Categories : Ageing Neurodegenerative DiseasesTags : Leave a comment

Lower Dementia Risk Seen with Oestrogen-only Hormone Therapy

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Photo by Ravi Patel on Unsplash

Use of hormone therapy later in life was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a study published August 12, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study does not prove that hormone therapy prevents dementia; it only shows an association.

“While these findings help us better understand the relationship between hormone therapy use and various markers of dementia, more research needs to be done before we can make recommendations to women about their use of these therapies in relation to their brain health,” said study author Jennifer Bruno, PhD, of Stanford Medicine in Stanford, California. “This study looked back at women who were using hormone therapy decades ago with the timing and type of use differing from what is current practice for most women today, so the results are informative, but they may not apply to today’s standards.”  

For the study, researchers examined medical records from two large data sets. In total, the study reports data from 21 462 female participants from both groups who had clinical tests taken while they were living. A total of 728 participants from one data set completed brain scans or biomarker tests while they were living and 2959 participants from the other data set had autopsies after death, at an average age of 82, to look for signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Across both data sets, participants were followed for approximately three to five years, starting at an average age 71. 

Of the total participants, 1953 participants took hormone therapy and 19 509 participants did not take hormone therapy. Those who used hormone therapy started using it when they were over age 70, on average. The researchers looked only at participants who took oestrogen-only therapy, since previous studies had indicated that oestrogen plus progestin combination therapy may increase the risk of dementia. In current standard practice, oestrogen-only therapy is prescribed only for those who have undergone a hysterectomy due to the risk of endometrial cancer.

Among the group with autopsy information available, participants who had taken hormone therapy were less likely to have signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains than those who had not taken hormone therapy. The autopsy assessment used a composite score that measures three hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid-beta plaques, tau tangles and neuritic plaques, which are amyloid plaques surrounded by damaged nerve cells.

Of those who had taken hormone therapy, 18% had no signs of Alzheimer’s disease in their brains at autopsy, compared to 10% of those who had not taken the therapy, and 40% of hormone therapy users had all three signs of Alzheimer’s disease, compared to 51% of those who had not taken the therapy. After adjusting for age, education, genetics, race and hypertension, researchers found that participants who took hormone therapy had 35% lower odds of signs of Alzheimer’s disease at autopsy when compared to those who did not take hormone therapy.  

In a separate analysis using biomarker tests performed when women were living, those who used hormone therapy had levels of amyloid biomarkers in their blood and spinal fluid that indicated less amyloid buildup in the brain compared to women who did not take hormone therapy. Specifically, higher levels of amyloid-beta protein in blood and spinal fluid suggest that less of this protein was being deposited as plaques in the brain.

Finally, use of hormone therapy was also associated with 39% lower odds of receiving a clinical diagnosis of dementia and less risk of showing symptoms of memory problems or decline in functional abilities.

Bruno noted that the study participants who used hormone therapy had an average age of 70, which differs from current standard practice of starting hormone therapy usually in the late 40s to early 50s and stopping it before age 60.

“Despite these limitations, our findings provide evidence of an association between use of oestrogen-only hormone therapy during later life and better outcomes on dementia and brain health,” Bruno said.

Source: American Academy of Neurology

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags : Leave a comment

One Month of Eating Vegan Shifts Epigenetics Tied to Aging and Inflammation

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A vegan diet reshaped DNA methylation linked to immune cell composition and health-related measures of biological aging

Photo by Pixabay

Researchers from University of California San Diego and University of Freiburg in Germany have found that switching to a vegan diet for just one month can alter the body’s epigenetic landscape in ways associated with reduced inflammation and biological aging. In a randomised clinical trial, participants assigned to a vegan diet vs a meat-rich diet showed changes in DNA methylation – a biological process that regulates whether genes are more or less active – that were linked to immune function, metabolism and cancer-related pathways. The findings, published in the journal MedComm, suggest that dietary choices can rapidly influence molecular processes associated with long-term health.

“Our genes are not our destiny,” said Jerome Mertens, PhD, associate professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and co-senior author of the study. “The remarkable finding isn’t simply that one diet outperformed another. It’s that the epigenome responded measurably in just four weeks, showing that our biology is far more dynamic – and responsive to everyday choices – than we often assume.”

Diet has long been linked to the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Yet scientists have only begun to understand how food influences the epigenome – the layer of chemical modifications that helps determine which genes are turned on or off without changing the underlying DNA sequence.

