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.

Three newborn babies died after a fire broke out inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Amravati District Women’s Hospital in Maharashtra early Monday, August 24.

The fire reportedly began around 3:15-3:30 am after a ventilator sparked or exploded, although the exact cause is yet to be known. The three infants died after suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation.

Around 39 newborns were receiving treatment in the NICU at the time. Doctors and other hospital staff rushed to evacuate the babies. Six critical infants were shifted to a nearby super-speciality hospital.

The incident has highlighted one of the most difficult challenges during a NICU fire, i.e., moving critically ill newborns without interrupting the life support they depend on.

Newborns On Ventilators Cannot Simply Be Evacuated

For a critically ill newborn, a ventilator may be continuously delivering carefully controlled oxygen and pressure to keep the lungs functioning.

Disconnecting the baby from the ventilator, even temporarily, can cause oxygen levels to fall rapidly, particularly in premature babies or those with severe respiratory distress. A baby may also be connected to several other devices at the same time, including:

• Intravenous lines delivering medicines or fluids
• Cardiac and oxygen monitors
• Feeding tubes
• Central or arterial lines
• Other respiratory-support equipment

Also read: Lindsay Clancy Trial: What Postpartum Psychosis Really Looks Like, From A Survivor

Babies On Ventilator Need Portable Life Support

In an emergency like fire, there may not be enough time or equipment to transfer every baby individually to a transport incubator. That creates a difficult balance between maintaining life support and getting the baby away from smoke, heat and flames as quickly as possible.

When a critically ill newborn has to be moved, medical teams may need to use transport ventilators or other portable equipment that supports respiration. Transport incubators may also provide a controlled environment while allowing a newborn to remain connected to essential monitoring and respiratory support.

Also read: New Mothers Are Turning To AI For Breastfeeding Advice; Experts Warn Of Hidden Risks

Smoke Is A Major Threat Inside A NICU

NICUs also contain multiple electrical devices and medical equipment operating continuously. Oxygenated environments can further fuel the severity of a fire, although oxygen itself does not burn.

Officials have ordered an investigation into the incident to establish exactly how the fire began and whether equipment failure or another factor was responsible. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a high-level inquiry. The tragedy comes amid renewed concerns about fire safety in neonatal units, where patients are among the most vulnerable in a hospital.

The incident demonstrates why NICU fire preparedness needs to account for patients who cannot walk, be carried normally or simply disconnected from machines and rushed outside.

Sunlight brings energy, positivity and vitamin D, but not for two-year-old Mollie Murray from Scotland, who has a rare genetic disorder that makes her “allergic” to the sun.

She is reportedly the only child in the UK known to be living with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a condition that makes the skin extremely sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The incurable disorder puts Mollie at risk of severe sun damage year-round. She can only safely go outside in protective full-length clothing or after dark.

“She burns all year round and has burnt in November before,” her mother, Kirsty Campbell, 35, a charge nurse, was quoted as saying to The Sun.

“Everyday life is difficult as she needs full protective outerwear for going outside and sun cream every two hours under her clothes.”

UV-Resistant Film Lets Mollie Play In Daylight

Now, thanks to the charity The Archie Foundation, UV-resistant film installed at Mollie’s home last month means she can play indoors during the day without the curtains being closed.

“It means she can do simple things like look outside for the postman or draw in daylight. My ex-partner was having to take playpark equipment into his house as it wasn’t safe outside. She’s so happy running around like a normal child,” her father, Ryan Murray, 34, said.

How Was Mollie Diagnosed?

Mollie was in and out of hospital from infancy with symptoms including seizures and severe reflux.

She first experienced severe sunburn on an overcast day in May 2025. It happened again two months later, eventually leading to her diagnosis with XPF.

Doctors have advised that Mollie is 10,000 times more likely to develop skin cancer than other children. Campbell also uses a UV monitor to check readings in every room and ensure it is safe for Mollie.

The Sun said that her family has been told she may develop neurological impairment and mobility problems in her 40s and 50s, but that she should have a relatively normal childhood.

What Is Xeroderma Pigmentosum?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes XP as a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder marked by extreme sensitivity to UV radiation, changes in skin pigmentation, skin cancer and, in some cases, neurological problems.

