Category: 8. Health

During therapy, some cancer cells evolve to escape elimination. Newer anticancer drugs that can overcome this resistance are necessary. Now, researchers from Japan demonstrate that aromatic benzaldehyde inhibits the growth of therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer. By preventing various signaling proteins and histone modifiers like Ser28-phosphorylated histone H3 (H3S28ph) from binding to 14-3-3ζ protein, benzaldehyde overcomes therapy resistance and blocks plasticity to prevent the spread of cancer. These findings highlight its potential in cancer treatment.

Cancer cells have the capacity to multiply rapidly. The aggressive cancer cells undergo conversion from their tightly connected epithelial state into a mesenchymal state, which lacks contact restrictions and spreads easily to other parts of the body. Such epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity also makes the cancer cells resistant to elimination by anticancer therapies.

The search is ongoing for newer anticancer agents that can overcome this acquired resistance to therapy and destroy the ‘rogue’ cancer cells. A group of researchers led by Dr. Hideyuki Saya, Director of the Oncology Innovation Center, Fujita Health University, Japan, has uncovered the mechanism of the anticancer activity of benzaldehyde, a compound responsible for the aroma of almonds, apricots, and figs.

Giving insights into their motivation for this study, Dr. Saya explains, “In the 1980s, researchers demonstrated the anticancer activity of benzaldehyde and its derivatives. The first author of our study, Dr. Jun Saito, is the daughter of one of the researchers involved in those early studies, and she was driven by a strong desire to uncover the mechanism behind benzaldehyde’s anticancer effects.” This study, published online in the British Journal of Cancer on May 02, 2025, shows the impact of benzaldehyde on key signaling protein interactions within the cancer cells and the resulting cytotoxicity.

Early studies reported the ability of benzaldehyde to inhibit the progressive development of mouse embryonic cells, indicating its potential in preventing rapid cell proliferation. Here, the anticancer effects of benzaldehyde were studied by using a mouse model grafted to have a growing pancreatic cancer.

In cell culture studies, benzaldehyde inhibited the growth of cancer cells resistant to radiation therapy and also those resistant to treatment with osimertinib, an agent blocking tyrosine kinases in growth factor signaling. Benzaldehyde synergized with radiation to eliminate previously radiation-resistant cancer cells.

The study findings revealed that benzaldehyde exerted its anticancer effects by preventing interactions of the signaling protein 14-3-3ζ with the Ser²⁸-phosphorylated form of histone H3 (H3S28ph). This interaction, key to cancer cell survival, was also responsible for treatment resistance and the expression of genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity.

Here, benzaldehyde prevented 14-3-3ζ-dependent phosphorylation of the serine28 amino acid of histone H3. Consequently, benzaldehyde treatment reduced the expression of genes responsible for treatment resistance. Treatment of mice with a benzaldehyde derivative inhibited the growth of pancreatic tumors and suppressed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal plasticity, thus preventing the spread of cancer to distant organs like the lungs.

By blocking an interaction key to cancer cell survival, benzaldehyde overcomes therapy resistance and prevents metastasis. Sharing the implications of their findings, Dr. Saya concludes, “The 14-3-3ζ protein has long been considered a target for cancer therapy, but its direct inhibition is not feasible due to its important functions in normal cells. Our results suggest that inhibition of the interaction between 14-3-3ζ and its client proteins by benzaldehyde has the potential to overcome the problem.“

The present study shows benzaldehyde is effective against cancer cells that have acquired resistance to radiation and tyrosine kinase inhibitors commonly used in cancer treatment. In the long term, this study suggests its potential as a combinatorial anticancer agent, alongside molecular-targeted therapies.

In a recent observational study published in JAMA Network Open, investigators found that adolescents who had a nightly sleep duration of more than 9.9 hours over the first 2 weeks of concussion recovery were linked to higher symptom burden and persistent symptoms. As a result, the study authors concluded clinicians should monitor sleep patters following a concussion in youth patients.