To explore these effects, researchers analysed genome-wide DNA methylation patterns in blood samples from 48 healthy adults who participated in a randomized dietary intervention. After following the same standardized diet for one week, participants were randomly assigned to either a vegan diet or a meat-rich diet for one month. Both diets were designed to provide similar calorie intake, allowing researchers to isolate the effects of diet composition rather than weight loss.

The team examined more than 800 000 methylation sites across the genome before and after the intervention. Rather than looking for changes in individual genes alone, the researchers focused on broader biological patterns that changed in response to diet.

The researchers also found evidence that the vegan diet shifted the immune system toward a less inflammatory state. DNA methylation analyses predicted lower proportions of neutrophils – immune cells that drive inflammation – and higher proportions of CD4 T cells, which help regulate immune responses. Those predictions closely matched blood cell measurements collected during the original clinical trial.

“Our genes are not our destiny. The remarkable finding isn’t simply that one diet outperformed another. It’s that the epigenome responded measurably in just four weeks, showing that our biology is far more dynamic – and responsive to everyday choices – than we often assume.”

Jerome Mertens, PhD, associate professor of neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and co-senior author of the study

“That agreement told us we weren’t just seeing changes on a computer screen — we were detecting real and meaningful biological changes,” said Lukas Karbacher, UC San Diego School of Medicine neuroscience graduate student and first author of the study.

The findings build on earlier evidence that plant-based diets can influence immune function while providing additional insight into the molecular changes that accompany those effects.

In addition to immune signals, the researchers found that the vegan diet was associated with increased promoter methylation in genes involved in several cancer-related and cell growth pathways. Increased promoter methylation can reduce the activity of genes within these pathways, suggesting the diet may influence cellular processes involved in growth and proliferation. The researchers also observed changes consistent with reduced activity in lipid metabolism pathways and increased activity in pathways related to insulin signaling, DNA repair and cellular stress responses.

Perhaps the most striking finding concerned biological aging itself. For this, the researchers examined biological age using epigenetic clocks – a mathematical biomarker that estimates a person’s biological age based on DNA methylation patterns rather than years lived. Two clocks designed to predict health outcomes suggested participants following the vegan diet experienced a deceleration in biological aging over the one-month study period. A third clock, optimised to predict chronological age rather than health outcomes, showed a different pattern, highlighting that epigenetic clocks measure different aspects of aging.

“These findings reinforce the idea that not all measures of biological aging capture the same biology,” said Mertens. “The clocks associated with disease risk and overall health consistently pointed in the same direction, suggesting the dietary changes were influencing pathways tied to health rather than simply the passage of time.”

The researchers caution that the study was relatively small, involving 48 healthy adults, and lasted only one month. Because the observed DNA methylation changes were modest and spread across hundreds of thousands of sites in the genome, larger and longer studies will be needed to confirm the findings and determine whether the molecular changes translate into measurable reductions in disease risk.

While the findings do not demonstrate that a vegan diet prevents cancer or reverses aging, they provide new insight into how dietary choices may rapidly influence the biological processes that underlie inflammation and age-related disease.

“Our study adds to growing evidence that nutrition can shape biology at the molecular level,” said Max Storz, MD, from University of Freiburg Medical Center and co-senior author of the study. “The next step is to understand whether these epigenetic changes persist over time and whether they translate into meaningful improvements in long-term health. That will require larger clinical studies, but these findings provide an important foundation.” Storz also stressed that the findings are not the result of reduced calories, but rather a matter of diet composition.

Read the full study: [A vegan diet epigenetically modulates inflammatory pathways and biological aging: Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of a one-month isocaloric vegan versus meat-rich dietary intervention]

By Lizelda Lopez

Source: University of California San Francisco

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Triple-dose Regimen May Permanently Clear HIV in Infected Newborns

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OHSU-led discovery in animal model could advance quickly to clinical trials in people

Research from the lab of Jonah Sacha, PhD, at OHSU, has identified a one-time regimen of therapies for newborns with HIV that, if given within three days of birth, could permanently clear the virus. The research team hopes to use the animal model results to move into a human clinical trials. (OHSU/Christine Torres Hicks)

Every year, more than 120 000 newborns worldwide contract HIV, a global health burden that requires lifelong treatment for millions of people – assuming they have access and can afford it. New research led by Oregon Health & Science University suggests another possibility: a one-time regimen of therapies given to newborns within three days of birth to permanently clear the virus. The research was published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

“The really exciting part is that it could go to clinical trials immediately to eliminate HIV infection in newborns,” said co-lead author Jonah Sacha, PhD, professor and chief of pathobiology and immunology at OHSU’s Oregon National Primate Research Center and Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. “The next step after that is to test if this can work in newly exposed adults.”

