❤️ Health Tech
Health Tech, or digital health, helps us understand and take control of our own health. But we also cover more traditional health news like medicines, vaccines and medical procedures.
💊 The FDA approves first CRISPR-based gene therapy drug for sickle cell disease
The approvals include the first-ever CRISPR-Cas9 based drug, Casgevy, and a gene therapy drug, Lyfgenia, marking a milestone in medical biotechnology.
🏆 Science Breakthrough of the Year: Obesity drugs (+ runners-up)
Obesity, a major health problem affecting about 70% of adults in the U.S. and over half in Europe, is linked to several serious diseases. Recently, a new class of drugs, GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally for diabetes, has shown significant promise in treating obesity with manageable side effects.
🤧 First steps towards a universal flu vaccine
Are we finally on the path to get ríd of the flu?
🩸 Promising results in cholesterol-lowering CRISPR treatment trial
The highest doses showed a reduction in cholesterol levels by 39 to 55 percent, indicating a significant decrease in heart disease risk factors.
💉 U.S. approves first vaccine against chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus
Chikungunya, primarily transmitted through mosquito bites, has emerged as a global health concern. Over the past 15 years, there have been approximately 5 million reported cases. Now the first vaccine for chikungunya, has received FDA approval.
💉 13% decline in child deaths thanks to malaria vaccine
Malaria claims the lives of half a million children every year, but the number is dropping thanks to new vaccines.
🧏 Curing deafness in children with gene therapy - trail begins
A novel gene therapy trial aims to restore quality hearing in children with auditory neuropathy. The treatment focuses on rectifying a fault in the OTOF gene, which is pivotal for sound transmission.
🧠 New AI enables real-time brain tumor diagnosis during surgery
Scientists unveil an innovative artificial intelligence tool that swiftly diagnoses tumor types during surgery.
🐔 CRISPR-engineered chickens resistant to flu
In groundbreaking use of CRISPR gene-editing technology, scientists have engineered flu-resistant chickens. This is a first step towards reducing avian flu outbreaks.