As an estimated half of all youth with concussions report disturbances of sleep, in both short- and long-term durations within the first week of recovery, study authors sought information about the association between mean nightly sleep duration over 1 week and 2 weeks post-injury, along with subsequent symptom burden at 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-injury.

“We hypothesized that longer sleep duration during the first 2 weeks after concussion would be associated with reduced symptom burden at 1, 2, and 4 weeks post-concussion and lower odds of being reliably symptomatic at 2 and 4 weeks,” wrote the study investigators, led by Lauren Butterfield, MSc, of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.

The cohort study featured data from a randomized controlled trial conducted in 3 pediatric emergency departments in Ontario, Canada, from March 2017 to December 2019. Participants had to be between 10 and 18 years of age and had to have received treatment for a concussion within 48 hours. Post-injury sleep was measured via a waist-worn accelerometer for 24 hours per day for 2 weeks as well as daily sleep logs. Symptom burden was measured with the Health and Behavior Inventory at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks post-concussion.

“A nonlinear mixed-effects model was applied that estimated symptom burden at 1, 2, and 4 weeks from mean sleep duration over days 1 to 7 and days 1 to 14,” wrote the authors, who stated logistic regressions were performed to gauge the odds of being reliably symptomatic at 2 and 4 weeks by mean sleep duration. Conservative (z ≥ 1.65) and liberal (z ≥ 1.28) definitions of reliable change in symptoms were evaluated.

In all, 291 participants with a median age of 13.2 years (11.6-14.9), of which 44% were female, were included in the primary analysis. According to study results, those who had a mean nightly sleep duration beyond 9.5 hours in the first week after injury had a higher symptom burden at 1 week (75th percentile [10.5 h] vs 25th percentile [9.5 h]: estimate, 1.3 [95% CI, 0.25-2.28]; 90th percentile [11.3 h] vs 50th percentile [10.0 h]: estimate, 2.9 [95% CI, 1.22-4.69]).

Mean sleep duration longer than 9.9 hours in the first 2 weeks post-concussion was associated with higher symptom burden at:

• 2 weeks (90th percentile [10.9 h] vs 50th percentile [9.9 h]: estimate, 2.2 [95% CI, 0.85-3.47])
• 4 weeks (estimate, 2.2 [95% CI, 0.85-3.47])

Additionally, those with the mean sleep duration over 9.9 hours had increased odds of persisting symptoms at 4 weeks (conservative: odds ratio [OR], 1.73 [95% CI, 0.91-3.26]; liberal: OR, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.07-3.47]).

“In this observational study of youths with acute concussion, long sleep durations during the first 2 weeks post-concussion (ie, over 9.9 hours) were associated with more symptoms at 1, 2, and 4 weeks,” the authors concluded. “Furthermore, long sleep duration may be associated with increased odds of being reliably symptomatic at 4 weeks, therefore a greater risk of PSAC. Clinicians should monitor youths’ sleep after concussion.”

Reference:

Butterfield L, Zemek R, Borghese MM, et al. Nightly Sleep Duration and Symptom Burden Over 1 Month Following Pediatric Concussion. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(6):e2516333. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.16333

A research team at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), working with the Hospital Sant Pau in Barcelona, has shown that theater can improve the emotional well-being of people with Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Efficacy of a theater-based intervention in patients with Parkinson’s disease” (2025), which has been published in open access in the journal Arts & Health, has provided the first evaluation of the combined effects of active and passive participation in theater activities on these patients’ emotional and cognitive health and quality of life. The researchers were also supported by the Teatre Lliure.

The project involved 34 people with Parkinson’s disease aged between 50 and 75 years old, who were divided into two groups: one attended a three-month theater programme at the Teatre Lliure in Barcelona which included performances, practical workshops and a guided tour; the other group did cognitive stimulation exercises at home. Both groups were assessed before and after the programme, using validated neuropsychological tests and questionnaires on their mood, quality of life and perception of change.