The research involved many collaborators and nonhuman primates at both the Oregon and California national primate research centres.

Researchers tested three distinct treatments that were delivered for a few weeks: neutralising antibodies, standard antiretroviral therapy, and an experimental monoclonal antibody known as leronlimab.

Each of the individual treatments has been tried previously and failed to permanently clear the virus – and Sacha wasn’t convinced combining them would work any better. Sacha has worked for years to develop leronlimab, which is designed to block HIV from entering immune cells through a surface protein called CCR5. His longtime OHSU colleague and coauthor Nancy Haigwood, PhD, thought combining existing therapies with leronlimab might be effective.

The study that published today shows she was correct.

Haigwood, a former professor and ONPRC director, is a virologist and immunologist who has specialised in HIV antibody research for decades. “We were astounded and overjoyed, actually,” Haigwood said. “It’s a remarkable result.”

Antiretroviral therapy has already been approved in people, whereas broadly neutralising antibodies and leronlimab are both being tested separately in clinical trials. This new discovery of a one-time, three-part regimen to clear the virus in newborn babies would first need to be tested in clinical trials in people – most likely in newly exposed adults initially – before it would be widely available to constrain an HIV epidemic that continues to kill 600 000 people worldwide each year.

Researchers say they are optimistic, given the anatomical similarity between nonhuman primates and people.

“There was no reason to think this would completely clear the virus,” Sacha said. “It’s one of those things where you test it and, holy cow, it works and you’ve discovered something new.”

Exactly how this approach worked remains unclear, but Sacha and Haigwood said it appears that the combination of therapies is far more potent and effective than each therapy alone. The key appears to be leronlimab’s ability to block HIV from entering immune cells through the surface protein CCR5.

“For reasons we don’t understand, HIV really wants to use CCR5 receptors to infect cells,” Sacha said. “By blocking access, it’s like you’ve kept fuel away from the fire.”

Haigwood uses a slightly different analogy:

  • Turning off the faucet: Antiretroviral therapy doesn’t eliminate HIV altogether, but it minimises its ability to replicate.
  • Mopping up: Neutralising antibodies effectively corral HIV so there is less virus circulating in the body’s blood supply.
  • Sealing off: Leronlimab blocks what’s left of the virus from infecting immune cells – the equivalent of sealing off the room with a water-tight valve.

Haigwood believes the combination appears to be especially potent early in the infection.

“There’s a lot more going on during the first week of infection than we previously thought,” she said. “From this experiment, it looks like there’s a dynamic interaction between the virus and antibodies that takes place as the virus begins to spread.”

Researchers are eager to see whether the combined regimen can be effective beyond 72 hours of the initial infection.

“We only tested out to three days,” Sacha said. “Could it work a week after infection? Two weeks? How far can you go after infection, and still purge the virus?”

By Erik Robinson

Source: Oregon Health & Science University

Categories : Exercise PaediatricsTags : Leave a comment

More Screen Time Since Childhood Linked to Better Cognitive Processing in Adolescence

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Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash

A study conducted at the Universities of Jyväskylä and Eastern Finland, found the surprising result that more screen time since childhood was associated with better cognitive processing in adolescence. According to one of the researchers, we should not regard screen time solely as harmful. The most important thing is to find a balance between physical activity and screen time that promotes active thinking.

Adolescents’ scarce physical activity is a major challenge in terms of public health. Sedentary lifestyle has been shown to decrease school achievement, while physical activity is known to promote brain functions especially for adults. However, there is little research evidence about the connections of physical activity and sedentary time in childhood and adolescence with regard to cognitive processing in adolescence, although these life stages are pivotal for brain development. Various factors that influence cognitive processing in childhood and adolescence can be reflected far into adulthood also in terms of educational choices and working life. 

The study investigated how physical activity, sedentary behaviour and screen time from childhood to adolescence are associated with cognitive processing in adolescence and whether there are any sex differences in these connections. In addition, the researchers also examined the role of the intensity of physical activity in this respect. 

Screen time can support thinking and learning 

According to the findings, higher amount of screen time since childhood were connected to better cognitive processing in adolescence.  

