Health

A major international study led by researchers at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford has found that osteoarthritis (OA)—the most common form of arthritis worldwide—is not a collection of separate diseases, as many scientists had previously speculated, but rather a single condition with common core underlying biological pathways.

A novel theranostic approach that targets RET—a newly identified biomarker for neuroendocrine prostate cancer—enables high-contrast PET imaging and effective, safe treatment for this highly aggressive malignancy. Because this disease is often poorly visualized with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-based imaging, the RET approach offers an important alternative when conventional molecular imaging and PSMA-directed therapies are unsuitable. This research is being presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2026 Annual Meeting.

Researchers at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have created one of the largest reference models ever developed for the human brain, using diffusion MRI scans from more than 54,000 people to chart how the brain's communication pathways develop, mature, and decline across the lifespan.

A research team led by the University of Waterloo has created a new monitoring system to save lives and significantly reduce health-care costs in brain-injury cases through the early detection of infections in intensive care units. A paper on the work, A platform for near real-time and multiplexed monitoring of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers and flow in neurocritical care, was published in Science Translational Medicine.

Telemedicine, continuous monitoring and remote procedures are becoming increasingly important in medicine. For these to operate seamlessly in everyday clinical practice, data must be transmitted quickly, reliably and without interruption. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and TUM University Hospital have investigated how future 6G networks can manage computing power and data transmission so that up to 40% more applications can be run simultaneously.

Stem cell transplantation is the most cost-effective option for long-term care of sickle cell disease in adults when compared with gene therapy and standard of care treatment, according to new research published in Blood .

Scientists investigating how influenza viruses replicate within cells "accidentally" discovered that different flu viruses use distinct strategies to infiltrate cells in the first place. They also found that it is possible to target specific molecules to prevent the viruses from entering new cells, thereby stopping their replication.

Traditional Knowledge has supported health and well-being practices for thousands of years using medicinal plants and cultural medicines. But how can that knowledge be applied appropriately for use in scientific drug discovery?

STIs are particularly common among young people, with health experts saying testing for them is vital.

A new study identifies vgll3 as a key gene that promotes rapid growth and early reproduction while increasing the risk of aging and cancer later in life. The findings provide rare experimental evidence for the theory that evolution favors early-life advantages even at the expense of long-term health.

A laryngeal mask (LM) is a safe alternative to tracheal tube (TT) intubation for pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing adenotonsillectomies, according to a review published in the European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases.

A new type of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) appears to be safe in metastatic neuroendocrine tumor patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options. This novel approach, presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine 2026 Annual Meeting, resulted in partial remission of the disease in the majority of patients with advanced cases of neuroendocrine tumors.

Therapy donkeys are helping patients with mental health conditions recover in a psychiatric hospital unit outside Paris that's unique to France.

Three-quarters of people who respond well to the newest types of biologics for psoriasis can safely reduce their dosage, often even by half. These medications then work just as effectively, according to a study led by Radboud University Medical Center and Ghent University Hospital. The finding results in fewer injections and saves up to €8,500 (~$9,900) per patient per year. The study is published in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe.

The DNA changes responsible for a rare genetic condition causing babies to be born without a pancreas can now be identified in almost all affected children through genetic testing. That's according to a new study from the University of Exeter, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, which found that genetic testing can identify the cause of pancreatic agenesis in 98% of cases.