On the emotional level, the results are conclusive. The patients who participated in the theater project experienced an improvement in their emotional well-being, as measured using the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire for quality of life (PDQ-39). This improvement was not observed in the group that performed cognitive stimulation exercises at home. In addition, the members of both the theater group and the cognitive stimulation group had lower levels of depression and anxiety, which suggests both activities contribute to improved mood states, albeit in different ways.

The most immediate impact was evident in the participants who attended the group theater workshops: according to the scales administered before and after each session, the emotional burden fell significantly after each workshop, highlighting the value of theater as a tool for channelling emotions.

The research findings show that “group activities can help reduce feelings of isolation, foster emotional connections among participants, and increase empathy by recognizing that others share similar experiences in facing the challenges of the disease.” Likewise, “most reported that working as a group enhanced their sense of social support as patients”.

Workshops for working on emotional expression and body awareness

The theater programme consisted of five performances accompanied by preparatory sessions, and five workshops led by performing arts professionals. The workshops addressed physical and emotional issues by means of group dynamics, exploration of the body and space, improvisation, and collective storytelling. According to the researchers, the emotional impact is explained by two key factors: the explicit emotional expression that theater requires, and the group setting, which reinforces empathy and a feeling of belonging.

The workshops, which were all led by theater professionals, included specific activities such as physical warm-ups, exploration of space and stage presence, emotion-based exercises, group storytelling and improvisation. This combination of techniques aimed to enhance emotional expression and body awareness, which are factors that the study associates with the benefits observed in the patients’ well-being. The cognitive and emotional tools used to measure the programme’s impact were the Spanish versions of clinically validated questionnaires and tests with normative data for the local population, which guarantees the reliability of the results.

Although no significant improvements were observed in the objective cognitive tests, an improvement was recorded in the subjective perception of daily cognitive ability. This subjective improvement can lead to greater confidence when performing everyday tasks. The feedback from the participants was also overwhelmingly positive: the theater workshops obtained an average score of 4.5 out of 5; the theater performances scored 4.4, and the guided tour of the theater scored 4.8.

The article was authored by Marco Calabria and Francesco Ciongoli, members of the Faculty of Health Sciences and researchers in the Neuro ADaS Lab group, affiliated to the UOC’s Research Unit on Digital Health, Health and Well-being, and Salvador Macip, a researcher in the epi4health group, alongside Carmen García-Sánchez, Berta Pascual Sedano and Jaume Kulisevsky, from the Movement Disorders Unit at Barcelona’s Hospital de Sant Pau; Caterina del Mar Bonnin, from the Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute; and Teresa Fèrriz Roure, an independent consultant working in Barcelona. The projected was supported by the Teatre Lliure and received funding from “la Caixa” Foundation and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.

This clinical study provides new evidence on the health benefits of the arts for people with Parkinson’s. Only two prior studies had examined the use of theater in people with Parkinson’s, and showed promising but unreplicated results. This new study applies a rigorous methodology and sets out clear lines for future research: increasing the duration of the programme, including more ecological measures of cognition, which assess how people function in their daily lives, and studying the underlying mechanisms of these benefits in depth. In short, it proposes improving assessment methods to capture subtle changes in cognition.

According to the article, art-based activities, and theatrical ones in particular, are a promising tool alongside medication, which has limited effects with symptoms such as apathy, anhedonia and emotional isolation. The research follows the guideline established by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has recommended the arts as a “social prescription” to improve health and well-being since 2019.

Around 10,000 people in Spain are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year, making it the most common neurodegenerative motor disorder. According to the Spanish Neurology Society, this figure will increase in the coming years as the number of patients doubles from its current levels of between 120,000 and 150,000 in Spain alone. Understanding the keys to improving patients’ quality of life is, then, an important challenge for the scientific community.

July 2025

When three monkeys (a howler, a white-faced monkey, and a spider monkey) were found dead in a forested area of Colombia’s Putumayo department, what might have previously gone unnoticed became an early warning sign that triggered a swift, coordinated response to contain a yellow fever outbreak. This time, the difference was knowledge.

