Can genetic editing help improve the overall health of people living with type 1 diabetes? The results of a recent study involving CRISPR technology and pancreatic cells shows promising signs that that question can be answered in the affirmative. Last month, the New England Journal of Medicine published a paper showing evidence that edited pancreatic cells could be transplanted into someone with type 1 diabetes without suppressing their immune system — and that the patient’s body began producing insulin afterwards.
As the paper’s authors pointed out, the process of suppressing someone’s immune system in order to transplant tissue from a donor “is associated with wide-ranging side effects.” The cells transplanted into the patient described in the study were genetically altered “to avoid rejection.” Twelve weeks after the procedure, the patient’s immune system did not appear to be rejecting the cells.
The lead author of the study, Uppsala University Hospital’s Per-Ola Carlsson, MD, explained why this important. “Although it is well established that pancreatic islet cell transplantation at a target therapeutic dose can predictably allow patients with type 1 diabetes to live without insulin therapy, until now these patients must take lifelong, significant immunosuppression, which is frequently toxic and difficult to tolerate,” Carlsson said in a statement.
What does this mean for the future of diabetes treatment? At Nature, Elie Dolgin explored the study’s results — and the work being done by the company Sana Biotechnology, whose technology was used to create the pancreatic cells used in the study. Dolgin notes that some experts have been more confident in the study’s impact than others. Nature reports that Sana, as well as other companies developing similar technology, have more studies scheduled for 2026.
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SINGAPORE – Many dog owners use the word “cataracts” when they see cloudiness in their dogs’ eyes, drawing from their knowledge of how cataracts affect ageing people.
However, what they are seeing is often nuclear sclerosis, not cataracts. Every dog will experience nuclear sclerosis, which is a normal change as a result of ageing that makes the lens appear slightly cloudy, like looking through lightly frosted glass.
Unlike cataracts, nuclear sclerosis does not cause pain or vision loss. True cataracts are opacities in the lens that block vision. A veterinary ophthalmologist’s specialised equipment and knowledge can help to differentiate the two conditions.
While nuclear sclerosis occurs in cats, it does not look so white in their eyes compared with the condition in dogs.
In Singapore, lanosterol eye drops are being marketed for dissolving cataracts in dogs, but these products may rob dogs of their sight by delaying proper treatment.
Dog owners may opt for these eye drops to avoid general anaesthesia and surgery, as well as for ease of their use, accessibility and seemingly few side effects.
Companies selling these eye drops mainly cite one published 2015 journal article that has since been debunked. However, these eye drops, sold at some veterinary clinics in Singapore, continue to sell like hot cakes despite poor evidence supporting their use.
In the 2015 study, which was published in academic journal Nature, photographs showing the reduction in cataract severity in dogs were subjectively graded. The pictures appeared to show nuclear sclerosis (normal lens ageing change) rather than cataracts.
A dog experiencing nuclear sclerosis, which is a normal ageing change that makes the lens appear slightly cloudy, like looking through lightly frosted glass.
PHOTO: GLADYS BOO
Lanosterol has poor penetrative ability and is unlikely to reach the lens after application on the surface of the eye.
A 2019 study showed that compounds such as lanosterol fail to restore lens clarity.
The “success” stories owners report may be due to misunderstanding. Dog lenses look different under various lighting conditions, making it easy to imagine improvement.
If the dog has only nuclear sclerosis, owners may think the drops work because their dog has not gone blind after years of use. When dogs develop true cataracts later, owners may assume the drops initially helped prolong their dog’s vision.
One concerning scenario is when an untreated cataract causes the lens to dislocate and drop into the back of the eye, a condition known as lens luxation.
The cataract disappears from view, leading owners to believe the drops dissolved it. But this is not due to the drops – it is usually followed by serious complications like glaucoma and retinal detachments.
Glaucoma is a condition when the eye pressure increases, causing irreversible blindness and pain; often necessitating eye removal for pain relief.
In dogs that actually have cataracts, using these eye drops delay owners from seeking treatment.
True cataracts can cause glaucoma, inflammation and retinal detachments. These secondary complications usually lead to pain in the dog’s eye.
As a last resort, an ophthalmologist may have to recommend removal of the eyeballs for pain relief.
The eye cannot be saved after the narrow window of opportunity to perform cataract surgery has passed.