“The findings suggest that screen time can support children’s and adolescents’ cognitive processing. Presumably, the essential point here is what kind of things they do in their screen time. Teachers and parents should encourage children to use devices and screens in such ways that promote active thinking, problem-solving, creativity and learning,” states Doctoral Researcher Petri Jalanko from the University of Jyväskylä. 

“We should not regard screen time solely as harmful but seek balance between physical activity and screen time that promotes active thinking,” Jalanko summarises. 

Physical activity and sedentary time associated in complex ways with cognitive processing 

In girls, the higher amount of light-intensity physical activity since childhood was associated with better working memory in adolescence. In boys, then again, higher amount of guided physical activity from childhood to adolescence was associated with better working memory in adolescence. 

Surprisingly, lesser self-reported unsupervised physical activity was connected to better cognitive processing in adolescence. Instead, physical activity or sedentary time as measured by a heart rate and movement sensor were not associated with cognitive processing. The differences may be explained by the fact that the heart rate and movement sensors cannot tell what a person is actually doing during the physical activity and sedentary periods. 

“Our study indicates that the connections of physical activity and sedentary behaviour to cognitive processing are complex and depend on the sex, the type and assessment method of physical activity and sedentary time. Moreover, boys and girls may benefit from different types of physical activity in view of brain health, Jalanko adds. 

“However, we need more intervention studies to find out causal relations and sex differences in this respect. Moreover, it is important to examine more specifically the effects of the intensity of physical activity on changes taking place in cognitive processing.”

The findings are based on an eight-year follow-up of the PANIC study on children’s physical activity and nutrition. The current study involved 124 girls and 136 boys, whose average age was 15.8 years. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by a device that combined heart rate and movement measurements and also by a survey questionnaire. Learning, attention and working memory were assessed by means of the CogState test battery. The research article is published in the Pediatric Exercise Science journal. 

Source: University of Finland

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The Women Helping Shape South Africa’s Health System

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(L-R, top-bottom) Gale Shanabangu, Prathna Sookoo, Amrita Raniga, Monyebodi Ngoepe, Dr Biancha Mentoor, Melanie Da Costa

Women’s Month offers an opportunity to reflect not only on how far South Africa has come, but also on the people whose decisions continue to shape its future. In health, effective leadership has never been more important. The sector is navigating policy reform, changing patient needs, rapid technological advances and increasing pressure to deliver quality, sustainable care. Meeting these challenges requires sound governance, diverse perspectives and informed decision making.

At the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA), we are proud that many of the individuals guiding our work are women whose experience spans legal, health policy, clinical and nursing. Our Chairperson, Gale Shabangu, leads a Board committed to supporting a private hospital sector that remains a trusted partner in strengthening South Africa’s health system.

Alongside her, women chair several of HASA’s key subcommittees, bringing specialist insight to the Association’s work. Alongside her role on the Board, Prathna Sookoo chairs HASA’s Legal subcommittee, helping guide the Association’s work on legal and regulatory matters. 

Amrita Raniga chairs the Research and Health Policy subcommittee, bringing deep expertise in health policy to HASA’s engagement on key sector issues. Dr Melanie Stander leads the Clinical Quality subcommittee, providing important clinical leadership on matters relating to healthcare quality and patient outcomes improvement.

As Chair of the Nursing subcommittee, Monyebodi Ngoepe contributes extensive nursing experience, ensuring that the perspectives of the profession remain integral to HASA’s work and priorities.

They are joined by other accomplished women whose contributions extend beyond HASA. Dr Biancha Mentoor continues to influence health policy through participation on a number of key structures, while former HASA Board Chair Melanie Da Costa appointment as Netcare’s incoming Chief Executive Officer reflects the depth of talent across the sector.

This is not simply about representation. Better decisions are made when different disciplines, experiences and perspectives come together around the same table. That diversity of thought informs policy and ultimately contributes to better outcomes for patients.

As South Africa continues to navigate a changing healthcare landscape, collaboration and capable leadership will remain essential. The women serving across HASA’s governance structures exemplify these qualities through their commitment, judgement and service. This Women’s Month, we proudly recognise these leaders and the many other women across the healthcare sector whose service, expertise and dedication continue to strengthen South Africa’s health system and improve the lives of the patients and communities it serves.

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Opinion Piece: Medical Aid Cover is Changing – Are South Africans Prepared for the Gaps?

