A new study of cardiac cells at the International Space Station (ISS) is set to pave the way for repair of the heart damage on Earth.

Researchers from Emory University looked at cancer cells that proliferate -- grow and divide to produce more cells -- much more quickly in microgravity. Spaceflight also triggers cancer cell survival mechanisms, helping the cells better cope with the stressful environment.

In the paper, published in the journal Biomaterials, the researchers hypothesised that heart cells might exhibit similar behaviour.

This would address two current roadblocks in developing cell-based therapies for heart disease, said Chunhui Xu, a professor in the department of paediatrics.

After successfully testing the theory in a ground-based study using simulated microgravity, Xu and her team conducted two spaceflight investigations.

The United States is grappling with a significant increase in measles cases, US health authorities have said.

The number of infections in early 2025 has already exceeded the entire 2024 total, according to the latest data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of March 28, 2025, the CDC reported 483 confirmed measles cases across 20 states, among them 2 dead and 70 hospitalised, while only 285 cases were reported in 33 states during the entire year of 2024.

Texas is experiencing the most severe outbreak as 400 cases have been identified since late January, and 41 of the patients have been hospitalised, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

US researchers have found how resistance to chemotherapies may occur in some cancers, an advance that could help pinpoint treatment-resistant tumours.

Chemotherapy resistance is a major challenge in cancer treatment. It occurs when cancer cells stop responding to chemotherapy, allowing the tumour to grow again.

The team from Mass General Brigham focused on a pathway that harnesses reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill cancer cells. The study, published in the journal Nature, found that mutations to VPS35 -- a key player in this pathway -- can prevent chemotherapy-induced cell death.

“ROS play an important role in healthy and diseased cells, but pathways that sense and control cellular ROS levels are not well understood,” said corresponding author Liron Bar-Peled, of the Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research at the hospital.

Made-in-India surgical robotic system maker SS Innovations on Friday announced that its SSI Mantra has successfully performed robotic cardiac surgery via telesurgery spanning a distance of 2,000 kilometres.

The long-distance tele-robotic assisted intracardiac surgery was performed from SS Innovations' headquarters in Gurugram on a 35-year-old patient at Aster CMI Hospital in Bengaluru.

The surgery, lasting for 2 hours and 40 minutes, involved closing a complex Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) -- a congenital condition where there is a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart.

The surgery demonstrated exceptional precision, achieving incredibly low latency, further underscoring the accuracy and efficiency of robotic-assisted remote surgery, SS Innovations said.

Hypertension or high blood pressure can have a significant impact on kidney function, much before clinical symptoms begin to appear, according to a study that stressed the importance of early detection.

The research, led by a team from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, found that high blood pressure can lead to abnormalities in the podocytes -- specialised cells in the renal filter -- even without other pre-existing conditions such as diabetes.

"Early detection and treatment could help to slow the progression of kidney disease and prevent long-term damage," said the researchers Rainer Oberbauer and Heinz Regele from the varsity.

Indian pharma companies may stand to gain market share due to the potential impact of US tariffs, according to a JPMorgan report.

Essentially, Indian pharmaceutical companies have the potential to gain market share at the expense of their global competitors due to their superior cost competitiveness, JPMorgan said.

In an expert call, the brokerage also pointed out that the possibility of manufacturing relocation by pharmaceutical companies to the US is unlikely due to higher tariffs.

Tariffs of 25 per cent or higher on pharmaceuticals are improbable due to the significant increase in cost for consumers and the limited availability of alternative suppliers, JPMorgan said.

An international research group has developed a new method to help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells by leading them to expose themselves.

Researchers led by Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS) said cancer cells typically evade detection by displaying very few suspicious proteins that the immune system can identify and target, news agency reported.

In the study published in the journal Cancer Cell, the team, including from the US and Germany, disrupted protein production in cancer cells, forcing them to produce abnormal, recognisable proteins, which could trigger a strong immune response capable of destroying cancer cells.