“Thanks to the training we received on proper sample collection in primates, we were able to detect a yellow fever outbreak after discovering three dead monkeys at the same time,” said Wilder Pérez, from the Putumayo Health Secretariat’s Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Disease Program. “Without that knowledge, the animals might have been buried without analysis — and we would have missed a critical opportunity to act.”

Wilder had participated months earlier in a regional workshop on epizootic and vector surveillance, organized with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). During the training, health teams were instructed on the safe collection of samples from wildlife, vector surveillance, and intersectoral coordination.

The workshop, held in Tolima—another key department in Colombia’s current yellow fever response—proved crucial for enabling the Putumayo team to act swiftly when the first signs of the virus emerged.

The training paid off. Once the dead monkeys were reported, immediate measures were taken — vaccinating environmental workers, conducting entomological studies, and analyzing the affected area. As a result, the surveillance system not only confirmed the presence of the virus, but also prevented its spread to nearby urban areas.

Tolima, in turn, is facing the most severe yellow fever outbreak recorded in the country outside the Amazon region. Since late 2024, the department has confirmed 95 human cases of yellow fever and 35 deaths. Most cases occurred in rural areas near the Galilea Forest Regional Natural Park — a dense, biodiverse jungle where humans, monkeys, and mosquito vectors coexist.

Influenza hemagglutinin subunit vaccines are more effective and offer better cross protection against various influenza virus challenges when combined with a mucosal adjuvant that enhances the body’s immune response, according to a study by researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

The study published in the journal ACS Nano shows that immune cell-derived extracellular vesicles, specifically those from mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (which are crucial for immune responses), rather than those from immature dendritic cells, are potent mucosal adjuvants for influenza hemagglutinin vaccines.

The influenza hemagglutinin subunit vaccine is a type of influenza vaccine that primarily contains the surface protein hemagglutinin of the influenza virus. Mucosal adjuvants are substances that can enhance the body’s immune response to foreign materials in the mucosa, such as the surface of the respiratory tract, study authors explained.

Existing seasonal influenza vaccines have limited effectiveness against evolved virus strains, so next-generation, cross-protective influenza vaccines are urgently needed. Recombinant protein subunit vaccines have gained attention in vaccine development due to their safety, ease of large-scale manufacturing and affordability. Protein subunit vaccines can be designed to target specific pathogen components, leading to more focused immune responses.

Studies have found that mucosal immunization is a promising strategy against respiratory infectious diseases because it helps prevent the infection and transmission of respiratory pathogens and exhibits potential cross protection. However, the effectiveness of protein vaccines administered mucosally is limited, so there’s a need for safe and effective mucosal adjuvants. This study investigated the potential of extracellular vesicles derived from mature dendritic cells as mucosal adjuvants for influenza hemagglutinin vaccines.

Prior to this study, the mucosal adjuvant potential of extracellular vesicles derived from mature dendritic cells and the underlying mechanisms of action have been unknown.

Immune cell-derived extracellular vesicles, which play crucial roles in intercellular communication and modulating biological responses, are potent mucosal adjuvants for influenza hemagglutinin vaccines.” 

Bao-Zhong Wang, senior author of the study and a Distinguished University Professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State

“These vesicles exhibit intriguing immunostimulatory activity both in vitro and in vivo,” Wang said. “Specifically, they effectively activated antigen-presenting cells, macrophages and B cells in vitro, and promoted enhanced recruitment of airway immune cells, early lymphocyte activation and robust germinal center formation in mice.”

The study found that intranasal immunization of mice with the influenza hemagglutinin vaccine plus the extracellular vesicle adjuvant from mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells elicited significant, cross-reactive, and multifaceted humoral and cellular immune responses at both systemic and mucosal sites, conferring complete protection against homologous and heterologous influenza virus challenges.

The researchers pointed out that extracellular vesicles derived from mature dendritic cells have gained significant attention in immunotherapy and vaccine development because they have a variety of immunologically active molecules crucial for effective presentation of antigens (foreign substances that induces an immune response in the body), as well as cell adhesion and fusion.