Symptoms to watch out for include cloudiness in the eye, redness, squinting, bumping into things or seeming unconfident on walks or finding toys.
Seek advice from your vet who may be able to perform a general eye examination. Your vet may refer you to a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist for a definitive diagnosis.
Cataracts in dogs are commonly inherited rather than caused by old age. In addition, they can develop overnight and become a surgical emergency. This condition occurs very frequently in dogs in Singapore because of the poor inbreeding practices here.
Do not waste your money on unproven therapies. It will prove to be more expensive after totalling the cost of placebos and the vet visits to deal with complications.
Sight is a precious gift to any living being. Without it, the pleasures of life can be diminished.
Dr Gladys Boo is the only Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologist in Singapore. She is a veterinarian at The Eye Specialist for Animals.
Vet Talk is a fortnightly column where veterinarians offer advice on pet issues.
Most of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA, are fatty fish like sardines, mackerel, and salmon. Not only are they a part of the brain cell membrane structure, but they also help make it possible for growth and synapses of neurons. Research has established that consuming at least one serving of fish every week has been associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The anti-inflammatory effect of the omega-3s also strengthens brain resilience, and oily fish is a central ingredient in brain-preserving diets such as the Mediterranean and MIND diets.
How to consume: Can be employed in making fish curry (traditional Goan or Kerala-style fish curry). It can be grilled and consumed by shallow frying in a pan.
Increasing heat and unusual rain patterns are driving mosquitoes into new parts of Australia, and the insects are carrying a concerning disease with them.
Japanese encephalitis, once thought to be mostly confined to the more remote parts of the country, is now appearing in Australian towns and pig farms where people live and work.
Rising global temperatures are doing more than exacerbating extreme weather and impacting food supplies. They’re also altering wildlife activity and spreading potentially deadly diseases.
What’s happening?
Japanese encephalitis virus has been detected in mosquitoes, feral pigs, and commercial piggeries across multiple Australian states. This year, for the first time, it has also been identified in Brisbane, according to a report from Medscape Medical News in mid-August.
By that point, the virus had already claimed two lives in 2025. “In some parts of the country, [mosquitoes] can kill you,” Cameron Webb, an associate professor of medical sciences at the University of Sydney, told Medscape.
Sarah McGuinness, a physician in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, said that warmer temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns are expanding mosquito breeding grounds and increasing the likelihood of disease spread.
“Altered rainfall patterns and warmer temperatures affect mosquito breeding habitats and the distribution of reservoir hosts,” she said in the Medscape report. “These conditions can extend the mosquito season and expand the geographic range of mosquito vectors.”
The spread to Brisbane may be particularly concerning. As the country’s third-largest city, population density there could aggravate infection rates.
Why is this concerning?
While most Japanese encephalitis infections are mild, they can also be lethal. In general, 1 in 250 cases lead to severe illness, and in up to 30 percent of those severe cases, people die or suffer lifelong brain and behavioral problems, according to the report.
Meanwhile, researchers say that rising global temperatures are making places once too cold for mosquitoes now more hospitable to the insects, thereby increasing the months and areas where transmission can happen. According to the World Mosquito Program, warmer climates and longer warm seasons are expanding the habitats where mosquitoes thrive, worsening the risk of practically all mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue and Zika, in various parts of the world.
“We’re very lucky in that we are generally free of some of the serious mosquito-borne diseases that impact many countries, like malaria and dengue,” McGuinness said. “But we need to remind the community that it’s important to take extra measures in some parts of the country to avoid mosquito bites.”
What’s being done about this outbreak of Japanese encephalitis?
Fortunately, an effective vaccine is available to help mitigate the spread and severity of this infection.
The Australian government offers free Japanese encephalitis vaccinations to those in high-risk zones and is closely tracking the virus by monitoring monkeys, pigs, and birds. States have also incorporated the virus into their existing arbovirus surveillance efforts with the goal of enabling quicker responses, according to David Williams, a researcher at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.
Williams says researchers are not entirely sure whether the infection is being reintroduced from somewhere in Northern Australia or if it remains dormant during the winter, only to reemerge when mosquitoes increase. However, Australians can expect to see more outbreaks.
