Category Health/Medical

Short, intensive workouts can help fight bowel cancer

exercise
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

As many of us embark on an exercise or gym routine for the new year, research reveals that just 10 minutes of intense exercise could help fight cancer.

Short bursts of energetic activity can trigger rapid molecular changes in the bloodstream, shutting down bowel cancer growth and speeding up DNA damage repair, a new study has shown.

Researchers at Newcastle University have found that exercise increases the concentration of several small molecules in the blood—many linked to reducing inflammation, improving blood vessel function, and metabolism.

When these exercise-induced molecules were applied to bowel cancer cells in the lab, the activity of more than 1,300 genes was altered, including those involved in DNA repair, energy production, and c...

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First breathing ‘lung-on-chip’ developed using genetically identical cells

lung
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and AlveoliX have developed the first human lung-on-chip model using stem cells taken from only one person. These chips simulate breathing motions and lung disease in an individual, holding promise for testing treatments for infections like tuberculosis (TB) and delivering personalized medicine.

The research is published in the journal Science Advances.

Air sacs in the lungs called alveoli are the essential site of gas exchange and also an important barrier against inhaled viruses and bacteria that cause respiratory diseases like flu or TB.

Researchers have been working to recreate the battle between human cells and bacteria in the lab by building a lung-on-a-chip: small units of human lung on a plast...

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Flu is rising rapidly, driven by a new variant. Here’s what to know

Flu is rising rapidly, driven by a new variant. Here's what to know
A certified medical assistant holds a syringe for a flu vaccine at a clinic in Seattle, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. Credit: AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File

Flu is rising rapidly across the U.S., driven by a new variant of the virus—and cases are expected to keep growing with holiday travel.

That variant, known as “subclade K,” led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada. In the U.S., flu typically begins its winter march in December. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states.

The CDC estimated there have been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from flu so far this season...

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Naturally occurring molecule shown to restore memory function in Alzheimer’s models

An electrophysiology set-up used for studying memory-related electrical signals over long periods of time. 

Singapore has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, yet many individuals spend almost a decade in poor health toward the end of life. Scientists from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) are working to understand how aging itself can be modified to prevent age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.

A new study led by Professor Brian K Kennedy, Department of Biochemistry, Chair of the Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program (TRP), NUS Medicine, has discovered that calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (CaAKG), a safe, naturally occurring metabolite commonly studied for healthy aging, can restore key memory...

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