In mouse models, the approach has been proven effective in activating immune cells to target and destroy cancer cells, inhibiting tumour growth.

While sugary foods and beverages are more blamed for the global rise in obesity rates, a new study suggests that sodium -- found in chips, processed meat products, bread, and dairy products, especially cheese -- may also be a significant risk factor.

The research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) highlighted an alarming correlation between sodium intake and obesity, both in terms of overall body fat and abdominal fat.

The study, led by researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland analysed data from over 5,000 men and women aged 18 and older, examining their sodium intake as well as urine sodium concentration about their obesity status.

Surveillance and vigilance are necessary to ensure South-East Asia region remains polio-free, said the World Health Organization on the 11th anniversary of being certified polio-free on Thursday.

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The highly transmissible virus invades the nervous system to cause paralysis.

In a historic milestone, 11 years ago on March 27, 2014, the WHO South-East Asia Region was certified as free of all types of wild polioviruses.

Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia stated that eradication of polio in the SE Asia region was a “daunting and uphill task” and “required relentless effort and innovative strategies”.

Ten drug addicts have tested positive for HIV at Walancherry in Kerala's Malappuram during the health screening among the high-risk category of people.

The Kerala State AIDS Control Society conducted the screening among high-risk category people, which included sex workers and drug users.

Malappuram district District Medical Officer said 10 people, all of whom are drug users, were found HIV positive.

"This screening was done in January at Walancherry, and one of them tested positive for HIV. Soon, a detailed study was conducted among his close contacts, after which nine others were found to be HIV positive," said the DMO.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that in 2025 a whopping 3.5 million children in Afghanistan are at risk of malnutrition. The agency expressed concern over the huge number of children expected to be affected. Additionally, 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are suffering from malnutrition and urgently need treatment and nutrition support.

“Once a child or a woman becomes malnourished, we have to help them, or they risk worsening to severe malnutrition, which is a life-threatening situation. The mortality risk is very high for moderately malnourished children – three times higher than for children who are not malnourished,” says Mona Shaikh, Head of Nutrition for the WFP in Afghanistan.

The UN agency in its report said that nearly one-third of Afghanistan’s population – up to 15 million people – need emergency food assistance to survive. Eight out of ten families cannot afford a minimally nutritious diet, and three out of four families have to borrow money to buy basic groceries.

The significant reductions in international funding for HIV prevention and treatment programmes may result in more than 10 million infections, and about 3 million deaths by 2030, according to a study published in The Lancet HIV journal on Thursday.

The study, conducted by a team at the Burnet Institute in Australia’s Melbourne models the impact of a projected 24 per cent reduction in global HIV funding by 2026. This follows announced aid cuts of 8 per cent to 70 per cent by key donors, including the US, Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. These five countries collectively fund over 90 per cent of global HIV assistance.

This could lead to an estimated “4.4 to 10.8 million additional new HIV infections and 770,000 to 2.9 million HIV-related deaths in children and adults between 2025 and 2030 if funding cuts proposed by the top five donor countries, including the US and the UK, are not mitigated,” said the researchers.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi is expected to run human trials on India's first indigenously developed MRI machine system in October.

The indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system for medical imaging will be built at the Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) -- a national mission, sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and being implemented at the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), an autonomous government institution under Meity.

C-DAC (Trivandrum), C-DAC (Kolkata), IUAC (New Delhi), and DSI-MIRC (Bangalore) will work as collaborating agencies to design and develop the MRI system.

Meity informed that "animal trials have been concluded".

A recent internal survey by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), on Tuesday, found that nearly 44 per cent of the total number of wards in areas under the corporation's jurisdiction, which included Kolkata and added areas, are dengue-prone, officials said.

The total number of the wards under KMC stands at 144.

As per the internal survey, 68 wards of them are dengue-prone, an insider from the corporation claimed.

"The corporation mapped all the 144 wards under its jurisdiction to identify the dengue-prone pockets based on past figures on this count. The benchmark in the matter is that if 10 or more persons in a particular ward have been tested positive for dengue last year, that particular ward is identified as the hotspot," a KMC official said.

