Illnesses and conditions

In a breakthrough study, researchers have found that the world's most common type of arthritis – osteoarthritis (OA) – actually has a single core driver with clean-cut molecular pathways. It paves the way for much better treatment.

An epidemic that's been sustained for 44 years might finally be quelled, with the milestone approval of the first HIV drug that offers 100% protection with its twice-yearly injections. It's a landmark achievement set to save millions of lives.

A bacterium from the gut of Japanese tree frogs has "exhibited remarkably potent" tumor-killing abilities when administered intravenously, outperforming current standard therapies and paving the way for an entirely new approach to treating cancer.

A once-a-day oral GLP-1 pill known as CX11 has met its dosage and efficacy goals in a trial on US patients and will now advance to its first North American Phase 3 trial. It's already cleared this final hurdle in China where it awaits approval.

Weight-loss jabs are the latest craze for shedding a few pounds. But as effective as GLP-1 drugs are, not everyone who uses them will lose a significant amount of weight. Research suggests that between 10% and 30% of patients fit into this group.

Colorectal cancer has long been linked to a microbial imbalance in the gut. A new study suggests this dynamic is more complicated than initially thought, with not just bacteria behind it but the viruses living inside them.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed what they describe as a fundamentally new type of vaccine. The vaccine’s key component was designed entirely by AI and has now been tested in people for the first time.

The current Ebola outbreak is the third-largest in world history, with 906 suspected cases and 223 deaths in the DRC alone as of 27 May.

For decades, successfully targeting the central mechanism that causes the vast majority of pancreatic cancers was considered impossible. However, that narrative is rapidly changing ...

The US has its first and only oral COVID-19 post-exposure prophylaxis on its way, after a Phase III trial of the drug ensitrelvir met its goals needed for US Drug and Food Administration approval. It dramatically reduces spread from close contacts.

A recent study by researchers from the US biotech company Tuning Fork suggests that at least some cases of post-viral depression in people recovering from COVID-19 may have measurable biological underpinnings.

Scientists have identified a new way to supercharge obesity drug semaglutide by targeting key neurons. It could dramatically boost GLP-1 weight-loss power and prevent the dreaded plateaus that not even this "wonder drug" has been able to circumvent.

Could glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) nix the inflammation that drives asthma? Maybe, according to a large national study of more than 27,000 older adults, which was presented to scientists last week.

In our research in the British Library’s medieval collections, we have identified a previously unnoticed document that provides fresh insights into the survivors of the outbreak of plague known as the Black Death.

Andes virus is serious, and authorities are right to respond cautiously. But experts, including those from the World Health Organization, note it doesn’t have the characteristics needed to become “the next COVID”.

The type 2 diabetes drug taken by an estimated 20 million Americans has long been thought of doing its heavy lifting in the liver, suppressing glucose production. But research has found it's actually unleashing its power in another part of the body.

Scientists are confident they've got the first effective Lyme disease vaccine, but the final hurdle will be FDA approval – which the drug-makers are seeking despite unexpected statistical issues. It remains to be seen if this will derail their goals.

High-protein diets are often touted as a great way to lose weight. A new finding from a team of researchers, however, found that under certain conditions, mice on a low-protein diet converted energy-storing white fat to calorie-burning beige fat.