“These findings underscore the potential of extracellular vesicles from mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells as a promising adjuvant or immunomodulatory target for the development of mucosal vaccines,” said Chunhong Dong, first author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State. “Given their biocompatibility and solid adjuvanticity, mature bone marrow-derived dendritic cells represent a promising adjuvant candidate for mucosal vaccine development.”

Additional authors of the study include Lai Wei, Wandi Zhu, Joo Kyung Kim, Ye Wang, Priscilla Omotara and Arini Arsana of the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State.

The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

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A new approach to diagnosing bacterial infections and detecting antimicrobial-resistant bacteria could be on the horizon, as engineers, microbiologists and machine learning experts propose the development of sensors that “sniff out” bacteria. Published in Cell Biomaterials on July 2, an opinion paper outlines the potential for sensors to detect bacterial infections in bodily fluids, providing a quick, affordable alternative to traditional diagnostic methods.

Bypassing laboratory analysis for faster results

One of the major challenges in combating antimicrobial resistance is the lack of rapid diagnostic tools, says senior author Andreas Güntner, a mechanical and process engineer at ETH Zurich. His team proposes a solution to this challenge: a device that could offer results in just seconds or minutes, bypassing the lengthy, multi-step laboratory processes that usually take hours or even days.

Antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria evolve to resist the effects of drugs designed to kill or inhibit them. This resistance can make infections harder to treat and increase the risk of spreading resistant strains.

“Our idea is to bypass laboratory analysis, which is multi-step process that usually takes hours to days, and sometimes even weeks, with a simple test that gives results within seconds to minutes.”  

Dr. Andreas Güntner. 

The science behind bacterial detection

Historically, doctors relied on their sense of smell to diagnose certain bacterial infections. For example, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections emit a sweet, grape-like odor, while Clostridium infections produce a foul, putrid smell. These odors are linked to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – small molecules emitted by bacteria that carry distinct smells.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

VOCs are organic chemicals that can easily evaporate into the air at room temperature. Many microbes produce specific VOCs that can be used to identify them, making VOCs a useful tool for detecting bacterial infections.

Rather than using human noses, the team envisions developing chemical sensors that can detect VOCs in bodily fluids like blood, urine and sputum. This technology is similar to devices used in alcohol breathalyzers or air-quality monitoring systems.

“We have already developed and commercialized something similar for detecting contaminations like methanol in alcoholic beverages,” says Güntner. “Now, we are trying to transfer this technology to more complex situations.” 

Identifying antimicrobial resistance through VOCs

One of the most promising aspects of the technology is its potential to detect antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. VOCs vary not only by bacterial species but also by strain. This means the sensors could potentially differentiate between antibiotic-resistant and non-resistant strains of bacteria. A previous study demonstrated that VOCs could distinguish between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and non-resistant strains, showing that the concept is feasible in a laboratory setting.

However, bringing this technology to clinical practice is no small feat. VOC concentrations are extremely low, which makes sensor development a challenge. Güntner likens the task to finding a single red ball in a room full of one billion blue balls, emphasizing the need for highly sensitive and precise sensors.

Overcoming technical challenges

The sensors must be able to detect and differentiate thousands of VOCs emitted by bacteria. To achieve this, the devices will require a combination of sensors with varying binding capacities. These sensors could be made from materials such as metal oxides, polymers, graphene derivatives, and carbon nanotubes. Recent advances in nanoengineering will help optimize sensor performance, but additional challenges remain, such as filtering out VOCs produced by human cells or common to all bacteria.

Machine learning algorithms will play a critical role in optimizing sensor design, according to the researchers. These algorithms will help identify the key VOC combinations needed to distinguish between bacterial types, as well as provide insights into antimicrobial resistance and virulence.

A future of rapid, reliable diagnostics

Once developed, the sensors could provide a rapid, portable method for diagnosing infections, offering a solution that requires minimal training to operate. This breakthrough could pave the way for real-time infection detection and more informed treatment decisions.

