Category Health/Medical

Microscopic sensors that are as thin as a strand of hair but capable of taking multiple measurements simultaneously could revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases like cancer. Researchers from Adelaide University’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing and the University of Stuttgart in Germany worked together to develop the tiny sensors using state-of-the-art, ultrafast 3D microprinting technology.

The unique sensors target specific biomarkers and are printed directly onto the tip of optical fibers...

The trillions of microbes living in the human gut are increasingly recognized as important partners in human health. Scientists have linked the gut microbiome to several aspects of health, from metabolism and immunity to mental health.

A recent study suggests that these microbes may also influence an important aspect of fitness—muscle strength.

Muscle strength is a crucial feature of health for many reasons. It supports our joints and keeps our bones healthy, boosts athletic performance and even plays a role in metabolic health.

Muscle strength also helps us maintain independence later in life. As muscles gradually weaken as we get older, everyday tasks become harder and the risk of falls increases...

Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations. The disease is characterized by the gradual breakdown of cartilage, which normally cushions the bones within joints.

Despite its prevalence, current treatments for osteoarthritis mainly focus on alleviating pain rather than addressing the underlying cause of cartilage degeneration. Effective therapies that can halt or reverse cartilage damage remain limited.

A joint research team led by Dr. Chul-Ho Lee and Dr...

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are metabolic conditions with many causes, including overlapping and distinct genetic features. A polygenic risk score (PRS) can capture multiple genetic risk factors to provide an estimate for whether a person may develop a complex medical condition and how they might fare long-term.

Building stronger genetic risk scores
By integrating genetic findings from several of the world’s largest biobanks, investigators from Mass General Brigham built metabolic PRSs for predicting obesity and T2D, which outperformed existing disease-prediction models and predicted downstream morbidity and clinical interventions. Findings are published in Cell Metabolism.

“Our intention was to not only capture the risk of being diagnosed ...