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Photo by Alex Green on Unsplash

By James White, Director: Sales and Marketing at Turnberry Management Risk Solutions

Medical aid remains essential for accessing private healthcare in South Africa, but it is no longer safe to assume it will cover the full cost of treatment. In 2026, industry regulators recommended that scheme contribution increases be capped at around 6-7% (CPI plus 3%), roughly in line with inflation, yet several major schemes have raised contributions well beyond that, with healthcare cost inflation broadly running at 9 – 11% against consumer inflation of about 3%. Medical aid options have also introduced growing numbers of co-payments, sub-limits, penalties and benefit restrictions. As a result, the role of gap cover has changed. What was once seen as an optional extra has become a critical safeguard against medical expense shortfalls, and it is now imperative that advisers and clients understand where medical aid cover may fall short and how those risks can be managed.

Healthcare cover is not what it used to be

The biggest change over the past decade is that medical aid has become far more complex. In the past, it was fairly simple to understand, and many routine healthcare costs were covered. Today, most day-to-day expenses are paid from medical savings or out of a client’s own pocket, and members must weigh up co-payments, sub-limits, designated service providers, network restrictions and benefit limits, all of which affect what a scheme will ultimately pay. At the same time, healthcare costs have continued to climb, and specialists often charge well above scheme rates. This means that having medical aid and being fully financially protected are no longer the same thing.

Every registered medical scheme is still required to cover Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) in full, a defined list of around 270 conditions, the Chronic Disease List, and emergency care, regardless of a member’s savings or threshold status. But PMBs are a floor, not a ceiling: outside of them, members are far more exposed than many realise.

Despite this, many people still believe they are adequately protected, without fully understanding the limitations of their medical aid. The reality often only becomes apparent when they need treatment. A claim subject to a co-payment, a specialist charging above the scheme rate, or a treatment subject to benefit limits can result in significant and unanticipated out-of-pocket costs.

Advice needs to evolve with the healthcare system

As the healthcare landscape has changed, the role of the adviser has changed with it. Recommending a medical aid option is no longer enough. Advisers also need to help clients understand how that option works, what it covers, where medical expense shortfalls may still arise, and how concepts such as co-payments, penalties, and designated service providers could affect them.

Advice also needs to be more personalised than in the past. Medical scheme options differ significantly, and the right level of cover depends on a client’s healthcare needs, affordability and family circumstances. A younger family with children, for example, may require very different cover from someone approaching retirement, even if both belong to the same medical scheme.

It’s also worth noting that gap cover itself isn’t unlimited. Under the Demarcation Regulations, gap cover claims are capped at an aggregate annual limit per beneficiary, a figure adjusted each year for inflation. Most claims fall comfortably within it, but very large shortfalls can still exceed the cap, which is one more reason the underlying medical aid plan needs to be right in the first place, not just the gap cover sitting on top of it.

This advice is no longer a once-off conversation either. Medical scheme benefits change, family circumstances shift over time, and healthcare needs evolve. Regular reviews help ensure that both medical aid and gap cover continue to provide the level of protection clients need.

A critical part of healthcare planning

The healthcare system has changed significantly over the past decade, and the way advisers approach healthcare cover needs to change with it. Medical aid remains essential, but it no longer provides the level of protection many people still expect. As a result, gap cover has evolved from an optional extra to a core part of protecting against medical expense shortfalls. Helping clients understand how their medical aid works, where shortfalls may arise, and how gap cover can address them has become an important part of modern healthcare advice.

As medical aid benefits, healthcare costs, and client needs continue to change, regular reviews are essential. By ensuring cover continues to reflect a client’s circumstances, and by explaining potential shortfalls before they arise, advisers can help clients make informed decisions and avoid unexpected medical expenses. Clients should speak to their broker or financial adviser regularly, to make sure their medical aid and gap cover continue to meet their healthcare needs.

Turnberry Management Risk Solutions (Pty) Ltd is an authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP no. 36571). Underwritten by Lombard Insurance Company, an Authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP 1596) and Insurer conducting non-life insurance business.

Categories : DermatologyTags : Leave a comment

Does Eczema Increase the Risk of Developing Shingles?

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Atopic dermatitis in a young patient. Source: NIH

An analysis in JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft found that people with eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) face an elevated risk of developing shingles (or herpes zoster).

Eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition, while shingles presents as a painful rash when the virus that causes chicken pox reactivates in the nervous system, particularly later in life or in immunosuppressed individuals.

