Credits: Canva
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.
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.
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.
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Sri Lanka has been battling dengue cases since the beginning of the year. According to the National Dengue Control Unit, the island nation reported a total of 47,530 cases and 29 dengue-related deaths as of June 22.
Health officials said cases jumped to 13,689 in June alone, up from 8,590 cases in May 2026. The deaths include five children.
Colombo district accounts for 21 per cent of the country's cases (9,983), while Gampaha district has reported 8,809 cases (18.53 per cent).
Sri Lanka has experienced large outbreaks in recent years, including in 2017, 2019 and 2023. In 2025, the country recorded a total of 51,000 cases. The 2026 outbreak is reportedly driven by the monsoons and the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah, which ravaged the island nation in December last year.
“We noticed this increase after the cyclone,” Dr. Prashila Samaraweera, consultant community physician at the National Dengue Control Unit, told Reuters.
“A lot of debris was in our environment, so we noticed a lot of mosquito breeding places, and our entomological indices were high from that time,” she added.
Schools, homes, construction sites and public buildings are being cleaned up during a special programme launched by Sri Lanka's health authorities and other public officials.
According to media reports, Sri Lanka is deploying the military to contain the spread of mosquito-borne dengue fever, as health authorities warned that hospitals are being overwhelmed with more than 1,000 admissions a day.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's office said army, navy and air force officers would join a special unit to identify and destroy mosquito breeding sites.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes and is common in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Mild dengue causes high fever and flu-like symptoms. However, in some cases, it can progress to severe dengue, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, which may lead to serious bleeding, shock and death.
Dengue is considered the most prevalent viral infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. More than 3.9 billion people across over 132 countries are at risk, with an estimated 96 million symptomatic cases and around 40,000 deaths annually worldwide.
Symptoms usually appear 4–10 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito and may vary in severity. Common symptoms include:
Preventing dengue mainly involves reducing mosquito exposure and eliminating mosquito breeding sites. Effective preventive measures include:
Credit: NICE/UK
The National Health Service (NHS) has approved teplizumab for people with early-stage type 1 diabetes in England and Wales.
Teplizumab (sold under the brand names Tzield and Teplizumab) is manufactured by French drug maker Sanofi and is the world's first immunotherapy to target the root cause of type 1 diabetes and slow its progression.
It will be made available on the NHS in England and Wales as clinical trial evidence reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) showed that teplizumab can delay the onset of symptomatic type 1 diabetes by an average of nearly three years.
“This is a genuinely exciting recommendation. For the first time, we have a treatment that can give people diagnosed at an early stage of type 1 diabetes precious extra time before they need to manage the full demands of the condition,” said Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE.
Teplizumab is used to delay the onset of stage 3 type 1 diabetes in children aged 8 years and older, and adults, with stage 2 type 1 diabetes.
In stage 1 type 1 diabetes, there are no symptoms, and blood sugar levels are normal, but blood tests show the immune system has begun attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
Also read: UK Met Office Warns of 'Pollen Bomb': What Hay Fever Patients Need to Know
At stage 2, the immune attack has progressed further. There are still no symptoms, but blood tests show early changes in blood sugar levels, indicating a high risk of developing symptomatic diabetes.
Because stage 2 type 1 diabetes has no symptoms, specific tests are needed to diagnose it. There is currently no national screening program. But people are most likely to be identified through:
“Around 1,100 people could be eligible for treatment in the first year, with approximately 555 expected to take it up. From year three, the eligible population is expected to stabilise at around 820 people annually, with approximately 490 expected to receive treatment,” as per NICE.
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Teplizumab helps regulate the immune system by attaching to a protein called CD3 on the surface of immune cells responsible for attacking insulin-producing cells. This slows damage to the pancreas and delays the onset of the disease.
Evidence for teplizumab comes from the TN-10 clinical trial, which followed 76 children aged 8 years and older and adults with stage 2 type 1 diabetes who had a close family member with the condition. Of the participants, 44 received teplizumab and 32 received a placebo.
Teplizumab delayed the onset of symptomatic type 1 diabetes by approximately 32 months.
Teplizumab is given through a drip into a vein once a day for 14 consecutive days. Each infusion takes at least 30 minutes, with the dose gradually increased during the first few days. It is a one-time treatment course.
Patients will need to attend hospital every day during the treatment period, including weekends. The NICE committee noted that daily travel may be difficult for some people because of cost or practical considerations.
Sanofi has agreed a commercial arrangement with NHS England, meaning teplizumab will be available to the NHS at a confidential discounted price.
Credit: AP
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is worsening, with confirmed cases rising to 1,048 and the death toll reaching 267, according to government data.
The country has also reported 112 recoveries, while contact tracing coverage has improved to 70.8%. However, significant gaps remain. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 95% of contacts must be traced to effectively contain an outbreak.
The outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain, with no vaccine or anti-viral, is spreading rapidly, even as response measures are being intensified.
"The outbreak remains serious and is evolving very fast. However, I have seen a response that is growing stronger every day," said Marie-Roseline Belizaire, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for Africa, speaking to reporters in Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Israel's Health Ministry said test results for two men hospitalized on suspicion of Ebola infection were negative.
The ministry stressed that no confirmed Ebola case has been diagnosed in Israel and advised the public to avoid non-essential travel to areas experiencing active outbreaks.
In addition, it urged travelers returning from Ebola-affected regions who develop fever or unusual symptoms within 21 days of their return to stay home and avoid contact with others.
UNICEF has warned that nearly 3 million children and adolescents face growing risks in eastern DRC.
According to the UN agency, an estimated 2.95 million children and adolescents aged 18 and under — representing 54% of the population across 31 affected health zones — are at risk from both Ebola and the disruption of essential services.
In Ituri province alone, Ebola has left more than 130 children orphaned, creating an urgent need for protection and care.
“Our teams in Ituri have met children who have lost their mothers, and in some cases both parents, to Ebola," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Children are trying to make sense of the threat while surrounded by rumors and online misinformation.”
Although the situation remains fluid, children and adolescents account for approximately 15% of confirmed Ebola cases and more than 25% of confirmed deaths in eastern DRC as of June 19.
Children and adolescents with confirmed Ebola are almost twice as likely to die as adults, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the outbreak on younger populations.
In Uganda, 20 Ebola cases and two deaths have been confirmed among individuals who travelled from the DRC seeking testing and treatment.
Children have also been affected. One child has tested positive for Ebola, while 19 others are under quarantine monitoring, the UNICEF said.
“Children are especially vulnerable because they depend on caregivers and cannot distance themselves from a sick parent or sibling in the same way that an adult can. To better protect children, we need sustained access, and the resources needed to reach every affected community," Russell added.
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