Localised and community initiatives like TB Mukt Bharat can play a crucial role in fighting the menace of tuberculosis in India, said Anurag Thakur, BJP MP.

In a media article, he reflected on the country’s journey towards eliminating TB -- the world’s deadliest infection.

“Localised initiatives are reshaping perceptions about TB across India, echoing our national commitment to systematically expand TB elimination efforts in every state,” he wrote.

Besides TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the government has also expanded diagnostic capabilities through the increased use of CBNAAT and TrueNat machines, as well as strengthened treatment protocols, Thakur said.

In addition, the recent fiscal allocation of Rs 4,200 crore for the National TB Elimination Programme will further help the efforts.

The government has made remarkable strides in combating tuberculosis -- the world’s deadliest infectious disease, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on Monday.

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed annually on March 24 to raise awareness about the condition. The theme this year is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”.

He also reaffirmed the government’s aim to eliminate TB by the end of 2025 -- a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 to eradicate the infectious disease five years ahead of the global target.

“Our government has made remarkable strides in combating this disease through the National TB Elimination Programme,” Nadda said, in a post on social media platform X.

Children overweight or obese may be at an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood, according to a study.

COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and worsens over time.

While smoking is a major risk factor for COPD, other risk factors like environmental, occupational, and even early life factors are increasingly being recognised.

The study led by researchers from Copenhagen University in Denmark focuses on examining the link between a high body mass index (BMI) in childhood and COPD.

The team found that compared to women with an average childhood BMI, risks of chronic COPD were 10 per cent higher for those who had an above-average BMI trajectory

Violence and waves of displacements have overwhelmed the fragile healthcare system in El-Fasher, the capital of Sudan's North Darfur state, UN humanitarians said.

"More than 200 health facilities in El Fasher are not functioning, and there are severe shortages of medical staff, essential medicines and life-saving supplies," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Humanitarian partners have been trying to provide medical supplies, but their efforts to deliver continue to be impeded by insecurity and access constraints, the office said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that more than 70 per cent of hospitals and health facilities across areas impacted by the hostilities in Sudan are no longer operational, leaving millions without healthcare.

Under the ambitious ‘75 by 25’ initiative, India has treated 42.01 million people for hypertension or high blood pressure and 25.27 million for diabetes, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav in the Parliament.

The Government had in May 2023 unveiled the "75/25" initiative which aims to provide standardised care to 75 million people living with hypertension and diabetes in the country by December 2025.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Jadhav informed that the country “has achieved 89.7 per cent of the target” of treating the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc. account for more than 70 per cent of deaths annually.

To address this rising burden, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched an NCD screening campaign on February 20.

Flexible health insurance plans have seen an upsurge of almost 300 per cent in the last five years in India, said a report on Tuesday.

The report by Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB) showed that even as the workforce in the country is evolving, organisations are reinventing benefits to meet diverse employee needs. Beyond statutory provisions, companies are increasingly introducing innovative solutions like flexible health insurance plans.

The inclusive coverage options focus on parents, cover, siblings cover and wellness programme, and financial planning tools. These forward-thinking approaches not only enhance employee well-being but also help attract and retain top talent in a competitive landscape, the report said.

In a bid to promote women's safety and empowerment, a special Self-Defense Workshop for Women was organized at an IT company in Best Tech Mall, Mohali, on the occasion of International Women's Day.

The prevalence of chronic conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, asthma, prediabetes, and depression or anxiety, has risen to unprecedented levels -- 30 per cent -- over the past twenty years in the US, according to a study.

The study showed that nearly one-in-three young people or about 25 million young people ages 5 to 25 are estimated to now be living with these conditions that began in childhood. It is significantly affecting and limiting their lives.

“The prevalence of childhood conditions is currently higher than previous estimates suggest,” said lead author Lauren Wisk, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles, US.