The growth of infections from Japanese encephalitis in parts of Australia highlights another threat posed by the overheating of our planet. Strengthened surveillance efforts, equitable vaccine access, and community awareness can mitigate this threat — but only if they can keep pace with the changing environment. In the big picture, reducing the heat-trapping pollution that warms our world could also be viewed as a component of disease prevention.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Simplified representation of a uterine cancer cell. Credit: Svenja Kübler
The findings challenge long-standing assumptions about therapy-related cancers. They also highlight how drug actions can substitute for genetic changes in tumor development.
An international team of researchers, including Prof. Kirsten Kübler from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) and collaborators at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Mass General Brigham, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has uncovered a previously unrecognized mechanism through which the breast cancer medication tamoxifen can raise the risk of secondary tumors in the uterus.
The study demonstrates that tamoxifen directly stimulates a major cellular signaling pathway (PI3K), a critical driver in the formation of spontaneous uterine cancers, thereby challenging earlier models of how therapy-related cancers develop.
Life-saving drug with rare complications
Since the 1970s, tamoxifen has played a central role in improving survival for millions of patients with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer. Despite its proven effectiveness, the drug has also been associated, albeit infrequently, with a higher likelihood of uterine cancer. The specific molecular reason for this link, however, has until now remained unresolved.
The research provides clarity: in uterine cancers associated with tamoxifen, mutations in the cancer-related gene PIK3CA — which are usually common in spontaneously occurring uterine tumors and trigger activation of the PI3K pathway — appear much less often. Instead, tamoxifen itself directly activates the PI3K pathway, eliminating the need for these mutations to drive tumor development.
“Our results show for the first time that the activation of a pro-tumor signaling pathway by a drug is possible and provides a molecular-level explanation for how a highly successful cancer drug can paradoxically promote tumor development in another tissue,” explains Prof. Kirsten Kübler, research group leader at BIH. “Tamoxifen bypasses the need for genetic mutations in the PI3K signaling pathway, one of the key drivers of uterine cancer, by directly providing the stimulus for tumor formation.”
Towards Improved Therapeutic Safety
While the overall risk of developing uterine cancer during tamoxifen therapy remains very low — and the benefits of the drug far outweigh the risks — the findings open up new opportunities for further improving treatment safety. In addition to offering a biological explanation for this long-standing medical puzzle, the discovery lays the groundwork for personalized prevention and intervention strategies.
In future projects, the researchers plan to investigate whether similar mechanisms may also play a role in the side effects of other medications.
Reference: “Tamoxifen induces PI3K activation in uterine cancer” by Kirsten Kübler, Agostina Nardone, Shankara Anand, Daniel Gurevich, Jianjiong Gao, Marjolein Droog, Francisco Hermida-Prado, Tara Akhshi, Ariel Feiglin, Avery S. Feit, Gabriella Cohen Feit, Gwen Dackus, Matthew Pun, Yanan Kuang, Justin Cha, Mendy Miller, Sebastian Gregoricchio, Mirthe Lanfermeijer, Sten Cornelissen, William J. Gibson, Cloud P. Paweletz, Eliezer M. Van Allen, Flora E. van Leeuwen, Petra M. Nederlof, Quang-Dé Nguyen, Marian J. E. Mourits, Milan Radovich, Ignaty Leshchiner, Chip Stewart, Ursula A. Matulonis, Wilbert Zwart, Yosef E. Maruvka, Gad Getz and Rinath Jeselsohn, 22 August 2025, Nature Genetics. DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02308-w
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In a September 6 Instagram video, Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, recommended ‘three foods to consume to reduce liver fat’. These include healthy beverages like black coffee, black tea, green tea, and matcha. Also read | Fatty liver: Causes and expert tips to combat the disease
Turmeric, particularly its active compound curcumin, may have potential benefits for liver health due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.(Shutterstock)
Dr Sethi also recommended turmeric to reduce liver fat. He shared that it contains curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties that support liver health. The doctor said you should take half to one teaspoon daily to reap its benefits.
According to Dr Sethi, foods beneficial for liver health include berries, which are rich in antioxidants that help protect the liver from damage, and broccoli and beetroot, which can aid in liver detox and support overall liver health.
Here are Dr Sethi’s top picks for reducing liver fat:
1. Healthy beverages
He said, “First, healthy beverages. Include drinks like black coffee, black tea, green tea, and matcha in your diet.”