When researchers analysed 1997–2023 primary care information pertaining to 113 426 267 people listed in a UK database, they found that individuals with eczema had a 28% higher risk of developing shingles after adjusting for other influencing factors such as age, sex, comorbidities, cigarette smoking, and alcohol use. Use of immunosuppressant medications had a minimal effect on shingles risk. Also, shingles risk increased with the severity of eczema.

Mechanistically, an altered skin immune response in people with eczema may put them at risk of developing shingles.

“These findings may inform vaccination guidelines,” the authors wrote.

Source: Wiley

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What the Dead Can Teach the Living – UP Professor Explores the Wider Impact of Forensic Pathology

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Prof Ryan Blumenthal, senior forensic pathologist at the University of Pretoria, delivered his inaugural professorial address, exploring how forensic pathology helps advance justice, public health and prevention.

Every day, forensic pathologists are called upon to answer one of society’s most difficult questions: how did this person die?

For Professor Ryan Blumenthal, a senior forensic pathologist in the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Forensic Medicine, that question has always led to another: What can this death teach us about protecting the living?

Reflecting on three decades of forensic practice, Prof Blumenthal’s inaugural professorial address explored how forensic pathology extends beyond determining the cause of death. As this address, titled ‘The Dead Teach the Living: Advancing Forensic Pathology for Justice, Prevention, and Public Health’, took place during National Science Month in July, Prof Blumenthal highlighted the vital role that science plays in advancing justice, protecting public health and improving society.

Drawing on his career as a forensic pathologist, researcher, educator, science communicator and lifelong student driven by an insatiable curiosity, his address examined how lessons learnt during autopsies have influenced courts, healthcare, public policy and scientific understanding. Prof Blumenthal explained that forensic pathology is a discipline that strengthens justice, informs public health, guides prevention strategies and generates evidence that can help prevent future deaths.

“Our work lies at the intersection of medicine, science, law, and public engagement, driven by a simple belief: the dead have much to teach the living,” he said. “Whether investigating deaths, advancing forensic pathology, researching lightning injuries, teaching students or communicating science to the public, our mission has always been to pursue the truth, serve justice and leave the profession stronger than we found it.”

Prof Blumenthal is recognised internationally for his contributions to forensic pathology. He has published extensively on electrocution, lightning injuries, suicide and the pathology of trauma, contributed chapters to nine international textbooks, and is an NRF C2-rated scientist.

His work has also reached audiences well beyond academia through bestselling books, documentaries and public engagement initiatives that have helped make forensic science more accessible. His book Autopsy – Life in the trenches with a forensic pathologist from Africa (Jonathan Ball Publishers), launched in August 2020, became a non-fiction bestseller in South Africa. It has since been translated into Afrikaans and Russian. His latest book, Trace (Tafelberg Publishers), was launched in April 2026 and explores real forensic case studies, demonstrating how autopsies can help create a better world by advancing science, justice and public health.

Research with impact beyond the courtroom

While forensic pathology is often associated with criminal investigations, Prof Blumenthal’s research highlights its much broader contribution to society. He argues that forensic pathologists could also be regarded as public health pathologists, as autopsies do more than determine the cause of death; they identify preventable risks, guide public health measures, improve safety and help prevent future deaths.

One of his research focus areas is suicide; he has studied forensic data from Pretoria to examine how suicide patterns have changed over 30 years.

A study of 1,820 possible and probable suicide cases in Pretoria between 2015 and 2021 found that the year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, recorded the highest number of suicides during the study period. Suicide cases increased from 9.74% to 13.32% of all medico-legal admissions. The study identified important shifts in demographic patterns and methods of suicide, providing evidence to inform mental health policy and suicide prevention strategies in South Africa.

Another area of Prof Blumenthal’s internationally recognised expertise is lightning and electrical injuries. His research has advanced the understanding of the pathology and epidemiology of lightning injuries, explained how lightning causes injury and death, identified patterns unique to South Africa, and informed practical guidance for forensic practitioners, clinicians and emergency responders.

“I have devoted my career to understanding one of the deadliest forces of nature – lightning – transforming this phenomenon into forensic knowledge. It really is science in service of society.”

His work has also helped establish the fields of lightning medicine (keraunomedicine) and lightning pathology (keraunopathology) as recognised interdisciplinary areas of research spanning forensic science, engineering, clinical medicine and disaster medicine.

His research has also advanced the field of electropathology through studies of electrocution, strengthening forensic investigations by improving approaches to death scene investigations and autopsies involving electrical fatalities. By integrating the study of natural and man-made electrical injuries, his work has helped shape international reference texts used by forensic practitioners around the world.

