Salute H24

WHO announces first prequalification of a tuberculosis diagnostic test

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted prequalification to the molecular diagnostic test for tuberculosis (TB) called Xpert® MTB/RIF Ultra. It is the first test for TB diagnosis and antibiotic susceptibility testing that meets WHO's prequalification standards.

Flu: a chip to measure immunity

Every winter, influenza returns with a new variant. People who have previously been infected with or vaccinated against flu may have some protection, but this depends on how well their immune system’s “memory” of the previous virus or vaccine cross-reacts with the new variant.

The heart has its own ‘brain’

New research from Karolinska Institutet and Columbia University shows that the heart has a mini-brain – its own nervous system that controls the heartbeat. A better understanding of this system, which is much more diverse and complex than previously thought, could lead to new treatments for heart diseases. The study, conducted on zebrafish, is published in Nature Communications. 

Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain

We’ve all been there. Moments after leaving a party, your brain is suddenly filled with intrusive thoughts about what others were thinking. “Did they think I talked too much?” “Did my joke offend them?” “Were they having a good time?”

In vitro model enables study of age-specific responses to COVID mRNA vaccines

mRNA vaccines saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, but older people had less of an immune response to the vaccines than did younger adults.

Invisible touch: Stevens is giving AI the ability to feel and measure surfaces

AI-based technologies are rapidly learning to see, converse, calculate and create. One thing they still don’t do well, however, is measure or “feel” surfaces — a purely mechanical function.

Mass General Brigham researchers find too much sitting hurts the heart

Fitting in a workout after a long day of sitting at a desk might not be enough to compensate for the impacts of sedentary behavior on the heart.

AI finds undiagnosed liver disease in early stages #TLM2024 #AASLD24

Liver disease, which is treatable when discovered early, often goes undetected until late stages, but a new study revealed that an algorithm fueled by artificial intelligence can accurately detect early-stage metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) by using electronic health records.

Bacterial vaccine shows promise as cancer immunotherapy

Columbia researchers have engineered probiotic bacteria that educate the immune system to destroy cancer cells, opening the door for a new class of cancer vaccines that take advantage of bacteria’s natural tumor-targeting properties. These microbial cancer vaccines can be personalized to attack each individual’s primary tumor and metastases, and may even prevent future recurrences.

UT Health San Antonio-led study finds novel role of BRCA1 in tumor suppression

A new study led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) is shedding light on a novel role of breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) in tumor suppression.