2. Turmeric
“Second, turmeric. It contains curcumin, a compound with strong anti-inflammatory properties. Aim to incorporate half to one teaspoon of turmeric in your diet daily,” Dr Sethi added.
3. Berries, broccoli, beets
He concluded, “And third, three Bs. Incorporate berries, broccoli, and beets (beetroot) into your meals. Berries are rich in antioxidants. Broccoli, this cruciferous veggie is high in fibre and contains sulforaphane, which can enhance detoxification in the liver. Beets — these are known for their high content of beta-lanes, which possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. These help in improving blood flow and liver detoxification processes.”
He wrote in his caption: “3 foods to reduce liver fat. Science shows these foods can support your liver and overall metabolic health— worth adding to your routine.”
Dr Saurabh Sethi, MD, MPH is a board-certified gastroenterologist, hepatologist, and interventional endoscopist. He trained at AIIMS (India), earned his MPH from the University of Texas, and completed fellowships in gastroenterology and hepatology at Harvard and advanced endoscopy at Stanford.
Fatty liver often shows no symptoms but can quietly harm your health. In a July 2025 interview with HT Lifestyle, a gastroenterologist shared the hidden signs and some simple tips to reverse the damage. Click here to know what he said.
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Pregnancy with fibroids can be challenging, but the right foods help improve nutrition while supporting a safer, healthier pregnancy.
A healthy pregnancy’s fundamental basis is to eat right, as the nutrition supports both maternal and fetal health. But not all pregnancies are alike; some may be a bit challenging, too. Pregnancy with fibroids requires extra nutritional care.
Some bits of the pregnancy weight gain goes away naturally after the child’s delivery.(Shutterstock)
ALSO READ: Uterine fibroids in pregnancy: Complications for mother and baby, symptoms, risks, treatment for expecting women
Ankurita Gupta, dietician at Apollo Cradle and Children’s Hospital, Indirapuram in New Delhi, shared with HT Lifestyle that a balanced diet helps in managing the symptoms. She said, “Pregnancy with fibroids can bring unique challenges, but a balanced diet plays an important role in supporting both maternal and fetal health. A nutrient-rich diet not only promotes overall well-being but also helps manage fibroid-related symptoms.”
Moreover, the dietician highlighted the importance of a balanced diet, including all the vital nutrients which are key to a healthy pregnancy. She noted, “A foundation of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is essential. These foods provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that reduce oxidative stress and support immune function.”
Here are some of the dietary tips dietician Ankurita shared:
1. Include more antioxidants, beta-carotene, vitamin C food sources
Sweet potato contains beta-carotene, good for fetal health. (Shutterstock)
Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are excellent sources of vitamin C, which aids collagen production and tissue repair.
Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and broccoli supply folate, iron, and calcium—critical nutrients during pregnancy.
Carrots, sweet potatoes, and mangoes offer beta-carotene, which supports fetal growth.
Berries such as blueberries and strawberries provide antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation.
2. Add fibre to the diet
Add quinoa, a healthy carb to your diet.(Shutterstock)
Fibre-rich foods are particularly important, as they promote hormonal balance by supporting healthy estrogen metabolism. Maintaining stable estrogen levels is vital since excess estrogen can fuel fibroid growth.
Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oats, along with beans, lentils, apples, and pears, help improve digestion and reduce constipation, a common pregnancy concern.
3. Limit coffee
Ensure you are within the safe limits of coffee consumption.(Freepik)
Moderating caffeine intake is also recommended. Limiting caffeine to about 200 mg per day (roughly one 12-ounce cup of coffee) is generally considered safe during pregnancy.
Consuming beyond this limit may increase risks for complications and worsen fibroid symptoms such as pain or heavy bleeding.
4. Herbal tea
Herbal teas may be beneficial for relaxation and symptom management.(Pexels)
Ginger tea can ease nausea.
Peppermint tea may support digestion.
Chamomile tea helps reduce stress
Rooibos and raspberry leaf tea are rich in antioxidants and may support uterine health.
However, the dietician cautioned that it is important to consult a healthcare provider before introducing any herbal remedies to ensure safety during pregnancy.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.
News / Lifestyle / Health / Dietician suggests 4 tips for pregnant women with fibroids to boost nutrition: Eat spinach, switch to quinoa and more
