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.

Two researchers working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been charged with allegedly bringing a deactivated mpox virus into the United States from the Republic of the Congo without a permit.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said Vincent Munster and Claude Kwe, from the NIH's Rocky Mountain Laboratory, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States and making false statements to federal law enforcement agencies.

"These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Let that sink in," said United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.

Who Are The Researchers?

According to the criminal complaint, Vincent Munster, 53, a citizen of the Netherlands, is the Chief of the Virus Ecology Section in the Laboratory of Virology at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana.

Claude Kwe, 38, a citizen of Cameroon, is a research fellow in Munster's section.

Both researchers worked on emerging viral pathogens and how those pathogens cross the species barrier. They work at a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, which employs the highest level of biosafety precautions for scientific research involving known and potential human pathogens.

Also read: Western Australia Records 22 Mpox Infections In 2026; Seven Reported Last Week

What Did The Researchers Allegedly Carry?

According to the US Department of Justice, the researchers were carrying a large black plastic case containing 113 vials when they arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from the Republic of the Congo on January 25, this year. Congo was experiencing a monkeypox outbreak at the time.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers inspected and interviewed the researchers, who were carrying a large black plastic case.

"Munster and Kwe falsely told CBP officers that the black case contained diagnostics and testing equipment," the Department of Justice alleged. But when the FBI and CBP inspected the case and found 113 vials.

As per the investigators:

• 17 of the first 20 tested vials contained deactivated mpox virus
• 1 vial contained chickenpox virus
• 2 vials contained human DNA

Investigation Ongoing

"No researchers should believe their positions, credentials, or professional status place them above the law," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.

"The allegations in this case are serious. They involve the dangerous and unlawful smuggling of deactivated Mpox virus into the United States and alleged efforts to mislead our federal agents," she added.

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Marcus L. Sykes, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), said that "any deliberate effort to conceal and smuggle biological materials into the United States without proper authorization was a breach of public trust and could have placed the public at risk".

As per the officials, Munster and Kwe each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted. The investigation remains ongoing.

What Is Mpox?

Mpox is a viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox.

The virus spreads through close physical contact with an infected person, contaminated materials, or infected animals.

The illness generally lasts between two and four weeks and resolves on its own. However, severe disease can occur, particularly in children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.

Complications may include secondary infections, respiratory problems, and, in rare cases, death.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) — a progressive condition in which the kidneys become permanently damaged and lose their ability to filter blood effectively — affects an estimated 788 million to 844 million adults worldwide, according to new research published by The Lancet journal today.

The three-part research series, led by global teams from India, the UK, China, Austria, and other countries, projects CKD to become the fifth leading cause of death globally by 2040.

Experts identified limited access to testing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, the absence of symptoms in the early stages of the disease, and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases as key factors driving the rise in CKD cases worldwide. They also called for sustained investment in diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare infrastructure to address the growing challenge.

CKD: Underdiagnosis and Lack of Symptoms

The researchers stressed that significant underdiagnosis of chronic kidney disease is a key factor endangering millions of patients worldwide.

Another concern is that mild and moderate stages of the disease often go undetected. Symptoms may develop only in the most severe stages, close to the time when dialysis or a kidney transplant may be required. Without successful treatment, the condition can be fatal.

The lack of symptoms likely contributes to low rates of diagnosis and awareness, said the experts in the research.

"Chronic kidney disease remains one of the most concerning conditions currently impacting global health. The overriding message from our series of research papers is that there remains a pressing need for attention and resources to be focused on this condition," said lead author Dr. Jennifer Lees, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Also read:16 Million Indians Die Due To Hypertension Every Year: AIIMS Doc

"There is huge potential to improve early diagnosis, treatment, and healthy lifespan by testing urine for protein routinely across a range of healthcare settings. This may be particularly important in those most at risk of underdiagnosis, including non-white populations and women," she added.

CKD And NCD Burden

The three research papers, presented at the ongoing European Renal Association Congress in Glasgow, Scotland, highlight that diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and cardiovascular disease are among the major drivers of CKD, with the risk of developing the disease increasing with age.

While CKD can affect anyone, it is more common in people who are Black or of South Asian origin. Compared with those without the condition, people with chronic kidney disease are more likely to be hospitalized, develop complications while in hospital, and be readmitted.

The studies also highlighted differences in diagnosis and treatment between men and women, alongside the need for integrated approaches to CKD prevention and treatment across a range of healthcare settings.

Read More: Emma Barnett: It Took 21 Years To Diagnose My Endometriosis

Call For Greater Investment In Kidney Care

The experts called for a renewed focus on CKD diagnosis and treatment.

"Chronic kidney disease affects 844 million people worldwide, yet access to even basic kidney testing remains deeply uneven," said Professor Luxia Zhang from Peking University, China.

"Advances in biomarkers, biopsy, and genetic testing now allow us to understand why an individual has kidney disease, not just that they have it. Realizing this benefit for patients everywhere will require sustained investment in diagnostics, laboratory capacity, and workforce," Zhang added.

In a major relief amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the number of suspected cases has dropped to 116 after hundreds were ruled out following investigation.

Earlier, the number of suspected cases had neared 1,000 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The global health agency said on Tuesday that there had been 48 deaths and six recoveries in Congo, Reuters reported.

In Uganda, there have been nine confirmed cases and one associated death, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.

Later, Uganda's Ministry of Health confirmed six additional Ebola cases, bringing the country's total number of confirmed infections to 15.

The ministry said in a statement on X that all six newly confirmed cases were among contacts of previously confirmed patients.

Hundreds Of Suspected Cases Ruled Out

Lindmeier explained that the latest figures were significantly lower because hundreds of suspected cases had been discounted after further investigation.

"They have been cleared out and have either other diseases or have just had a fever and nothing else," he said.

Lindmeier added that the numbers would continue to fluctuate as more people are tested.

A suspected case includes anyone identified through surveillance systems or presenting with symptoms at a health facility. Confirmed cases include only those who test positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

Last week, the WHO reported 906 suspected Bundibugyo Ebola cases in Congo, including 223 suspected deaths under investigation.

Subsequently, Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Financial Times that more than 1,100 suspected cases were being investigated.

Testing has posed a major challenge during the outbreak because the commonly used Ebola diagnostic tests initially failed to detect the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.

Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website also listed 116 suspected cases and noted: "On May 29, the DRC Ministry of Health updated their total suspect case count to remove suspected cases that have been ruled out after investigation and suspected deaths that are pending the results of ongoing investigation."

Kenyans Protest Proposed US Ebola Treatment Facility

Also read: Western Australia Records 22 Mpox Infections In 2026; Seven Reported Last Week

The United States' plan to establish an Ebola treatment facility in Kenya has sparked public concern about cross-border infection risks and triggered protests.

The proposed 50-bed isolation centre would be staffed by US medical personnel and is intended to treat US citizens affected by the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Asked about the proposal during a White House briefing, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said keeping affected Americans closer to the outbreak zone would help speed up treatment.

"You have a golden hour in many of these instances around trauma, but for illnesses, it’s also relatively short, so we are confident, and the State Department’s working on this diligently, that they are going to be able to work out something with Kenya. There has already been a fair amount of communication around this issue," Oz said.

Although Kenya has not recorded any Ebola cases, the proposed quarantine facility has raised fears among residents who believe it could increase the risk of exposure to the virus.