Children who experience physical and sexual abuse are twice as likely to suffer from physical and mental health conditions, including angina, arthritis, asthma, COPD, heart attack, depression, and disability in adulthood, according to a study.

The study, published in the journal Child Maltreatment, found that children with sexual abuse were 55 per cent to 90 per cent more likely to experience these health outcomes compared to their peers who had not experienced any abuse.

Facing only physical abuse also had significantly elevated odds of these health outcomes from 20 per cent to 50 per cent.

Severe bleeding -- haemorrhage --, high blood pressure disorders like preeclampsia is responsible for over one lakh pregnancy-related deaths worldwide, according to a new study, released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday.

In 2020, there were an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths in total – equivalent to one death every two minutes.

The study, published in the journal The Lancet Global Health, showed that haemorrhage -- mostly occurring during or following childbirth -- is responsible for nearly a third (27 per cent or 80,000) of maternal mortality, with preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders contributing to an additional 16 per cent or 50,000 deaths.

Preeclampsia is a serious condition characterised by high blood pressure that can lead to haemorrhage, strokes, organ failures, and seizures if left untreated or treated too late.

The death toll from Africa's ongoing mpox outbreak has reached 260 since 2025, with total cases surpassing 24,200, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

During an online media briefing on Thursday evening, Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff and head of the Executive Office at Africa CDC, said that the African continent has reported 24,272 mpox cases since the start of the year. Of these, 6,034 were confirmed and about 260 related deaths were recorded.

Data from the African Union's specialised healthcare agency show that in the past week alone, 11 African countries reported 2,610 new cases, including 664 confirmed ones and 45 new related deaths.

Ngongo said that among the 22 African countries affected by the ongoing mpox outbreak, 15 countries are currently experiencing active transmission of the virus, while seven countries are in a controlled phase.

The South Korean government on Friday said it will conditionally scrap a contested plan to increase medical school admissions next year to resolve the ongoing health care crisis.

Education Minister Lee Ju-ho announced the conditional decision to set the medical school enrollment quota for 2026 at 3,058, which is equivalent to the figure before the government put forward a plan to increase admissions by 2,000 a year ago, news agency reported.

Ju-ho said the implementation of the revised quota will be contingent on the condition that all medical students return to classrooms by the end of this month. Medical students nationwide have been boycotting classes and taking a leave of absence in protest of the government's expansion of the medical school quota.

Earlier last month, the Korean Association of Medical Colleges and Graduate School of Medicine, a consultative body of medical school deans nationwide, proposed that they will persuade medical students to return to classrooms if next year's medical school enrollment quota is revised back to 3,058.

The number of South Koreans who said they felt anxiety and feelings of depression increased last year, while perceptions of happiness differed by income group, a survey result showed on Thursday.

The respondents who said they felt anxiety recorded 4.1 out of 10 points last year, compared with 3.4 points in 2023, and feelings of depression also ticked up from 2.8 points to 3.5 points in the same period, according to the data by the Korea Institute of Public Administration, news agency reported.

The survey was conducted on 8,251 adults from August to September last year to investigate the level of social integration and public perception. Public perception of happiness recorded an average of 6.8 points, a 0.1-point increase from the previous year.

South Korea will push for measures to bolster medical safety and reduce medical accidents, including heavier compensation responsibility of the state, the health ministry said on Thursday.

The plan, unveiled at a parliamentary policy forum, also includes the introduction of a "no punishment against will" policy for deaths that occur during acts of essential medical care and the expansion of insurance coverage for medical accidents, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, news agency reported.

Under the plan, the ministry is considering allowing medical workers involved in death cases related to essential medical care to avoid criminal charges when the family of the deceased gives consent as part of efforts to lower the burden on medical staff.

Israeli researchers have discovered a surprising immune defense role of the proteasome, a cellular structure known for degrading and recycling proteins.

The study, published in Nature, could inspire new strategies against antibiotic-resistant infections, news agency reported.

