The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique has shown promise in fighting advanced colorectal cancer, according to results of the first-in-human clinical trial published in The Lancet Oncology.

The trial shows encouraging signs of the safety and potential effectiveness of the treatment against metastatic gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

In the study, researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing to modify a type of immune cell called tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

They deactivated a gene called CISH and found that modified TILs were better able to recognise and attack cancer cells.

"Despite many advances in understanding the genomic drivers and other factors causing cancer, with few exceptions, stage IV colorectal cancer remains a largely incurable disease," said Emil Lou, a gastrointestinal oncologist with the University of Minnesota Medical School.

The US is experiencing a sharp resurgence of measles, with 935 confirmed cases reported so far this year -- more than triple the total for all of 2024, according to the latest data by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A total of 12 measles outbreaks have been recorded nationwide this year. The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more connected cases, news agency reported.

This year's case count represents a significant surge from 2024 when 285 measles cases were recorded in the country for the entire year.

The CDC emphasises that the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination. Two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine are highly effective in preventing the disease.

Malawi recorded one more confirmed mpox case, bringing the total number of cases to six since the first three were confirmed in April.

The Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) announced the update on Thursday, saying the latest case is an 18-year-old student from the capital, Lilongwe.

According to the PHIM, the patient had his samples collected on Wednesday, at a local health facility after presenting with symptoms including fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, and a skin rash. The samples tested positive for mpox.

Malawi declared a mpox outbreak on April 17, following the confirmation of the first three cases a day earlier, news agency reported.

Namibia has recorded 56,130 malaria cases and 95 deaths since the beginning of the current malaria season in December 2024, Health Minister Esperance Luvindao said.

Addressing the public in Oshakati town in northern Namibia, Luvindao said the outbreak has affected all 10 malaria-endemic regions of the country in the northern and northeastern parts, including Zambezi, Kavango East and West, Ohangwena, Omusati, and Oshikoto.

By April 20, at least 5,226 cases required hospitalisation, Luvindao said, noting that local transmission accounts for 81 per cent of all reported cases.

She said the high burden is due in part to favourable breeding conditions for mosquitoes during the rainy season.

Health officials in Thailand have confirmed the death of a 53-year-old man from Anthrax -- a serious bacterial illness --, after consuming raw meat.

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis.

The country’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) confirmed the first confirmed human death from the Don Tan district in Mukdahan province, The Nation Thailand reported.

The DDC linked the death with the consumption and distribution of beef during a religious festival.

The deceased patient, a construction worker with underlying diabetes, developed a lesion on his right hand on April 24 and was hospitalised on April 27.

A surge in the number of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) cases among school-aged children in Malaysia's northern Borneo state of Sabah has forced the temporary closure of five schools, according to health authorities.

More than 4,300 HFMD cases were reported between January to April, with nearly 83 per cent involving children under the age of seven, the Sabah Health Department said in a recent statement.

Sabah Health Director Maria Suleiman, a health crisis expert, said the closures were a precautionary measure to allow for thorough cleaning and disinfection of affected premises to break the chain of infection, news agency reported.

"All reported cases have been mild and treated as outpatients. There have been no ICU admissions or deaths," she said, adding that parents have been urged to keep symptomatic children at home and maintain good hygiene by regularly disinfecting commonly used items

Integrating mental health support in cancer care is important and will boost the health of both survivors and caregivers, according to a new study by oncologists at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi.

The study, published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, sheds light on the critical yet under-recognised psychological struggles faced by cancer survivors and their caregivers.

More than affecting physical health, a cancer diagnosis raises fear, uncertainty, anxiety, and depression -- all of which can profoundly affect the quality of life not only for patients but also for caregivers.

“We advocate for integrating mental health care into routine oncology services, expanding access to psycho-oncology, and recognising caregivers' needs,” corresponding author Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr BR Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS, Delhi, told.

A virus long dismissed as a scientific oddity has been found hiding in plain sight, and it may help fight dangerous bacteria, according to a study.

The study focussed on bacteriophages (phages) -- viruses that infect bacteria and come in many forms. In particular, researchers investigated telomere phages -- a type of phage that until now was considered a ‘curiosity’.

These viruses aren't just passive passengers as they may actually help good bacteria wipe out neighbouring bad ones, news agency reported.

Previous studies decoded only their unique DNA replication mechanism. The new study, published in Science Advances, discovered that bacteria carrying telomere phages produce toxins that kill off rival bacteria.

Researchers from Monash University, Australia discovered that telomere phage is surprisingly common in Klebsiella. Klebsiella is a type of bacteria that can cause pneumonia and serious drug-resistant infections.

Artificial intelligence (AI) could soon play a pivotal role in diagnosing and treating genetic disorders, according to a study.

The study, led by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) in Australia marks a significant step toward more precise, personalised medicine by harnessing the power of new data tools, news agency reported.

Published in Nature Communications, the study combines AI-powered protein models with genome sequencing to better understand how mutations affect human health.

It uncovered why some proteins are more vulnerable to harmful mutations than others, through the use of Google DeepMind AlphaFold's cutting-edge AI to analyse the effects of every possible mutation across the full range of human proteins.

Treating patients with semaglutide -- an anti-diabetic medication -- can halt and even reverse liver disease, according to a study.

Researchers from the King's College London, UK, chose to investigate semaglutide as a potential treatment because this class of drug helps reduce fat and liver scarring for people with metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) -- a life-threatening form of liver disease.

MASH is a more severe form of Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) -- a long-lasting liver condition caused by having too much fat in the liver.

It is closely linked with obesity as well as conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart and circulatory disease.