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The US Food and Drug Administration has approved TNKase or Tenecteplase, which is a thrombolytic or clot-dissolving agent, for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in adults.
Ischemic strokes happen when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain. It can cause permanent brain damage and death. If enough brain cells die, you can also lose the abilities or body functions those cells control. They are also the most common types of stroke, with 80% of all strokes being ischemic strokes.
It is delivered as a single five-second intravenous bolus, which is faster than the standard of care Activase or alteplase, which is administered as an intravenous bolus followed by a 60-minute infusion. The manufacturer of TNKase, Genetech said a new 25-mg vial configuration will also be available in the coming months.
The approval came at the backdrop of a study that compared TNKase to Activase in patients with acute ischemic stroke. These patients also presented with a disabling neurological deficit. Results show that TNKase was comparable to Activase in terms of efficacy and safety.
In the United States it self, it affects more than 795,000 people each year and is the leading cause of long-term disability. It is also the fifth leading cause of death. Since brain damage can happen if this progresses rapidly, one needs an immediate, fast-acting medical care.
TNKase thus provide a faster and simpler administration which can be critical for anyone. The chief medical officer and head of global product development at Genetech, Levi Garraway, MD., PhD., said, "Today's approval is a significant step forward and underscores our commitment to advancing stroke treatment options for patients."
Some of the most common symptoms include weakness or paralysis on one side of your face and body. You may also feel trouble speaking or have loss of speech, also known as aphasia. You may faced slurred or garbled speaking, also known as dysarthria. Other symptoms include loss of muscle control on one side of your face, or sudden worsening or loss of your senses, including vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
While these are symptoms one has who is prone to this condition. However, often, many may confuse it with other illnesses. It is best to keep an eye out for warning signs. These could be looking out for yourself or your loved one. Note if there is a sudden loss of balance. Look out for sudden vision loss or changes in one or both eyes. Look for a droop on one or both sides of your face, especially when you smile. Raise both arms and see if one arm sags or drops in a way it usually does not. Note for your speech. Are you as fluent? Are you have trouble speaking? If you see any of such signs, start tracking it and talk to your healthcare provider.
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A new study in the US has found that millions of military veterans continue to experience suicidal thoughts, yet many of them are not receiving the mental health treatment they need.
Researchers say the findings highlight the urgent need to improve access to mental health services and strengthen suicide prevention efforts, particularly for younger and female veterans.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from 2,636 US military veterans who participated in the 2025-2026 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS), a survey conducted between December 2025 and January 2026.
Also read: US Government Backs Psychedelic Therapies Research For Veterans With PTSD and Depression
Researchers found that 13.4% of veterans reported having suicidal thoughts within the previous two weeks, while 14% experienced suicidal thoughts during the past year.
Compared with data collected in 2019-2020, the prevalence of recent suicidal thoughts increased from 9% to 13.4%, representing a 49% rise over five years. However, the prevalence of lifetime suicide planning (8%) and suicide attempts (4.9%) remained largely unchanged.
Based on national population estimates, the researchers said:
One of the study's most concerning findings was that a substantial number of veterans reporting suicidal thoughts were not receiving mental health care.
Among veterans who experienced suicidal thoughts in the previous two weeks:
Researchers also observed similar gaps in the use of psychotherapy and psychiatric medications.
The researchers also found that younger veterans and women veterans carried a disproportionately higher risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide planning and suicide attempts.
The authors concluded, "These findings suggest that suicidal ideation has increased among US veterans over the past 5 years, whereas suicidal planning and attempts have not, underscoring the need to strengthen early intervention, treatment engagement, and targeted prevention efforts."
They further added, "A substantial proportion of veterans reporting recent suicidal ideation are not currently engaged in mental health treatment."
The study showed that veterans who used the VA healthcare system as their primary source of care were more than twice as likely to receive mental health treatment compared with veterans receiving care outside the VA.
According to the researchers, this may reflect better access to mental health services within the VA system. However, the findings also indicate that significant treatment gaps remain even among VA users due to barriers like stigma, delayed help, limited availability of services, or other factors.
The study comes as suicide continues to be a major public health issue among US veterans. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 6,000 veterans die by suicide each year, and veterans continue to have higher suicide rates than the general US population.
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A humanitarian worker has been admitted to a specialist infectious disease unit in London after being potentially exposed to the Ebola virus while working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
UK health officials have stressed that there are no confirmed Ebola cases in the United Kingdom and that the risk to the public remains very low.
