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Scientists link specific gene variants to post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis

A genome-wide association study in Sweden identified rare genetic variants near the SCAF11 and LRRC4C genes that may be linked to heart inflammation following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. The findings shed light on potential biological pathways driving vaccine-associated myocarditis and pericarditis, particularly among younger individuals.

11 May 2025

New AI tool predicts viral mutations to help future-proof COVID vaccines

A novel AI-driven method helps scientists stay ahead of viral evolution by engineering synthetic spike proteins that anticipate future SARS-CoV-2 escape mutations, offering a powerful tool to test and strengthen next-generation vaccines.

11 May 2025

Virtual nurse shows promise in promoting vaccinations

Can a virtual nurse persuade people to get vaccinated? Scientists from SWPS University have proven that it is possible. Finding new forms of informing people about vaccinations is particularly important for public health while some question their validity.

10 May 2025

Study shows strong COVID immunity from infection and vaccination

A first-of-its-kind study led by the University of Oxford has successfully investigated human immunity against COVID-19 in people who already have antibodies against it.

9 May 2025

Oxford study reveals how COVID-19 vaccines prevent severe illness

A landmark study by scientists at the University of Oxford, has unveiled crucial insights into the way that COVID-19 vaccines mitigate severe illness in those who have been vaccinated.

9 May 2025

WHO and Medicines Patent Pool support Nigerian innovation in health diagnostics

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) have today announced a sublicensing agreement between MPP and a Nigerian health technology company – Codix Bio – to start development and manufacturing of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) using technology transferred from global in-vitro diagnostics company – SD Biosensor (SDB).

9 May 2025

UC engineers develop saliva test to detect depression and anxiety

University of Cincinnati engineers created a new device to help doctors diagnose depression and anxiety.

8 May 2025

New evidence shows long COVID’s toll on health across all U.S. states

A nationally representative U.S. study of over 100,000 adults found that post-COVID conditions (PCCs) significantly reduce quality of life. Key risk factors for poor health outcomes include obesity, inactivity, chronic disease, and socioeconomic disadvantage.

8 May 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Cutting Medicaid is hard — even for the GOP

After narrowly passing a budget resolution this spring foreshadowing major Medicaid cuts, Republicans in Congress are having trouble agreeing on specific ways to save billions of dollars from a pool of funding that pays for the program without cutting benefits on which millions of Americans rely.

8 May 2025

Obicetrapib slashes LDL cholesterol by over 30% in high-risk heart patients

A large multinational trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that obicetrapib significantly lowers LDL cholesterol in high-risk cardiovascular patients. The CETP inhibitor also improved key lipid parameters with no major safety concerns, supporting its role in future combination therapies.

8 May 2025

Wildlife trade, not bats, likely moved the ancestors of SARS-CoV-2 to humans

New genetic analyses reveal that the bat virus ancestors of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 likely circulated in Western China or Northern Laos just years before human outbreaks. Their rapid appearance thousands of kilometers away suggests wildlife trade, not bat migration, was the likely transmission path.

8 May 2025

Sen. Ron Wyden seeks answers on RFK Jr.’s purge of FOIA staff

The Department of Health and Human Services' mass dismissals of workers who release government records "raise grave transparency, accountability, and privacy concerns," Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said Thursday.

8 May 2025

Next-generation "armored" CAR T cell therapy shows promising results in lymphoma patients

A next-generation "armored" CAR T cell therapy showed promising results in a small study of patients whose B-cell lymphomas continued to resist multiple rounds of other cancer treatments, including commercially available CAR T cell therapies.

8 May 2025

Scientists enhance T cell immunity for more durable vaccines

WEHI scientists have uncovered a promising new way to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines by tapping into the potential of a specific type of immune cell, opening the door to long-lasting vaccines for viruses and enhanced cancer therapies.

7 May 2025

Modified face mask detects chronic kidney disease through breath

Surgical face masks help prevent the spread of airborne pathogens and therefore were ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic.

7 May 2025

Study reveals insights into mental health of healthcare providers in Ecuador during COVID-19

A recent study conducted by researchers from Universidad San Francisco de Quito and Johns Hopkins University has revealed critical insights into the mental health of healthcare providers in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic.

7 May 2025

Hidden heart and lung damage detected in patients with long COVID

Patients suffering from long COVID may exhibit persistent inflammation in the heart and lungs for up to a year following SARS-CoV-2 infection-even when standard medical tests return normal results-potentially placing them at elevated risk for future cardiac and pulmonary conditions.

6 May 2025

Mental health diagnoses rise sharply among publicly insured children

In the first comprehensive investigation into the trends of mental health diagnoses among children with public health insurance, a new study reports the percentage of mental health and neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses increased substantially in the decade before the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 May 2025

New AI approach speeds up antiviral discovery for human enterovirus 71

Artificial intelligence algorithms have now been combined with traditional laboratory methods to uncover promising drug leads against human enterovirus 71 (EV71), the pathogen behind most cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.

6 May 2025