During his address, Prof Blumenthal also highlighted research into toxicology, exploring how forensic investigations help interpret deaths involving substances such as methanol, fentanyl and ethanol.

He also spoke about his research into weapons and how forensic pathology helps explain the effects of different weapons on the human body. “Our research into weapons reminds us that the distinction between lethal and nonlethal is often misleading. From full-metal jacket mild steel core ammunition with its unpredictable wounding potential to so-called less-than-lethal weapons that can still prove fatal, our work as forensic pathologists reveals the gap between design intent and biological reality,” he said.

The future of forensic pathology

Prof Blumenthal described how advances in forensic radiology, molecular autopsy, toxicology, artificial intelligence, robotics and digital innovation are creating new opportunities to improve the accuracy, efficiency and safety of forensic investigations. He emphasised that these technological advances must be accompanied by stronger, more streamlined forensic systems, effective leadership, sound policy development and sustained investment if they are to benefit countries facing high burdens of trauma and violence.

He also highlighted the growing role of technology in forensic pathology. One example is the use of agile quadruped robots to assist with forensic death scene investigations in hazardous environments. His recent interdisciplinary research showed how these robots could help investigators safely document scenes and collect evidence while reducing risks to personnel, offering a glimpse into the future of forensic practice.

Prof Blumenthal concluded by outlining a vision for a more modern, resilient and technologically enabled forensic pathology service that delivers better justice, strengthens public health and serves all South Africans.

Watch Prof Blumenthal’s inaugural address here.

Provided by University of Pretoria


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From Outer Space to Clinical Trial: A New Drug for Blood Cancer

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ADAR1 inhibitor researched in outer space holds promise for AML and myelofibrosis now – and possibly cancers like glioblastoma multiforme in the future

A member of the lab of Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, prepares a vial of investigational new drug rebecsinib ahead of the launch of Axiom 4 in July 2025. The drug – which inhibits the gene ADAR1, implicated in the growth of more than 20 cancers – is now available via clinical trial at UC San Diego for patients 18 years of age and older who have secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) that has either recurred or not responded to treatment, or higher-risk myelofibrosis.

A clinical trial of rebecsinib – a first-in-class investigational drug that inhibits the ADAR1 gene involved in the proliferation of more than 20 cancers – is underway at UC San Diego.

The first patient was treated July 6, according to principal investigator James Mangan, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a haematologist and oncologist at UC San Diego Health. He called the drug “promising.”

“This trial has great science behind it,” Mangan said. “It uses a totally novel mechanism and really is for patients who have a desperate, unmet need.”

The Phase 1 clinical trial, sponsored by Aspera Biomedicines, is open to adults 18 years of age and older who have secondary acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) that has either recurred or not responded to treatment. It’s also open to patients with higher-risk myelofibrosis. Both are rare blood cancers for which few treatment options exist initially – and no good options if they return.

For AML and myelofibrosis patients, the rebecsinib clinical trial means hope, Mangan said: “If this works, it’s a good option for those who don’t otherwise have targeted agents available to them.”

UC San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute Director Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, a haematologist and researcher who discovered the drug, said she is “thrilled to take it from bench – and a bench on the International Space Station (ISS), no less – to the bedside of patients who need it most.”

“Rebecsinib shows all the promise in the world not only to halt the progression of multiple cancers, but to shrink them, as well as prevent their spread to multiple sites in the body,” she added.

One of the First Drugs Tested in Space

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration green-lit rebecsinib for clinical trial in March of last year, making it the first and only ADAR1 inhibitor with an investigational new drug application.

It’s one of the very first drugs studied in the cosmos. Jamieson, who is also a professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and chief of its Division of Regenerative Medicine, has sent multiple research payloads to the ISS, testing the drug on various types of highly lethal cancers with ADAR1 involvement like ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, AML and glioblastoma multiforme – experiments made possible by millions in grants from NASA’s In-Space Production Applications program.

In fact, in the summer of 2024, Jamieson received the prestigious ISS National Laboratory Compelling Results Award in Biology and Medicine for her discovery that the drug blocks the activation of ADAR1 in cancer – in space.

“Seeing Dr Jamieson’s cancer stem cell research launch on SpaceX CRS-34 – mere weeks before the first patient received rebecsinib in clinical trial – was nothing short of extraordinary,” said donor Rebecca Moores, whose funding of Jamieson’s lab made possible the drug’s development. “Hope is literally on the horizon for patients with blood cancer – and, hopefully, soon, those with other types of cancer as well.”