“The overall goal is to translate scientific advances in VOC analysis into practical, reliable tools that can be used in everyday medical practice,” says Güntner. “Ultimately, we hope this will improve patient outcomes and support antibiotic stewardship.” 

Reference: Bilgin MB, Shin H, Jutzeler CR, et al. Microbial and antimicrobial resistance diagnostics by gas sensors and machine learning. Cell Biomater. doi: 10.1016/j.celbio.2025.100125

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Many cytotoxic chemotherapy agents have long-term biological consequences, including premature aging of the cell population structure of healthy blood, the results of a study of the genetic effects of chemotherapy showed. These findings published in Nature Genetics may help to guide future treatments with less harmful adverse effects or strategies for mitigating such toxicities.

“For the first time, we have taken a systematic view of the genetic effects of chemotherapy on healthy tissues—in this case, blood. We find that some, but not all, chemotherapies cause genetic mutations and premature aging in normal blood,” said first author Emily Mitchell, FRCPath, a PhD student at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and Clinician at Cambridge University Hospitals. “This study lays the groundwork for future research into the effects of chemotherapy on many other normal tissues, including multiple tissue sampling pre and post treatment, across a range of chemotherapies in a larger group of patients. This comprehensive view would reveal the full range of effects of different chemotherapies and help us to optimize patient health in the long term.”

Study Methods and Rationale 

Although the effects of chemotherapeutics on cancer cells are known, their effects on normal tissues and blood are less well understood. As part of the Cancer Grand Challenges, researchers looked at the impact of chemotherapy on mutational burden and cell population structure of normal blood cells, as consistent mutation quantities across samples may provide a good baseline.

The study authors sequenced the blood cell genomes from 23 individuals (between the ages of 3 and 80) who were treated with a variety of chemotherapy regimens for various blood and solid cancers. Results were compared with genomic data from nine healthy participants who had never received chemotherapy.  

Key Study Findings 

The researchers found that substantial somatic mutation loads with characteristic mutational signatures were found in the patients who had been exposed to certain chemotherapies, but the effects depended on the drug and types of blood cells. For example, the 3-year-old patient with neuroblastoma had more mutations than found in the 80-year-old control participants.

They identified four new mutational signatures from chemotherapy-treated patients. Platinum agents were found to induce significantly more mutations than other types of chemotherapeutics, such as oxaliplatin.

Chemotherapy induced premature changes in the cell population structure of normal blood, which was compared with normal aging processes. For younger patients, this could increase their risk for secondary cancers later in life.

“The effects of chemotherapy we see here—increasing numbers of mutations and premature aging of healthy blood—reasonably contribute to the heightened risk of additional cancers and the patient’s ability to tolerate further treatments in the future,” said co-lead author Jyoti Nangalia, PhD, a Group Leader in the Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and a consultant hematologist at Cambridge University Hospitals. “Given that for many cancers, chemotherapy drugs can be switched with other agents to achieve similar results, we hope such genomic data will guide the optimization of future treatment plans to deliver effective chemotherapies with much fewer damaging side effects for patients.”

“I believe that the results of this study hold implications for the way that chemotherapies are used to treat [patients with] cancer. We are constantly on the lookout for better ways of giving therapy and minimizing the side effects of toxic, systemic treatments. I’m hopeful that the genomic information from this and future studies will guide choices of chemotherapies and their adoption in clinical practice,” concluded coauthor and Cancer Grand Challenges team lead Sir Mike Stratton, FMedSci FRS, Senior Group Leader, Wellcome Sanger Institute.

Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit nature.com.  

The Sindh government has officially contacted the World Health Organization (WHO) to help control the worsening outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases across the province, especially in Karachi.

Due to recent rains, large pools of stagnant water have formed, leading to a sharp increase in mosquitoes across Sindh, which has caused a surge in dengue, malaria, and chikungunya.

In a letter to the WHO, the Sindh Health Department requested urgent technical assistance for case management, diagnosis, medical staff training, and indoor insecticide spraying in high-risk areas.

