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.

A newly developed “smart pill” that can confirm whether a medication has actually been swallowed could one day change how doctors track prescription use. Created by researchers at MIT along with partner institutions, the technology was described in a study published in Nature Communications. These electronic capsules are designed to send out a wireless signal once ingested and then safely dissolve inside the stomach over the course of about a week.

While the idea sounds straightforward, the implications are significant. Research shows that nearly half of Americans living with chronic illnesses do not take long-term medications exactly as prescribed. Below is what you need to know about how this smart pill works and why it matters.

What Is The New Smart Pill Designed By MIT Researchers?

In a development aimed at improving medication adherence, engineers at MIT have created a pill that can confirm when it has been swallowed. The reporting mechanism can be built into standard pill capsules and includes a biodegradable radio frequency antenna. After transmitting a signal to confirm ingestion, most of the pill’s components dissolve in the stomach. A tiny radio frequency chip then passes naturally through the digestive system and exits the body.

According to MIT News, researchers believe this technology could be particularly helpful for transplant recipients who rely on immunosuppressive drugs, as well as patients being treated long term for infections such as HIV or tuberculosis.

“The idea is to make sure this helps people receive the treatment they need so they can achieve the best possible health outcomes,” Giovanni Traverso, associate professor of medical engineering and senior author of the study, told MIT News.

The New Smart Pill Can Communicate

Not taking medication as prescribed remains a major public health problem, contributing to hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths and adding billions of dollars to healthcare costs every year. To address this, Traverso’s team has previously developed capsules that can stay in the digestive system for days or even weeks, releasing medicine at scheduled intervals. However, not every drug can be delivered in this way.

“We know that systems designed to stay in the body longer can improve adherence,” Traverso explained. “But for some medications, altering the pill isn’t an option. So the question is what else we can do to support patients and help healthcare providers ensure medications are actually being taken.”

In this latest study, the researchers shifted their focus toward better tracking of medication use. They turned to radio frequency technology, which is safe for humans and easy to detect from outside the body. This allowed them to design a capsule that sends a signal once it has been swallowed, giving doctors a clearer picture of whether patients are taking their medicine.

The Smart Pill Will Be Using Radio Frequency

The capsule is designed to keep its signal blocked until it reaches the stomach. After ingestion, stomach fluids dissolve the outer coating, activating the radio frequency signal that confirms the pill has been swallowed. The remaining materials then break down safely inside the body.

To test the system, researchers conducted experiments in pigs, whose digestive systems are similar to those of humans. The study found that the capsules consistently transmitted signals after ingestion and dissolved without leaving behind harmful chemical residue, according to MIT News.

Looking ahead, researchers told the New York Post that they hope to develop a wearable device for humans that could receive the signal and automatically share the information with healthcare providers. Still, widespread use is not imminent. Despite encouraging early findings, the smart pills will need thorough testing in human trials to confirm both safety and effectiveness before they can receive approval.

Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, scientists, doctors, and public health experts have spent decades trying to understand the virus and control its spread. Modern treatments now allow people living with HIV to reduce the virus in their bodies to undetectable levels, helping them stay healthy while also preventing transmission to others. Still, these treatments do not eliminate the virus entirely. Now, new research exploring the use of CRISPR gene-editing technology has shown promising results. This raises a question that has lingered for years: are we any closer to a cure for HIV?

What Is CRISPR?

CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a powerful gene-editing tool adapted from a natural defense system found in bacteria. It works by acting like precise molecular scissors that can cut, remove, or alter specific sections of DNA inside living cells. Scientists use a guide RNA to direct an enzyme, such as Cas9, to a targeted stretch of genetic material, allowing them to make exact changes.

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, CRISPR has transformed genetic research because it is faster, more accurate, and more affordable than older gene-editing methods, with applications across medicine, science, and agriculture.

CRISPR Slices HIV Out Of Infected Cells Completely

Researchers at Amsterdam UMC have used Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR gene-editing tools to remove HIV DNA from infected T cells. Their work focused on targeting the virus where it hides inside immune cells known as reservoirs. By attacking parts of the HIV genome that remain stable across different strains, the researchers were able to target the virus in several types of cells, as per BBC.

In laboratory studies, the team successfully eliminated HIV from T cells that typically allow the virus to resurface once antiretroviral treatment is stopped. Unlike current HIV medications, which keep the virus under control but do not remove it, CRISPR physically cuts the viral DNA out of dormant reservoir cells. These hidden cells have been one of the biggest obstacles to finding a cure for HIV for decades.

How CRISPR Works Against HIV

According to the National Institutes of Health, CRISPR can fight HIV in several ways.

Removing the virus: CRISPR can cut out HIV DNA that has integrated into a person’s own genetic material, effectively removing the virus from the cell. This approach has been demonstrated in studies highlighted by the NIH, the World Economic Forum, and other research bodies.

Blocking viral activity: The technology can also disrupt viral genes or target host cell receptors, such as CCR5, which HIV needs to enter cells. This helps prevent new infections from taking hold.

Multiple-target strategies: Scientists are developing approaches that use more than one guide RNA to attack different parts of the virus at the same time. This reduces the chances of HIV mutating and escaping treatment, according to reports from the NIH, Aidsmap, and the World Economic Forum.

Study Details And Key Findings

Led by Dr Elena Herrera-Carrillo, the research team tested a CRISPR-Cas system using two guide RNAs aimed at conserved regions of the HIV genome. By focusing on these shared genetic sequences, the scientists hoped to create a treatment effective against many HIV variants. One major challenge they identified was the size of the delivery system used to transport the CRISPR components into cells. The vector carrying the gene-editing tools was initially too large.