The individual, a UK resident involved in treating Ebola patients in eastern DRC, was medically evacuated to London as a precaution and is being monitored in a high-level isolation unit. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the worker is not showing symptoms of Ebola but is under observation because the virus has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days.
The evacuation follows established international protocols for healthcare and humanitarian workers who may have been exposed to highly infectious diseases. Health authorities emphasized that:
Officials are also conducting routine contact assessments where necessary, although no wider public health concerns have been identified.
Also read: Ebola Outbreak: Confirmed Cases Hit 2,344, Deaths Rise To 930
The admission comes as the Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling one of its most severe Ebola outbreaks in recent history.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, 2026, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a less common species for which there are currently no licensed vaccines or proven antiviral treatments.
This has made containment significantly more challenging than previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain. According to the latest reports from Congolese health authorities and international agencies:
WHO believes the true number of infections could be two to four times higher because many cases remain undetected in conflict-affected areas.
Also read: Ebola Outbreak In Congo: UN Warns Frontline Responders As Cases Surface In New Areas
Recognizing the growing threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 16, 2026, just one day after the outbreak was officially announced.
WHO warned that the outbreak poses a significant regional and international public health risk due to rapid transmission, cross-border spread, limited access to affected communities, lack of approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus and ongoing armed conflict disrupting healthcare operations.
Experts say the current situation should not cause public alarm. The UK's specialist infectious disease units are designed to safely manage suspected cases of high-consequence infectious diseases, and precautionary evacuations of healthcare workers have occurred during previous Ebola outbreaks.
Public health officials stress that:
A U.S. humanitarian worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had tested positive for Ebola a few days ago.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed, saying it is working closely with the individual's employer, U.S. government health agencies, and Congolese health authorities to prevent further transmission by tracing contacts to identify people who may have been exposed.
According to reports, the infected individual was working for a humanitarian organization in eastern Congo, where the outbreak has continued to spread despite ongoing response efforts.
The CDC has not released details about the patient's identity or condition but emphasized that contact tracing and public health measures are underway.
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Research suggests that disruptions in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, during which we dream, consolidate memory, and process emotions, could be among the earliest biological signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Scientists now believe that changes in sleep are not just a consequence of Alzheimer's, but may actually appear years before primary cognitive symptoms emerge.
Also read: Scientists Discover Brain Protein That Could Slow Alzheimer's Disease Progression
The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, studied 128 older adults, including people with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and cognitively healthy individuals.
Participants underwent overnight polysomnography, the gold standard sleep test that records brain activity, breathing, heart rate, eye movements, and muscle activity during sleep.
Researchers discovered that participants who took significantly longer to enter REM sleep, known as REM sleep latency, were more likely to have Alzheimer's disease.
These individuals also showed:
Also read: Can One Partner's Dementia Raise the Other's Risk? New Study Suggests An Interesting Link
Scientists believe REM sleep also supports the brain's "cleaning system," helping remove waste products that accumulate during the day.
When REM sleep is delayed or disrupted, this process may become less efficient, allowing toxic proteins like amyloid-beta to build up over time.
According to Dr. Yue Leng, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and one of the study's authors: "Delayed REM sleep may disrupt the brain's ability to consolidate memories by interfering with the process that converts recent experiences into long-term memories. If this is insufficient because REM sleep is delayed or shortened, it could increase the stress hormone cortisol. This may impair the brain's hippocampus, a critical structure for memory consolidation."
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Jocelyn Cheng, neurologist and Senior Director of Neuroscience Clinical Research at Eisai U.S., said:
"The relationship may be bidirectional. Delayed REM may contribute to Alzheimer's-type changes, and/or Alzheimer's itself may result in prolonged REM latency."
The new findings offer a possible biological explanation. Researchers suggest that the accumulation of amyloid may interfere with the brain's internal clock and its ability to regulate normal sleep cycles, creating a vicious cycle where poor sleep accelerates brain changes linked to Alzheimer's.
Researchers say future studies should examine whether improving REM sleep through better sleep hygiene or treatment of conditions such as sleep apnea could help slow or delay Alzheimer's-related brain changes.
Experts recommend maintaining a regular sleep schedule, limiting alcohol before bedtime, reducing evening screen exposure, and seeking medical evaluation for persistent sleep disorders.
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