Experimental oral pills auto-release insulin when glucose levels are high

Daily injections of insulin are a hassle for the hundreds of millions of people with diabetes. An oral pill would be much easier to swallow (pun intended), and now researchers from New York University Abu Dhabi have developed a new method for packing i… Continue reading Experimental oral pills auto-release insulin when glucose levels are high

Single dose antibiotic clears multi-drug-resistant gonorrhea in mice

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are among the most urgent threats to public health. Now a team of scientists has developed a new single-dose drug that works on a different mechanism to most existing antibiotics, and showed in tests in mice that it can be… Continue reading Single dose antibiotic clears multi-drug-resistant gonorrhea in mice

IBM develops AI to invent new antibiotics – and it’s made two already

Hiding behind the current COVID-19 pandemic, another serious public health threat is looming – the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.” New antibiotics are needed to help turn the tide, but developing them takes time. Now, IBM Research has put AI … Continue reading IBM develops AI to invent new antibiotics – and it’s made two already

Drugs that trip cellular alarm could help clear out hibernating HIV

HIV can currently be managed with a lifelong daily drug regimen, but unfortunately the infection can’t be eliminated entirely. Now, researchers have found a potential way to trip a cellular “alarm” to alert the immune system to clear out infected cells… Continue reading Drugs that trip cellular alarm could help clear out hibernating HIV

Injectable hydrogel uses “molecular Velcro” structure to resist body heat

Stanford scientists have developed a new hydrogel with a Velcro-like molecular structure that allows it to stay intact for longer at body temperature. The hope is that it could be injected into a patient and deliver drugs over weeks or months as it slo… Continue reading Injectable hydrogel uses “molecular Velcro” structure to resist body heat

Remyelinating drug could help restore lost vision in MS patients

One common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) is vision impairment, and it can progress to blindness in some cases. Now, researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) report a drug that was able to reverse that vision loss in mice.Contin… Continue reading Remyelinating drug could help restore lost vision in MS patients

Phage viruses can make superbugs susceptible to antibiotics again

Viruses firmly hold the world’s attention at the moment, but we shouldn’t ignore the rising health threat that bacteria pose, too. The crafty critters are fast evolving resistance to antibiotics, meaning our best drugs could soon stop working entirely…. Continue reading Phage viruses can make superbugs susceptible to antibiotics again

Drug-loaded nanoparticles dissolve only in cancer cells

Killing cancer cells isn’t particularly hard – the tricky part is doing so without harming healthy cells. Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) have developed nanoparticles that selectively release drugs inside tumors, while keepi… Continue reading Drug-loaded nanoparticles dissolve only in cancer cells

Experimental cancer drug targets mitochondria to starve tumors of energy

Mitochondria are structures inside cells that produce chemical energy – and since cancer cells are particularly energy-hungry, this could be a potential weakness to target. Now, researchers have developed an experimental drug that blocks mitochondrial … Continue reading Experimental cancer drug targets mitochondria to starve tumors of energy

Synthetic molecules mimic human cells to lure and kill the flu virus

The influenza virus as proven to be a very tricky foe to fight. Now, researchers at EPFL in Switzerland have developed synthetic molecules that can kill the flu virus by mimicking human cells, and putting the squeeze on the virus when it attaches itsel… Continue reading Synthetic molecules mimic human cells to lure and kill the flu virus