Singer Jesy Nelson recently shared an emotional update regarding the complications she is experiencing in her pregnancy with twin babies. Former Little Mix singer Jesy, who is having twins with partner Zion Foster, announced that she has been diagnosed with pre-twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (pre-TTTS). The condition, which is present in pregnancies involving twins with a shared placenta, has serious risks involved and needs intense medical supervision. As Nelson embarks on this difficult journey, her story enlightens us about a rare but dangerous condition many expectant parents may not know much about.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is a rare but dangerous condition that arises in monochorionic twin pregnancies, in which identical twins share a single placenta. The placenta supplies the developing babies with oxygen, nutrients, and blood flow, but in TTTS, there is an imbalance of blood vessels that interconnect the twins, and thus the vital resources are not evenly distributed. One twin, or the donor twin, shares excess blood with the other, referred to as the recipient twin. This leads to one baby becoming malnourished and possibly anemic, and the other in danger of heart problems due to too much blood.

Nelson described her diagnosis in a heartfelt Instagram video, explaining that she is currently in the pre-stage of TTTS and undergoing frequent monitoring. "I am being scanned twice a week, and each time, things have gotten a little worse," she shared, expressing her fears and hopes for the health of her babies.

Potential Risks of TTTS

If left untreated, TTTS can have devastating consequences. Medical research indicates that:

• 90% of the cases of untreated TTTS lead to loss of one or both twins.
• Despite treatment, only a 70% survival rate for both twins is assured.
• Severe forms can result in preterm labor, cardiac failure in the recipient twin, and organ failure in the donor twin.
• Complications in long-term survivors include neurological damage and developmental delay in surviving infants.

TTTS usually advances in stages, beginning with minimal changes in fluid levels and worsening as one twin continues to get an unequal share of blood. In extreme cases, fetal laser surgery, referred to as the Solomon technique, can be employed to divide the blood vessels and balance the twins.

Why Identical Twin Pregnancies Are More Complicated

Identical twins may develop differently, and their own unique form of placental sharing can have a dramatic effect on pregnancy risk. Jesy Nelson's twins are considered monochorionic diamniotic (mono/di), which means they share a placenta but have two amniotic sacs. This is the type of pregnancy in about 70% of identical twin pregnancies and carries an increased risk of complications like TTTS, umbilical cord entanglement, and growth restriction.

Conversely, dichorionic diamniotic (di/di) twins both have a separate placenta and amniotic sac, which greatly diminishes the threat of TTTS. Twin pregnancy type is normally identified by early ultrasound, with physicians being able to track future complications from inception.

Other Twin Pregnancy Health Risks

Twin pregnancies, even without the presence of TTTS, entail a variety of health risks to the mother as well as infants:

1. Premature Birth

Over 60% of twin pregnancies end in premature delivery, with birth usually taking place before 37 weeks. Premature infants can have immature organs and need neonatal intensive care (NICU) assistance to assist with breathing, feeding, and infection fighting.

2. Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia

Pregnant women with multiples are at increased risk of having high blood pressure during pregnancy. This, if left untreated, can result in preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy that can result in damage to organs, preterm labor, and in some cases, maternal or fetal death.

3. Anemia

Pregnant women carrying multiples are twice as likely to experience anemia, a condition where the body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells. This can lead to fatigue, dizziness, and complications during delivery.

4. Birth Defects

According to John Hopkins Medicine, multiple birth babies are twice as likely to have congenital abnormalities compared to single births. These can include heart defects, neural tube defects, and gastrointestinal issues.

5. Amniotic Fluid Imbalances

When twins have to share a placenta, they are more likely to have polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid) or oligohydramnios (not enough amniotic fluid). Both result in distress to the babies during fetal development and can result in premature labor.

6. Postpartum Hemorrhage

Twins are at increased risk of excessive postpartum hemorrhage because their uterus is larger and there are greater blood supply needs.

Jesy Nelson's openness about her challenging experience is raising awareness for TTTS, a condition that few individuals—let alone expectant mothers and fathers—might be aware of. Through her tearful video, Nelson stressed the significance of knowing about twin pregnancies aside from the thrill of having multiples. "We had no idea that this type of thing occurs when you're having twins. We just desperately want to make people aware of this because there are so many people who aren't aware."

Her case reminds us of the intricacies involved in twin pregnancy and the significance of early identification and medical management. For mothers carrying twins, frequent ultrasounds and vigilance can become a life-and-death issue for early detection and better outcomes of both babies.

Through constant medical attention and care, she and her partner Zion Foster remain positive and get ready for their babies to be born. In other parents whose situations are no different, the story of Nelson highlights awareness, medical progress, and emotional encouragement in handling complicated pregnancies.