To address this, the team tested different methods to shrink the CRISPR cassette and improve delivery. They compared several CRISPR-Cas systems derived from different bacteria in HIV-infected CD4+ T cells. Among them, saCas9 showed especially strong results. With one guide RNA, it completely shut down HIV activity, and with two guide RNAs, it fully removed viral DNA from the cells.

Reducing the vector size improved delivery efficiency, and the researchers were also able to target hidden HIV reservoir cells by focusing on proteins found on the surface of CD4+ and CD32a+ cells.

The researchers stated: “We have developed an effective combined CRISPR approach that attacks HIV in different cell types and in the locations where it hides. We also showed that these treatments can be delivered specifically to the cells that matter. This work marks an important step toward designing a cure strategy.”

What Happens Next?

Looking ahead, the authors explained that their next goal is to improve how the treatment is delivered so it reaches most HIV reservoir cells in the body. They plan to combine CRISPR-based therapies with receptor-targeting tools and move into preclinical testing to closely examine safety and effectiveness.

They added: “This will help ensure that CRISPR-Cas is delivered mainly to reservoir cells while avoiding healthy cells. Our aim is to make the system as safe as possible for future use in patients. Finding the right balance between effectiveness and safety is essential. Only then can clinical trials begin to explore whether this cure strategy can disable HIV reservoirs in humans.”

Days after actor Genelia D'Souza revealed she does not feed her children ghee over fears of blocking their arteries and causing heart damage, cardiologists have exclusively revealed to HealthAndMe whether the superfood is healthy for youngsters.

During an episode of Soha Ali Khan’s YouTube podcast 'All About Her', D'Souza said: "Ghee was never a very big part of my diet. I’ve always been more conscious because cholesterol issues run in my family. Whether it was non-vegetarian food or anything else, it was always on my mind, I didn’t want to go overboard.

"We start building habits early. You can't keep feeding children excessive amounts of certain foods and then expect them to suddenly not be overweight and head to the gym later in life. It has to make sense."

And Dr Lakshmi Sukumaran, senior consultant, cardiac, transplant anesthesia and critical care at Metromed International Cardiac Centre agrees!

The specialist told the publication: "Children need appropriate fat for growth, brain development, and hormone synthesis. However, children also do not need excess saturated fat.

"Small amounts of ghee, a teaspoon added to food is not harmful for healthy children with normal weight, active lifestyle and no genetic lipid disorders.

What should be avoided is high daily intake, especially when combined with sedentary lifestyle and calorie excess."

Is Ghee Indeed Bad For Young Children?

Made from cow milk butter, ghee contains about 130 calories and 15 grams of fat on average. It is also known to be rich in Vitamin A, D, K and E as well antioxidants.

However due to its high saturated fat content, some experts claim ghee can raise bad cholesterol levels in some people. Dr Neville Solomon, pediatric consultant and adult congenital cardiac surgeon, Apollo Children’s Hospitals, Chennai further advised that it is important for parents to practice caution over the amount their children are consuming of the superfood.

He exclusively told HealthAndMe: "Excessive intake can be harmful and manifest as weight gain, and indirectly in adulthood, as metabolic syndrome, which can manifest as hypertension, diabetes and raised bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol, which can translate into 'hardening of arteries' and coronary artery disease in adulthood."

Additionally, he suggested that children should be kept away from fried foods, be allowed to to consume ghee in moderation and encouraged to be physically active to maintain cardiac health as they grow.

"A sensible policy, if your child is overweight, it is best to avoid or restrict ghee and related potentially harmful foods like fried items, sweets, salty foods like chips and pickles. Ensure your child is physically active, and screen time is restricted. Adequate sleep and avoiding excessive stress are equally important for the long-term 'heart health' of a child," he said.

What About Adults?

Dr Sukumaran explained that while low amounts of ghee in itself is not unhealthy for children and cannot block arteries, it is necessary for adults to also practice moderation as it can pave the way for development of atherosclerosis, a condition in which plaque builds up inside your arteries over years and cause artery blockage.

She noted: "Ghee is simply a concentrated source of saturated fat. Saturated fats are known to raise LDL cholesterol in many individuals. Elevated LDL is a well-established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. But this effect is dose-dependent, meaning quantity and frequency matter. So, intake of ghee in moderation does not worsen heart health. What matters is long term dietary patterns.

"Studies on ghee consumption show mixed results , some show mild increases in LDL or triglycerides at high intake, while others show neutral effects when intake is modest and part of a traditional diet.

"Science supports moderation, not fear mongering a particular type of food, and certainly not oversimplified statements of celebrities about arterial blockage."

Who Should Avoid Ghee?

Experts recommend those suffering from conditions such as heart, digestive and kidney issues as well as obesity to steer clear from the superfood. Cholesterol patients should also avoid ghee as it is rich in fatty acids that may increase blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease.

Lastly, those suffering from jaundice should also avoid it as it can cause major problems for the liver. Doctors suggest consuming not more than two teaspoons of ghee every day as it may pose certain health risks.

What Did Genelia Say About Her Children's Diets?

The 38-year-old mother-of-two clarified during the podcase episode that she considers ghee to be a problem when consumed in excess. D'Souza, who follows a strict plant-based lifestyle, explained that ghee, a known superfood, stays far away from her diet and instead she prefers to consume sesame seeds (til) for similar benefits.

She also addressed questions about giving up ghee and butter, stating, "I enjoyed a little bit of ghee and butter, but only in tiny portions. So when I eventually gave it up, it wasn’t a big deal," while acknowledging the sensory appeal of ghee, "I know it’s very tasty and it smells amazing."