Scientists are still learning about the distinctive properties of space that threaten human health, including microgravity and galactic cosmic radiation. Such conditions create a uniquely stressful environment that mimics an accelerated version of aging and disease progression on Earth. Depending on the experiment, one month in microgravity can give researchers a preview of a few years, if not more than a decade, of maturation on Earth. This allows them to quickly see how a patient’s cells might age or how a medical condition like cancer might manifest in extended time. It also gives them a quick preview of how a drug might work long-term on a patient’s cells, whether a tumour or a miniature organ created from stem cells.

The landmark NASA Twins Study of 2015-2016 found that space can affect the immune system, gut bacteria, body weight, serum metabolites, immune system, gene expression and cognition of astronauts, among other health factors. Jameison’s research found that space also activates ADAR1, which, in turn, produces ADAR1p150, a protein that promotes tumor growth by hiding cancer from the immune system.

“Space gives Dr Jamieson a tremendous chance to see a lot of changes in stem cell DNA in a short period of time,” Mangan said.

Rebecsinib, he added, could be “a therapeutic mechanism to restore stem cell function after space travel” for astronauts. “If that’s true, it could also be very applicable to an analogous situation that occurs not in a two-week space journey, but over the course of 60 years of life as a human being, over which we accumulate similar stresses to, and mutations in, stem cells.”

‘Every Patient Needs Hope’

Rebecsinib’s June clinical trial launch is only the beginning. The trial may eventually expand to other ADAR1-involved cancers, including lymphoma, glioblastoma multiforme and metastatic breast cancer.

Among those hopeful for the impact of rebecsinib is patient advocate Andrew Schorr, 75, who has lived with myelofibrosis and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), another blood cancer, for decades.

His myelofibrosis is relatively stable at the moment, he said. If that were to change, however, rebecsinib “might be another option – and I would be grateful.”

Schorr is no stranger to clinical trials. He has participated in two over the years – one for CLL and another for deep vein thrombosis – and has covered many over his career as a medical journalist.

“Every patient needs hope for what could be their next treatment, because these drugs peter out,” he said. “Cancer finds a way around them. They’re not as effective over time, as your disease progresses. You’re always left wondering what the next option is. The fact that there could be a next option gives me a lot of hope.”

Source: University of California San Diego

Categories : Paediatrics Respiratory DiseasesTags : Leave a comment

Early Flu Antiviral Reduces ICU Admissions in Hospitalised Children

On By ModernMedia

Sudy finds early treatment was associated with a 31% lower likelihood of ICU admission

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Unsplash

A new US study finds antiviral treatment is linked to fewer intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and shorter hospital stays for children hospitalised with influenza. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics and led by experts at the University of Colorado Anschutz, is one of the most comprehensive real-world evaluations of antiviral treatment in paediatric influenza to date.

The research found that children who received early treatment with antiviral treatment, in this case oseltamivir, were 31% less likely to be admitted to an ICU and had shorter hospital stays than those who did not receive the antiviral.

The findings come as use of antiviral medications among hospitalised children with influenza has declined despite national guidelines recommending treatment for suspected or confirmed cases.

“After one of the most severe influenza seasons in the past two decades, these findings reinforce the importance of treating children with influenza who are hospitalised. Our findings show that oseltamivir treatment can decrease the risk of needing critical care, even if started beyond the first two days of the start of the illness,” said the paper’s senior author Suchitra Rao, MD, professor in the department of paediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

One of the largest and most rigorous real-world evaluations

The researchers looked at data from more than 7000 paediatric hospitalisations captured through a FluSurv-NET, a CDC-supported surveillance network that captures laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalisations. The data spanned 13 states and eight influenza seasons.

Unlike many earlier observational studies, this research accounted for when symptoms began and when antiviral treatment started, providing stronger real-world evidence on the effectiveness of oseltamivir in hospitalised children.

“Earlier studies were often missing key information about when children became sick or whether they started antiviral treatment before being hospitalised, making it harder to evaluate the medication’s effectiveness. By capturing those details and using advanced statistical methods, we were able to produce stronger real-world evidence to inform the care of children hospitalised with influenza,” adds Rao.

The findings reinforce current national recommendations that children hospitalised with suspected or confirmed influenza receive an antiviral medication as soon as possible.

Source: University of Colorado Anschutz