The condition usually appears in early childhood and significantly increases the risk of skin cancer.

XP affects roughly one in a million people in the US and Europe, although it is more common in some other parts of the world.

XP itself is not cancer, but it can increase the risk of skin cancer by thousands of times. Other cancers may also be more common in people with the condition.

XP is caused by mutations in specific genes that affect the body’s ability to repair UV-induced DNA damage. It is inherited from parents.

Symptoms Of Xeroderma Pigmentosum

• Skin: Severe sunburn even after brief UV exposure, dry or thin skin, early freckles, changes in skin colour, fragile skin and precancerous growths such as actinic keratoses.
• Eyes: Dryness, irritation, light sensitivity and corneal damage, which can potentially lead to vision loss.
• Neurological: Some people may develop difficulty swallowing, loss of reflexes, problems controlling muscles, cognitive decline and hearing loss.

How Is XP Diagnosed And Treated?

XP can be diagnosed through specialised laboratory tests, including studies of cellular sensitivity to UV radiation, chromosomal breakage, complementation studies and gene sequencing.

But there is currently no cure for XP. Management focuses on avoiding UV exposure, monitoring for complications and treating symptoms.

How Mollie’s Family Is Protecting Her

For Mollie’s family, the priority is to protect her while allowing her to experience as much normality as possible. The UV-resistant film has made a small but significant difference, allowing her to look outside, draw in daylight and play indoors without keeping the curtains closed.

Mollie’s family hopes to give her the highest possible quality of life while keeping her safe.

An 8-year-old Louisiana girl has died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the rare “brain-eating amoeba” infection believed to have been acquired while swimming in Lake Claiborne.

The girl, identified by her family as Lillian Smart of Ruston, died on August 22, just one day after her eighth birthday. She had been hospitalised since August 15 after developing the infection.

The Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the case on August 19 but has not publicly identified the child. The tragedy has renewed attention on an extremely rare and fatal infection.

Why Naegleria Fowleri Can Become Deadly So Quickly?

The amoeba then can travel along the olfactory nerves through the nasal cavity and reach the brain, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Also, swallowing contaminated water does not cause PAM, and the infection does not spread from person to person. PAM causes severe inflammation and destruction of brain tissue.

The illness can initially resemble other infections, with symptoms including headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the disease progresses, patients may develop advanced symptoms like stiff neck, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, and eventually coma.

One of the biggest challenges is the speed at which the infection progresses. According to recent CDC data cited in coverage of the Louisiana case, 173 Naegleria fowleri infections were documented in the US between 1937 and 2025, with only four known survivors. That puts the fatality rate at roughly 97%.

Also read: Louisiana Records 4th ‘Brain-Eating Amoeba' Case In Nearly 90 Years: What To Know About Naegleria Fowleri

Early Symptoms Mimic Other Illnesses

The initial symptoms of PAM can look like bacterial or viral meningitis, which can make the infection difficult to recognise immediately. An individual may initially experience fever, headache, nausea and vomiting before developing neurological symptoms.

By the time the amoeba is identified, significant brain inflammation may already have occurred. Diagnosis can involve testing cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue for the organism. So, rare early symptoms and rapid progression makes early diagnosis of this infection particularly difficult.

Also read: Brain-Eating Amoeba: What To Know About The Microscopic Killer That Took A 12-Year-Old Boy’s Life In Days

There Is No Cure For Naegleria Fowleri

There is no single drug that reliably cures PAM. Because so few cases occur, there have been no large clinical trials establishing a standard treatment regimen.

Doctors have used combinations of antimicrobial and antifungal medicines in survivors and severe cases, with treatment often including drugs such as amphotericin B and miltefosine, alongside intensive supportive care.

The CDC notes that successful treatment has involved combinations of several medicines, but outcomes remain poor.

Simple Precautions Can Reduce The Risk

The CDC recommends avoiding activities in warm freshwater, particularly when water temperatures are high. For people who do enter such water, precautions include:

• Using a nose clip or keeping the nose above water
• Avoiding jumping or diving into warm freshwater
• Avoiding stirring up sediment in shallow, warm areas
• Avoiding putting the head underwater in potentially contaminated water