An experimental treatment happens to be the solution to delay Alzheimer's symptoms in some people. These people are the ones who are genetically destined to get the disease in their 40s or 50s. These new findings form ongoing research has now been caught up in Trump administration funding delas. The early results of the study has been published on Wednesday and the participants too are worried that politics could cut their access to a possible lifeline.

One of the participants had said, "It is still a study but it has given me an extension to my life that I never banked on having." The participant is named Jake Henrichs, form New York City, who is 50 years old. He is one of them to be treated in that study for more than a decade now and has remained symptom-free despite inheriting an Alzheimer's-causing gene that had killed his father and brother around the same age.

Slowing Down The Symptoms

Two drugs which can modestly slow down early-stage Alzheimer's are sold in the United States. These drugs clear the brain of one of its hallmarks, a sticky gunk-like part called the amyloid. However, there have not been any hints that removing amyloid far earlier, way many years before the first symptoms appear, may postpone the disease.

How Was The Research Conducted?

The research is led by Washington University in St Louis, which involved families that passed down rare gene mutation as participants. This meant it was almost guaranteed that they will develop symptoms at the same age their affected relatives did.

The new findings is based on a subset of 22 participants who received amyloid-removing drugs the longest, on average eight years. Long-term amyloid removal cut in half their risk of symptom onset. The study is published in the journal Lancet Neurology.

Washington University's Dr Randall Bateman, who directs the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer's Network of studies involving families with these rare genes says, "What we want to determine over the next five years is how strong is the protection. Will they ever get the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease if we keep treating them?”

The researchers before though did not know what exactly caused Alzheimer's which affects nearly 7 million Americans, most of them in their later life. However, it is clear that these silent changes occur in the brain at least two decades before the first symptom shows up. The big contributor. At some point amyloid buildup can trigger a protein named tau that then starts to kill neurons, which can lead to cognitive decline.

Researchers are now thus studying the Tau-fighting drugs and are looking into other factors, like inflammation, brain's immune cells and certain virus.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has expanded its focus as researchers have found more reasons for Alzheimer's. In 2013, the NIH's National Institute on Aging funded 14 trials of possible Alzheimer's drugs over a third targeting amyloid. By last fall, there were 68 drugs and 18% of them target amyloid. However, there are scientists too who think that amyloid is not everything and their is way more in the brain tissue, immune cells, and more which can be studied.

Thailand has become the seventh country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve rubella elimination, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

It joins Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.

“The World Health Organization announced that Thailand has been verified for eliminating rubella as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to protect children, women and families from vaccine-preventable diseases,” WHO said.

Thailand’s Long Road To Rubella Elimination

Thailand launched its Expanded Programme on Immunization in 1977 and introduced a rubella-containing vaccine for girls aged six in 1986. The programme expanded to all one-year-old children in 1993.

Since then, Thailand has strengthened routine immunisation, outbreak response and surveillance, with a focus on underserved and mobile populations.

The programme focused on reaching underserved and mobile populations, rapidly investigating suspected measles and rubella cases through fever-and-rash surveillance, and maintaining laboratory-supported surveillance to detect and respond to virus transmission.

The South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission (SEA-RVC) reviewed Thailand’s surveillance, immunisation, outbreak response and programme data in June 2026, followed by a verification visit in July.

The Commission recommended Thailand for rubella elimination verification. Elimination means no endemic transmission for at least 12 months, supported by a high-performing surveillance system.

The WHO verification also confirmed that Thailand has systems in place to sustain this achievement.

“This verification is a proud moment for Thailand and a tribute to decades of commitment by our health workers, volunteers, partners and communities. By eliminating rubella, Thailand has protected newborns from preventable lifelong disabilities and reaffirmed its commitment to equitable health services for every child and family. We will sustain this gain and intensify efforts towards measles elimination,” said H.E. Mr Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, Thailand.

What Is Rubella And Why Is It Dangerous During Pregnancy?

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a contagious viral infection spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes. Symptoms are usually mild and may include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.

However, infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which can lead to lifelong birth defects. The risk is greatest when infection occurs early in pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester.

“Rubella is a terrible disease. It looks like measles, but in pregnant moms it causes spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. Babies born with congenital rubella syndrome have profound disabilities. Rubella elimination everywhere is a huge public health win,” said Dr Angela.

CRS can cause lifelong hearing and vision impairment, heart defects and developmental delays.

Before widespread vaccination, rubella was a leading cause of preventable congenital disabilities worldwide, according to WHO.

How Does The Rubella Vaccine Prevent It?

Rubella can be prevented with safe, effective and affordable vaccines.

WHO estimates that rubella causes around 100,000 infants to be born with CRS each year worldwide.

Despite vaccine availability, an estimated 17,865 rubella cases were reported in 78 countries in 2022.

The rubella vaccine contains a live attenuated strain, and a single dose provides more than 95% long-lasting immunity, similar to the immunity induced by natural infection. It is available alone or, more commonly, in combination vaccines such as MR, MMR and MMRV.

