Gastric bacteria, which leaks around the stomach lining, plays a significant role in the onset of stomach cancer -- which has limited treatment options and poor survival rates, according to a study on Wednesday.

The study led by researchers from the University of Birmingham identified a crucial interaction between Helicobacter pylori and non-H. pylori bacteria in the pre-cancerous stage of gastric cancer.

The results, published in the journal Helicobacter, could pave the way for a more effective treatment of pre-cancer.

“We are excited about the potential of this observation to open a new avenue of research in the prevention of stomach cancer. It is possible that a simple antibiotic treatment could be administered to treat these bacteria. However, there is a lot more work to do,” said Dr Amanda Rossiter-Pearson from the varsity.

Rossiter-Pearson emphaised the need to “determine the identity of these bacteria and understand how the presence of these bacteria in the precancerous condition impacts the patient’s risk of developing stomach cancer”.

Gastric cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria, whilst asymptomatic for most people, has long been identified as the primary risk factor for stomach cancer.

However, why only 1 per cent of infections progress to gastric cancer is not fully understood. To probe, the team used the latest imaging technology to pinpoint the location of bacteria. They saw that while H. pylori exclusively colonised gastric glands, non-H. pylori bacteria leaked through the stomach lining in the pre-cancerous condition, gastric intestinal metaplasia.

A team of international researchers has developed a new blood test that could predict the risk of about 30 age-related conditions like lung cancer and heart disease that can appear decades later.

The blood test measures the age of different organs of the human body to predict the risk. The team including from the UK, France, and the US said the quick and easy blood test identifies whether a specific organ is ageing faster than expected -- an advance that may pave the way for personalised prevention and treatment methods.

The findings based on 20 years of follow-up data revealed that a heart that aged more rapidly predicted a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, while accelerated lung ageing predisposed people to respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer.

The highest risk of dementia was found in those whose immune systems aged faster than usual. Similarly, people with accelerated kidney ageing were more likely to later develop vascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver diseases, while biological ageing of nearly all organs predicted an increased risk of kidney disease.

Higher levels of physical activity may not only prevent the risk of cancers but also boost survival rates in people who have undergone treatment.

Researchers from the Louisiana State University in the US focussed on long-term survival rates in colon cancer survivors. Individuals with colon cancer face higher rates of premature mortality than people in the general population.

To assess whether exercise might reduce this disparity, the team analysed data from two posttreatment trials in patients with stage 3 colon cancer. A total of 2,875 patients self-reported physical activity after cancer surgery and chemotherapy.

A suspected outbreak of bird flu in Telangana’s Wanaparthy district has resulted in the death of a large number of chickens at a farm during the last three days, leading the authorities to sound an alert.

Authorities have collected samples from the affected farm and sent them to a laboratory to confirm if it is the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which recently hit a few districts in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

The death of 2,500 chickens was reported from a farm in Konnur in Madanapuram mandal, said K. Venkateshwar, District Veterinary and Animal Husbandry officer of Wanaparthy district

Officials said the mysterious disease was detected at the Premium Poultry Farm, causing concern among the owners of other farms.

Adults with chronic back pain must not be given spine injections as they provide little or no pain relief compared with sham injections, according to an international study, published on Thursday.

A team of clinicians and patients from Canada, the US, and Australia strongly recommended against epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks for people living with chronic back pain (lasting at least three months) that is not associated with cancer, infection, or inflammatory arthritis.

Chronic back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide -- estimated to affect one in five adults aged 20-59. Older adults tend to suffer more with the condition.

Epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablation (using radio waves to destroy nerves) are widely used to stop pain signals from reaching the brain.

However, current guidelines provide conflicting recommendations for their use.

A new, unidentified illness has been reported in the northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is buffeted by multiple public health and humanitarian crises, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday.

Two clusters of cases and deaths related to the unidentified disease were reported in two health zones of the DRC's Equateur Province, the WHO said in a report.

By February 15, the WHO said, 431 cases and 45 deaths had been reported.

The first cluster of cases and deaths were reported in January in Boloko Village, in Bolomba Health Zone. Preliminary investigations traced the outbreak's origin to three community deaths among children under five years old, who died after developing a fever, headache, diarrhea, and fatigue, which later progressed to hemorrhage.

One in five or 20 per cent of newborns with neonatal seizures will go on to develop epilepsy by age one, finds a study on Wednesday.

Seizures in newborns are one of the most frequent acute neurological conditions among infants admitted to neonatal care units.

Researchers from the Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet in Denmark showed that after neonatal seizures, the risk of epilepsy is persistently increased throughout adolescence. The team analysed data on all 1,998 children born in the country who experienced neonatal seizures.

The results, published in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology showed that the cumulative risk of epilepsy was 20.4 per cent among children with neonatal seizures compared with 1.15 per cent among children without.

The immune systems of cancer patients may play a significant role in their treatment outcomes, according to a study on Tuesday.

In the study, researchers at the University College London and the Francis Crick Institute found that cancer patients with a higher number of immune cells in their blood have a better survival rate.

They used a pioneering technique -- Immune Lymphocyte Estimation from Nucleotide Sequencing (ImmuneLENS), which enables researchers to calculate the proportion of T cells and B cells (types of immune cells) from whole genome sequencing (WGS) data.

The team analysed over 90,000 WGS samples -- both of healthy individuals and cancer patients. The findings described in the journal Nature Genetics showed that cancer patients had a lower proportion of T cells circulating in the blood compared to healthy individuals.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has announced a nationwide screening drive for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

The screening drive will be held from February 20 to March 31. The Health Ministry called on individuals above 30 years of age, to get screened for these diseases from the nearest government healthcare facility.

"Take charge of your health -- join the nationwide screening drive for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from February 20th to March 31st, and get screened for free at your nearest government healthcare facility,” said the MoHFW in a post on social media platform X.

A new international study has for the first time identified unique subpopulations of fat cells.

Researchers from Israel's Ben Gurion University (BGU) noted that the study could pave the way for personalised medicine in obesity, news agency reported.

The study, part of the international Human Cell Atlas project, mapped fat cell populations in various human fat tissues, focusing on subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Using technologies mapping RNA molecules, the team attached unique "barcodes" to RNA from individual cells, allowing them to identify distinct cell types within fat tissue.