Officials warned that the virus outbreak could spiral out of control if not handled immediately. They stressed the need for strong international cooperation and expert support from global health bodies.

READ: Malaria, Dengue cases surge across Sindh, Karachi worst affected

So far this year, over 65,000 malaria cases and around 300 dengue cases have been reported across Sindh. Karachi, in particular, has seen a dangerous spike in mosquito-related illnesses.

The Health Department said that monsoon rains have worsened the crisis. Pools of rainwater and garbage are creating perfect conditions for mosquito breeding in many urban neighborhoods.

The lack of proper spraying campaigns has made the situation worse. The Health Department said local resources are not enough, which is why they have reached out to the WHO for help.

Health experts have urged citizens to take basic precautions, such as closing windows, removing stagnant water, and using mosquito repellents, especially in the evenings and during night hours.

Doctors also advised people to keep drinking water covered and avoid outdoor activities at night, when mosquitoes are most active and dangerous.

The provincial government said the WHO’s help is essential to control the spread, protect vulnerable communities, and avoid a full-blown public health emergency in the coming weeks.

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A new AI model is much better than doctors at identifying patients likely to experience cardiac arrest.

The linchpin is the system’s ability to analyze long-underused heart imaging, alongside a full spectrum of medical records, to reveal previously hidden information about a patient’s heart health.

The federally funded work, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, could save many lives and also spare many people unnecessary medical interventions, including the implantation of unneeded defibrillators.

“Currently we have patients dying in the prime of their life because they aren’t protected and others who are putting up with defibrillators for the rest of their lives with no benefit,” said senior author Natalia Trayanova, a researcher focused on using artificial intelligence in cardiology. “We have the ability to predict with very high accuracy whether a patient is at very high risk for sudden cardiac death or not.”

The findings are published today in Nature Cardiovascular Research.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is one of the most common inherited heart diseases, affecting one in every 200 to 500 individuals worldwide, and is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people and athletes.

Many patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy will live normal lives, but a percentage are at significant increased risk for sudden cardiac death. It’s been nearly impossible for doctors to determine who those patients are.

Current clinical guidelines used by doctors across the United States and Europe to identify the patients most at risk for fatal heart attacks have about a 50% chance of identifying the right patients, “not much better than throwing dice,” Trayanova says.

The team’s model significantly outperformed clinical guidelines across all demographics.

Multimodal AI for ventricular Arrhythmia Risk Stratification (MAARS), predicts individual patients’ risk for sudden cardiac death by analyzing a variety of medical data and records, and, for the first time, exploring all the information contained in the contrast-enhanced MRI images of the patient’s heart.

People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy develop fibrosis, or scarring, across their heart and it’s the scarring that elevates their risk of sudden cardiac death. While doctors haven’t been able to make sense of the raw MRI images, the AI model zeroed right in on the critical scarring patterns.

“People have not used deep learning on those images,” Trayanova said. “We are able to extract this hidden information in the images that is not usually accounted for.”

The team tested the model against real patients treated with the traditional clinical guidelines at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in North Carolina.

Compared to the clinical guidelines that were accurate about half the time, the AI model was 89% accurate across all patients and, critically, 93% accurate for people 40 to 60 years old, the population among hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients most at-risk for sudden cardiac death.

The AI model also can describe why patients are high risk so that doctors can tailor a medical plan to fit their specific needs.

“Our study demonstrates that the AI model significantly enhances our ability to predict those at highest risk compared to our current algorithms and thus has the power to transform clinical care,” says co-author Jonathan Chrispin, a Johns Hopkins cardiologist.

In 2022, Trayanova’s team created a different multi-modal AI model that offered personalized survival assessment for patients with infarcts, predicting if and when someone would die of cardiac arrest.

The team plans to further test the new model on more patients and expand the new algorithm to use with other types of heart diseases, including cardiac sarcoidosis and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Reference: Lai C, Yin M, Kholmovski EG, et al. Multimodal AI to forecast arrhythmic death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2025:1-13. doi: 10.1038/s44161-025-00679-1

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