Actress Pamela Anderson has opened up about her hepatitis C diagnosis that once made her fear she had only a few years to live, highlighting how dramatically treatment for the viral infection has changed.

Speaking at the 2026 amfAR Gala Venezia during the Venice Film Festival, Anderson recalled being diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2002. She said doctors had told her she had around 10 years to live, describing the diagnosis as a “death sentence”.

Anderson has previously said she contracted hepatitis C after sharing a tattoo needle with her then-husband Tommy Lee. At the time, the diagnosis carried significant uncertainty because effective curative treatments were not yet available. But more than a decade later, Anderson announced that she had been cured of hepatitis C following antiviral treatment.

What Is Hepatitis C?

While some people clear the virus on their own, most people with hepatitis C who do not clear it develop chronic infection. Over time, chronic hepatitis C can cause liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 47 million people were living with chronic hepatitis C globally, with about 0.9 million new infections occurring each year.

In 2024, approximately 239,000 people died from hepatitis C, mainly due to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Also read: The Silent Killer: Why More Indians Need To Pay Attention To Liver Cancer

How Did Hepatitis C Become Curable?

The major breakthrough came with the development of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Before these medicines became available, hepatitis C treatment relied heavily on interferon-based therapies, which could involve prolonged treatment and significant side effects and did not cure everyone.

The first interferon-free DAA treatments were approved in 2013 and 2014, marking a major turning point in hepatitis C treatment. WHO says these medicines can cure the infection in more than 95% of people, generally within a short course of treatment.

Unlike older treatments, DAAs directly target the hepatitis C virus and prevent it from multiplying. Treatment is now usually oral, much better tolerated and considerably shorter than earlier regimens.

WHO recommends pan-genotypic DAAs for people with chronic hepatitis C, with treatment generally lasting around 12 to 24 weeks depending on the person's condition.

Also read: RFK Jr. Accepts Pennsylvania Child’s Measles Death After Questioning It: Here's Why

Access Remains A Challenge

The transformation in treatment does not mean hepatitis C has disappeared. There is currently no vaccine against hepatitis C, and millions of people remain undiagnosed.

WHO estimates that by the end of 2024, only around 36% of people who had ever been infected knew their diagnosis, while only about 20% of those diagnosed with chronic infection had received DAA treatment. This makes early testing and access to treatment critical.

Anderson's experience also reflects how quickly medicine can change the outlook of a disease. “I’m not a victim, I’m a victor,” Anderson said while accepting the amfAR Award of Courage in Venice.

Just days after questioning whether the state had correctly linked the deaths of two unvaccinated people to the ongoing measles outbreak, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has acknowledged and accepted that measles caused the death of a six-week-old child in Pennsylvania.

The shift came after Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni confirmed that the infant had died from measles. The child was among two people reported by Pennsylvania health officials as having died in connection with the outbreak.

Kennedy had previously questioned the state's reporting and reportedly asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove the two deaths from its official tally. The CDC subsequently excluded them from its public data while the deaths remained under review.

What Did The Coroner Find?

The case of the six-week-old infant became particularly controversial because initial findings appeared to raise questions about whether measles was the direct cause of death.

According to Coroner Diamantoni, a review of the infant's medical records and clinical information showed that measles was the cause of death. The child had also been diagnosed with a rare congenital condition that made the infant particularly vulnerable to infections.

The other reported death remains more complicated. In that case, a forensic pathologist found that the infant died from a ruptured spleen and did not determine that measles was the cause, although measles was present. Diamantoni also said that the immediate cause of death was a ruptured spleen, which had further complicated the debate.

The coroner had said that he did not believe measles was the cause of death, although measles was listed on the baby's death certificate as a contributing condition.

Also read: Another Child Dies From Measles In US Amid Vaccine Concerns: Why The Virus Is More Than A Fever And Rash

Kennedy Says Shapiro 'Politicized' The Death

Kennedy's acknowledgement of the infant's death comes amid a public dispute with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro had criticised Kennedy after the federal health secretary questioned the state's reporting of the deaths, arguing that such statements could undermine confidence in vaccination and public health efforts.

Kennedy, meanwhile, accused Shapiro of “hastily politicizing” the deaths and argued that the state had announced them before the investigations were complete.

The dispute has now placed the focus not only on the deaths but also on how measles fatalities are investigated and recorded by state and federal health authorities.

Also read: Why Has CDC Challenged The Report Of Two Measles Deaths In Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania's Measles Outbreak Continues

Pennsylvania has been dealing with a major measles outbreak, with hundreds of cases reported and dozens of people hospitalised. State health officials have said the two people who died were unvaccinated.

The controversy comes at a time when measles is resurging in parts of the US, with declining vaccination coverage raising concerns among public health experts.

Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, particularly in infants and people with weakened immune systems. Vaccination remains the primary method of preventing infection and transmission.

An infected person can spread the virus to around nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed. Most people recover, but measles can cause serious complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death.