The expecting parents of twin siblings are advised to discuss TTTS screening and possible interventions with their physicians to give their babies the best chance.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a soft, wearable device that targets a deep brain region involved in sleep regulation through focused ultrasound.

In a study published in Nature Communications, the patch, called NEUSLeeP, was found to boost REM sleep and help people reach that stage of restorative rest faster.

What Is NEUSLeeP?

NEUSLeeP is a bioelectronic patch that can be attacked on the skin. It combines focused ultrasound stimulation with electrodes that continuously monitor brain activity during sleep.

The device targets the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a deep structure within the brain that forms part of the basal ganglia network.

Researchers used a specialised ultrasound array to focus stimulation on the region while simultaneously recording electrical signals linked to sleep.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to noninvasively target deep brain regions involved in REM sleep, while simultaneously monitoring brain activity,” said Kai Wing “Kevin” Tang, who led the research.

The patch weighs about 103 grams and is designed to remain attached during overnight sleep. Its electrodes allow researchers to track EEG, eye movements and muscle activity, helping determine which stage of sleep a person is experiencing.

Also read: Practicing Yoga Everyday Does THIS To Your Sleep Cycle

What Did The Study Find?

The study involved 28 participants, including 16 healthy sleepers and 12 people with some degree of insomnia symptoms.

Participants underwent two consecutive nights of sleep testing, with the first night serving as the sham condition and ultrasound stimulation delivered on the second night.

Researchers found that NEUSLeeP increased the proportion of REM sleep by about 4.6 percentage points, equivalent to roughly 16 additional minutes of REM sleep. It also reduced the time taken to enter REM sleep by approximately 43 minutes, or 24%.

Additionally, researchers did not observe significant changes in other sleep stages or overall sleep efficiency.

The team also reported changes in heart-rate variability and brain activity associated with processing emotions, suggesting that manipulating REM sleep could eventually have implications beyond sleep itself.

Also read: Narcolepsy: US FDA Approves First-Ever Pill That Targets Root Cause of Rare Sleep Disorder

Why Is REM Sleep Important?

REM, or rapid eye movement sleep, is the stage associated with vivid dreaming, rapid eye movements and increased brain activity.

It usually becomes longer during the later part of the night and accounts for roughly 20% to 25% of sleep in adults.

REM sleep has been linked to memory processing and emotional regulation. Research has suggested that the brain uses this stage to process emotional experiences and integrate memories.

“REM sleep is not just about dreaming. It’s about emotional reset and stress adaptation,” said Gregory Fonzo, a co-principal investigator on the project.

Poor sleep is associated with several mental and neurological consequences. Researchers believe that selectively influencing REM sleep could eventually become part of treatments for sleep disorders and conditions like chronic insomnia, depression and PTSD. However, the patch is not yet a treatment available for patients.

Limitations Of The Study

Although the findings seem promising, they come from a small, early-stage human study involving 26 participants.

The researchers also deliberately used a fixed order, with sham stimulation on the first night and ultrasound on the second, because they were concerned about possible carryover effects.

That means larger, longer and independent trials will be needed to determine whether increasing REM sleep actually produces meaningful improvements in health, mood or daytime functioning.

Cancer drug research may undergo a significant shift as scientists are not just studying what happens to a cell after treatment, but watch the process unfold in real time.

Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur Parmita Mishra is developing a live-cell technology that combines Raman spectroscopy, photonics, microfluidics and computational biology to continuously monitor living cells without fluorescent labels or destructive sample preparation.

The approach, described by the researchers as “live-cell cinema,” aims to address a longstanding problem in drug discovery: conventional laboratory techniques often provide snapshots of cellular behaviour rather than a continuous picture of how cells respond to treatment and other changes.

Mishra said, "Biology is constantly moving, yet for decades we have largely studied it through static snapshots. If we want to understand why cancer cells change, adapt or resist therapy, we need technologies that allow us to observe living biology continuously rather than after the fact. Our mission is to give researchers that capability."

Why This Could Be Game Changing In Cancer Drug Research?

Traditional experiments require cells to be fixed, stained, lysed or otherwise destroyed before researchers analyse them. Even studies that examine multiple time points may rely on different populations of cells at each stage of the research.

A recent Drug Discovery News report highlighted research that cancer cells can move through intermediate molecular states as they develop treatment resistance, suggesting that important biological changes may occur before resistance becomes obvious.

The idea behind live-cell examination is therefore simple: if biology changes continuously, why should scientists only measure it at the end?

Also read: Lung Health After 40: Natural Changes, Warning Signs And Ways To Protect Your Lungs

How Does The Technology Work?

Raman spectroscopy analyses how light interacts with molecules, producing chemical information without necessarily requiring dyes or labels.

