HEALTH/FITNESS

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The growing popularity of GLP 1 weight loss drugs has opened an unexpected debate in professional sport, with scientists questioning whether medications designed primarily for weight management could eventually influence athletic performance.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship over after the final person under quarantine tested negative for the virus.

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A groundbreaking personalized cancer vaccine has shown encouraging results in preventing the return of skin cancer, offering what experts believe could become a transformative development in cancer treatment.

The vaccine, known as Intismeran, was developed through a collaboration between pharmaceutical companies Merck and Moderna. It was administered alongside Keytruda, an established immunotherapy drug, to patients with high risk melanoma following surgery. Early findings suggest that the combination significantly extended the period during which patients remained cancer free and reduced the likelihood of the disease spreading to other organs.

The phase three clinical trial involved more than 1,000 patients diagnosed with stage two, three, or four melanoma. These stages range from large localized tumors to cancers that have spread beyond their original site. Researchers focused on individuals considered at particularly high risk of recurrence after surgery.

Unlike traditional vaccines, Intismeran is specifically tailored to each patient. Scientists begin by removing and analyzing part of a patient's tumor. Using mRNA technology, the same scientific platform employed in some Covid 19 vaccines, researchers identify unique genetic mutations within the cancer cells. This information is then used to create a personalized vaccine designed to train the immune system to recognize and attack any remaining cancer cells.

The results have generated considerable excitement within the medical community. Moderna Chief Executive Stéphane Bancel described the findings as a pivotal moment in cancer research, highlighting the potential of personalized medicine to reshape how cancer is treated in the future.

Experts, however, have urged caution. While the preliminary data appears promising, the full results have not yet been released or independently reviewed by external scientists. Further analysis will be necessary before definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding long term effectiveness and safety.

Cancer Research UK welcomed the findings while emphasizing the need for continued research and investment. Specialists noted that if the results are confirmed, personalized cancer vaccines could eventually become an important tool in extending survival and improving quality of life for cancer patients.

Researchers are already exploring similar vaccine approaches for other cancers, including lung, bladder, and kidney cancer. Success in melanoma could pave the way for broader applications across oncology.

Before becoming widely available, the treatment must complete additional regulatory reviews and approval processes. Nevertheless, the latest findings provide renewed optimism that personalized immunotherapy may represent a major step forward in the fight against cancer.

For patients facing aggressive forms of melanoma, the prospect of a treatment designed specifically for their cancer offers a glimpse of a future in which therapies are increasingly precise, effective, and individualized.

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Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed what they describe as a fundamentally new kind of vaccine, using artificial intelligence to design its core component entirely from scratch, marking the first time an AI-engineered antigen has been tested in human volunteers.

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The first clinical trial is under way of an antiviral drug's effectiveness in people exposed to the deadly Ebola strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the WHO said Tuesday.

The trial, called EBO-PEP, aims to assess the effectiveness of the antiviral obeldesivir in post-exposure prophylaxis, for people who have been in contact with confirmed Bundibugyo cases.

The experimental drug, which is administered orally and was developed by the US pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences, has shown efficacy in pre-clinical models against viruses in the wider family of filoviruses that cause haemorrhagic fevers.

Clinical trials mark the stage at which a promising drug is tested in humans.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the launch of the trial in a post on X.

"Every breakthrough begins with hope," he wrote.

"If effective among high-risk contacts after exposure, this could mark a major step forward" in preventing contacts from developing disease, he added.

There are no approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo.

According to the DRC's latest official figures, the rare Ebola species has infected more than 1,960 people and killed more than 700.

The outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich north-eastern province plagued by armed groups.

Cases of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, have been found in five DRC provinces and in neighbouring Uganda.

But more than 90 per cent of cases are still being detected in Ituri.

The first patients for the obeldesivir trial are being recruited at PEP centres set up adjacent to the Ebola treatment centres operated by the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) NGO in Bunia and Rwampara, in Ituri.

It aims to recruit nearly 1,000 participants aged 12 and over who have been in direct contact with a confirmed case within the preceding five days but are not showing symptoms.

Each participant will be monitored daily for 21 days, with a final visit at 42 days.

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Scientists at the University of Cambridge have unveiled what they describe as a "fundamentally new" approach to vaccine development, using artificial intelligence to design a universal immune defence that could potentially protect against entire families of viruses. The innovation, still in early stages, has already moved from computer design into human trials, marking a rare milestone in medical research.

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Many Americans straining to pay for Affordable Care Act health insurance are unlikely to get relief next year, according to a new analysis that shows insurers in the marketplace are proposing a second straight year of double-digit premium hikes.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Wednesday evening that the New World Screwworm has been detected in the United States for the first time since 1966. The flesh-eating parasite, which feeds on warm-blooded animals, was found in a calf in Texas. The discovery follows a year-long advance of the parasite across Mexico, despite ongoing efforts by agricultural authorities to prevent it from crossing the U.S. border.