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A new theory has been proposed for the cause of Parkinson’s disease, which affects millions of people worldwide and its growth sees no signs of slowing down. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease estimated to effect more than 8.5 million individuals in 2019 though the exact causes remain uncertain. Symptoms of PD include […]

Humans have the ability to sense 5 different tastes – sweet, salty, sour, umami, and bitter – through specialised taste receptors located in the taste bud cells of the tongue. When it comes to foods that leave a bitter taste in the mouth, humans have 26 different taste receptors capable of detecting more than 1,000 […]

An unusual study of heterosexual couples in the US has declared that couples feel more understood, validated and and cared for when their partners show positive support skills. Not only that, they feel less understood when subject to negative communication skills. These emotions are increasingly referred to as ‘Perceived Partner Response’ (PPR) – feeling understood, […]

For the first time in years Australia recorded no deaths associated with COVID-19 for at least a week, and the number of admissions to hospitals is the lowest since January 2022. The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care data reporting site shows that the rolling seven day average number of deaths fell to […]

Some patients say they waited for over an hour in a queue but were then turned away

An Australian project which “all but eliminated dengue fever” in Far North Queensland has been successfully extended to Fiji, Kiribati and Vanuatu. The program uses a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia that modifies the ability of mosquitoes to carry the dengue virus. If the mosquitoes can’t carry the dengue virus, then they can’t transmit it […]

Infection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus – RSV – is as severe as COVID-19 or influenza infection, says an investigation by American medical researchers, prompting calls for the illness to be taken more seriously. Published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the research investigated adult-aged cohorts across 20 US states between February 2022 and […]

A potential alternative to antibiotics for treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections has been shown to prevent UTIs for up to 9 years in 54% of people given the oral spray-based vaccine. The initial results from the first long-term follow-up study on the safety and effectiveness of the MV140 vaccine are being presented this weekend […]

Namson LauUNSW Sam Hendricks360info Leonard Thompson was 14 when he made history. The Canadian teenager was on his deathbed, drifting in and out of a coma in a Toronto hospital in 1922, when he became the first person to receive an insulin injection to treat diabetes. It worked. Leonard lived for another 13 years. Insulin became the […]

Due to the advances in modern streaming, music is the most accessible its been in human history. Many of us have the ability to set the soundtracks of our lives – whether it’s a banger to get going in the morning, or a playlist to calm down before bed. Now, new research has found that […]

Chemical biologists have developed vaccines to block the effects of xylazine, a sedative for use in animals that is now being illicitly added to opioids, like fentanyl and heroin, in the US. The vaccine has worked in mice, but no human trials have been undertaken. Xylazine has severe adverse effects in humans, causing respiratory and […]

It’s tempting to turn to search engines to seek out health information, but with the rise of large language models, like ChatGPT, people are becoming more and more likely to depend on AI for answers too. Concerningly, an Australian study has now found that the more evidence given to ChatGPT when asked a health-related question, […]

The findings of a new observational study suggests that times are changing for cigarette smokers in the US, with people who use e-cigarettes now more likely to quit smoking combustible cigarettes than non-vapers. Vaping is controversial, with opponents saying use should not be promoted as a quit smoking technique, while others say e-cigarettes can help […]

University of South Australia experts have issued an alert on the use of the synthetic stimulant pentylone, as new research finds a 75% increase in detections across Australia. In a new study as part of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program, researchers identified 20 different novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in wastewater treatment plants across Australia (between Feb […]

Healthcare providers will now be able to provide better-informed advice for pregnant women, following confirmation of a link between premenstrual disorders and perinatal depression. New research, based on a very large Swedish data set, suggests women with premenstrual disorders have a higher risk of developing perinatal depression. And the same study, published in the journal […]

One of the most in depth genetic population studies of people from the Highland villages in Papua New Guinea has thrown up fascinating insights into internal migration and tribal culture, and might have solved the riddle of how some villages survived despite a devastating disease wiping out most of their women. The study of the […]

One of the most significant challenges in treating HIV is the virus’ ability to integrate its genome into the host’s DNA. This means that lifelong antiretroviral therapy is essential as latent HIV can reactivate from reservoirs as soon as treatment ends. One potential technique being developed to address this problem is the use of gene […]

Astronauts can sometimes up to 8cm after they’ve been in space, and now Australian health specialists are working with NASA to make their work less of a pain in the back. Due to lower gravity in space, astronauts often suffer muscle, bone and back problems. “On Earth, when we are upright, gravity loads the spine […]

Worried about sharks at the beach? Turns out these fearsome fish are not the biggest killers on Australia’s coastline when it comes to non-drowning deaths. Instead, depending on a person’s age, it’s more likely that a heart problem or misadventure will lead to mortality, according to research from Surf Life Saving Australia, whose red-and-gold clad […]

By Lyndal Byford, the Australian Science Media Centre It might be time to stop using terms like ‘long COVID’ with new research suggesting that the condition may be no different to other post-viral syndromes. The study, by Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Dr John Gerrard, which is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, is […]

Hamas has presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators and the U.S. that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are serving life sentences. As per Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Thursday, a new Gaza truce proposal presented by Hamas to mediators was still based on “unrealistic demands“. Netanyahu has rejected the latest...

Valid Hasyimi Prof. Utomo Sarjono Putro Dr. Agung Hendriadi Faced with global crises and rising food prices people on low incomes are reducing or skipping meals. As the problem grows, it’s likely many will suffer deficiencies in macronutrients, including energy and protein. For countries with a young population like Indonesia, the flow-on effects could deliver […]

Monash University news A 5-minute full-body MRI scan could soon become a reality with the help of a promising new AI method developed by Monash University engineers in Melbourne. In a study published in Computers in Biology and Medicine, researchers have shown how their novel AI technology, McSTRA, produced enhanced clinical imaging in record time. MRI scans […]

New research has identified that synthetic per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) accumulated in the blood are linked to harmful blood lipids associated with cardiovascular risk. “We see clear signs of a harmful effect of PFAS on health,” says Monique Breteler, Director of Population Health Sciences at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and […]