Its system combines this optical technology with microfluidic chips that maintain cells under controlled conditions, including temperature, nutrients and carbon dioxide. This allows researchers to observe the same living cells as their biology changes.

Mishra said that artificial intelligence can process enormous amounts of information, but its utility in drug discovery depends on having better biological data to learn from.

Also read: Tudriqev: US FDA Approves Replimune's Skin Cancer Drug After Rejecting It Twice

How Could This Impact Cancer Drug Discovery?

By capturing biochemical changes continuously, technologies such as live-cell Raman imaging could potentially help researchers identify drug responses, toxicity or resistance earlier during preclinical testing.

Dr. Shyam Aggarwal , Chairperson, Department of Medical Oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi said “Real-time observation technologies could help researchers better understand how cells respond to candidate drugs, monitor subtle biochemical changes earlier, and potentially identify promising therapies more efficiently during preclinical research. Understanding precision oncology with CGP comprehensive genome profiling and MRD minimal residual disease detection will help physicians improve targeted personised medicine for cancer patients. While such technologies are not themselves treatments, they may strengthen the scientific foundation on which future therapies are developed.”

For cancer research, that window could eventually help scientists understand not only whether a drug works, but how a living cancer cell changes while the drug is working.

Mishra further added "We are not trying to replace scientists or physicians—we are trying to give them a better window into living biology," "When researchers can continuously measure how cells behave instead of relying on biological 'autopsies,' they may uncover insights that were previously impossible to observe. That has implications far beyond cancer, extending into immunology, neuroscience, rare diseases and regenerative medicine. "For decades, we've been studying life after it has stopped.The future of biomedical research lies in understanding life while it is still unfolding."

However, the technology is still being developed and requires independent validation before its potential impact on drug discovery can be established.

Dr Rahul Bhargava, Principal Director of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram said “Cancer is an extraordinarily dynamic disease, and researchers around the world are exploring technologies that can better capture how living cells change over time. Innovations that enable continuous, non-invasive observation of cellular behavior could become valuable research tools for improving disease models and accelerating drug discovery. While clinical validation remains essential, this represents an exciting direction for biomedical science."

90s star Samuel Monroe Jr., best known for his role in the 1993 film Menace II Society, remains critically ill in a Los Angeles hospital. His family is now facing the possibility that he may end up in a vegetative state.

According to the latest update shared by his wife, Shawna Stewart, Monroe is in a medically induced coma and remains on life support.

Doctors have said that he could ultimately be left in that life state as complications in his brain continue to worsen.

What Happened To Samuel Monroe Jr.?

Samuel's health crisis reportedly began with meningitis. Stewart previously said he contracted the infection while filming in Las Vegas around 18 months before his hospitalization, but the illness was repeatedly misdiagnosed.

“Because of this negligence, the meningitis went untreated for eight months,” Stewart said. She also said that by the time it was diagnosed, the infection had spread to his spine and brain.

His condition later became more complicated after he developed MRSA pneumonia, a serious infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. He needed life support, dialysis, and multiple blood transfusions for several months.

There was some improvement in his health in May. His kidney function improved enough for doctors to stop dialysis; he was taken off blood-pressure medication and was able to breathe without a ventilator for about four hours.

He was also reportedly alert and well enough to answer questions by moving his head. But that phase did not last.

Also read: Alex Hughes: Former Manchester United Star’s Son Dies of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome

What Does Vegetative State Mean?

A vegetative state is different from a coma, although both involve severe impairment of consciousness.

A person in a vegetative state may have periods of wakefulness, like opening their eyes, but may not show any sign of awareness of themselves or their surroundings. Basic functions like breathing and sleep-wake cycles can continue.

Importantly, doctors cannot determine an individual's neurological outcome from one symptom alone. The extent and location of brain injury, neurological examinations and repeated imaging, and other assessments are considered.

Also read: Donald Trump Mulls Order Targeting Childhood Vaccines And Autism

Samuel Monroe Jr's Family Faces A Challenging Decision

Stewart told TMZ that Monroe’s brain continues to swell and that his brain ventricles have enlarged and are struggling to properly contain cerebral fluid. The pressure and complications in his brain have triggered seizures.

Monroe has undergone three brain surgeries, while his left lung has also partially collapsed. Doctors are continuing to perform CT scans to assess his brain activity and condition.

Brain swelling is particularly dangerous as the skull is a rigid body part. When fluid or swelling increases inside it, pressure can rise and potentially damage brain tissue.

Severe or prolonged swelling can affect consciousness, movement, communication, and other essential neurological functions.

According to reports, Monroe’s family is not making an immediate decision about his life support.

Stewart said the family has agreed to wait for three or four more CT scans before making a decision. Depending on those scans, the family may have to take the decision of withdrawing life support.