delivery.

As far as our genetic library goes, the Y chromosome seems like a mere pamphlet. Just ask any cell with a pair of X chromosomes if it feels overly bothered by that trivial loss of DNA.

An easy weekly spray up the nose has become a contender for being a first-in-class treatment for protection from respiratory viruses, including the flu. And the startup advancing this breakthrough is heavily backed by the US Department of Defense.

Scientists have uncovered a new pathogen transmitted to humans by ticks, reminding us that one of the biggest threats to our health is zoonotic diseases. The upside is that the more we know, the better our survival odds become.

Lumbar support braces designed to provide relief from chronic low back pain may not be as effective as people have been led to believe, with scientists finding that recommendations are based on low-quality evidence.

Scheduling days without food may have a knock-on effect that eases both chronic pain and its associated cognitive problems, according to a study on mice by researchers from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China.

The results of a recently published longitudinal study conducted by researchers from the University of Rhode Island in the US found that a higher body mass index among US adults over the age of 65 years was linked with a lower risk of death.

Bacteria engineered to sense and reduce glucose levels could be the future of type 2 diabetes treatments, following pre-clinical trials. If successful, genetically enhanced gut bacteria could completely change how we treat type 2 diabetes

In somewhat of a surprise announcement, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first US influenza vaccine engineered from the mRNA technology that gave us one of the most administered COVID-19 shots during the pandemic.

Hookworms are freeloaders that live at the host’s expense inside their gut, drinking about two drops of blood per day. This parasite could soon pay its way with engineered hookworms serving as living medicine factories.

Ten months on from the huge news that a chlamydia vaccine had been approved for Australia's koalas, a young female has become the first to receive the groundbreaking medicine in a new dose-and-implant format that makes large-scale treatment possible.