The study, led by the team from Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS), found that when breaking down old proteins, the proteasome constantly and regularly releases antimicrobial peptides, news agency reported.

These antimicrobial peptides are considered vital components of the body's first line of defense as they attack and kill bacteria.

The global number of cases of osteoarthritis, as well as the disability associated with the condition, have risen by more than 130 per cent over the past 3 decades among women who have gone through menopause, according to a study.

Deterioration and damage of joint cartilage lead to osteoarthritis. It is followed by bony remodelling, joint dysfunction, and chronic pain. In 2020 alone, an estimated 595 million people worldwide were living with the condition, comprising nearly 8 per cent of the world’s population, with postmenopausal women at heightened risk.

In 2021 there were 14,258,581 new cases of osteoarthritis; 278,568,950 existing cases; and 99,447,16 years of healthy life lost (DALYs), representing increases of 133 per cent, 140 per cent, and 142 per cent since 1990, respectively, showed the study, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Approximately 4,89,722 schoolchildren underwent health screening over the past year under the government's Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district.

Twenty-nine medical teams visited various educational institutions, including primary and secondary schools, as well as Anganwadi centres, to ensure early detection and treatment of diseases among children, officials shared on Tuesday.

During these screenings, 183 children were diagnosed with heart disease, out of which 50 underwent surgery free of cost under government schemes, while the remaining are receiving treatment based on specialist recommendations.

Celltrion, a major South Korean biopharmaceutical firm, said on Tuesday its two new bio-similars for bone disease treatment have obtained approval from the United States.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Celltrion's Stoboclo and Osenvelt, biosimilar drugs to Prolia and Xgeva, respectively, in the form of subcutaneous formulations for sales in the US market, the company said in a press release, news agency reported.

The global market for Prolia and Xgeva was estimated to have reached a combined 9.2 trillion won ($6.6 billion) last year, it said.

The U.S. accounted for 6.15 trillion won, or 67 percent, of the two original drugs' sales last year.

 A most comprehensive global analysis to date, including India, has estimated that overweight and obesity rates in adults (aged 25 or older) and children and adolescents (aged 5-24 years) more than doubled over the past three decades (1990-2021), affecting 2.11 billion adults and 493 million young people worldwide in 2021, according to a study published in The Lancet.

Weight gain varies widely across the globe with more than half of the world’s adults with overweight or obesity in 2021 living in just eight countries — China (402 million), India (180 million), the US (172 million), Brazil (88 million), Russia (71 million), Mexico (58 million), Indonesia (52 million), and Egypt (41 million).

Without urgent policy reform and action, around 60 per cent of adults (3.8 billion) and a third (31 per cent) of all children and adolescents (746 million) are forecast to be living with either overweight or obesity by 2050, according to the major analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study BMI Collaborators, published in The Lancet.

 A team of US researchers has made discoveries about brown fat that may open a new path to helping people stay physically fit as they age.

The team from Rutgers University’s New Jersey Medical School found that mice lacking a specific gene developed an unusually potent form of brown fat tissue that expanded lifespan and increased exercise capacity by roughly 30 per cent.

The team is working on a drug that could mimic these effects in humans.

“Exercise capacity diminishes as you get older, and to have a technique that could enhance exercise performance would be very beneficial for healthful aging,” said Stephen Vatner, university professor and senior author of the study published in Aging Cell.

People with obstructive sleep apnoea have an increased risk of suffering from Parkinson's disease, according to a study.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is when throat muscles relax during sleep, blocking the airway, causing a person to wake up repeatedly to breathe. This disrupted sleep pattern can lower oxygen levels, affecting the brain.

Researchers from the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon, US looked at rates of Parkinson's disease five years after a sleep apnoea diagnosis. They reviewed more than 20 years of medical records to identify nearly 1.6 million older adults who had obstructive sleep apnoea.

After adjusting for age, sex, and health factors such as smoking, they found among people with sleep apnoea, there were 1.8 more cases of Parkinson's disease per 1,000 people compared to people without sleep apnoea.