Alzheimer's breakthrough as drug shown to delay progression by years
Patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's who received lecanemab showed improvement or no decline in cognitive function over a four-year trial period.
The drug demonstrated particular promise for individuals with low levels of tau protein, with 69 per cent of this subgroup showing no decline and 56 per cent improving cognitively.
Lecanemab, a disease-modifying drug targeting amyloid protein, was approved for use in the UK last year due to its effectiveness in slowing disease progression.
Despite its approval, lecanemab, along with similar drugs like donanemab, was rejected for NHS use in the UK, as the benefits were deemed too small to justify the cost.
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Urgent warning issued over spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could reach UK
An urgent warning has been issued over the spread of antibiotic -resistant bacteria that has the potential to reach the UK. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria is spreading rapidly among children being treated for severe malnutrition in a hospital facility in Niger, a new study has found. The researchers described the concerning findings as an 'early warning' to the world and a 'stark reminder of how fast antimicrobial resistance can spread', including to Britain. Antibiotics are life-saving medicines that are becoming ineffective due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a process in which bacteria, fungi and parasites have developed the ability to resist the action of medicines. Professor Owen B Spiller, head of medical microbiology at Cardiff University and co-author of the new paper, told The Independent: 'Due to increased international travel, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can and do reach the UK. 'What we're seeing in Niger is a stark reminder of how fast antimicrobial resistance can spread when surveillance projects are under-resourced. AMR surveillance isn't just about tracking bacteria locally, it's a global early warning system. Without it, we're flying blind as these superbugs evolve and cross borders. 'The UK government needs to sustain investment in monitoring resistance, not only to protect vulnerable populations in places like Niger, but to safeguard public health here in the UK.' A UK government spokesperson said it recognises AMR as a 'major threat' and is committed to urgently tackling its spread, with progress already made, including on reducing antibiotic use in meat. Professor Spiller also said the new research on malnourished children 'provides stark evidence that humanitarian crises amplify the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance'. Globally, 45 million children under the age of five are estimated to be severely malnourished, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with these children also at a higher risk of developing life-threatening infections like tuberculosis, or sepsis due to their weakened immune systems. There is currently a worsening starvation crisis in Gaza. Medics there say dozens have died of malnutrition in recent days as hunger sets in, after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March-May, and restricted supplies since. Professor Spiller called on the international community to take action to prevent vulnerable children from dying from infections that should be easy to treat. He said: 'Without coordinated international action, combining antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, and improved hygiene infrastructure, resistant bacteria will continue to spread unchecked. We urgently need global investment to safeguard antibiotics for children facing severe malnutrition in resource-limited settings.' The new study, led by the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), involved analysing over 3,000 rectal swabs from 1,371 children under the age of five being treated for severe malnutrition between 2016 and 2017. Their findings, published in Nature Communications on Friday, showed that more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of children carried bacteria with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes, which can break down many commonly used antibiotics. One in four children carried bacteria with carbapenemase genes like blaNDM, which can cause resistance to some of the most powerful and last-resort antibiotics called carbapenems. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of children who did not carry bacteria that was resistant to this strong class of antibiotics upon admission were found to carry them when they were discharged. If antibiotic-resistant bacteria remain in the gut, these children could be at risk in the future of developing infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, diarrhoea and urinary tract infections that do not respond to antibiotic treatment, warned the researchers. Dr Kirsty Sands, scientific lead at IOI and lead author, said: 'These are some of the most vulnerable children in the world, and we're seeing them pick up bacteria that don't respond to life-saving antibiotics. 'While our study was focused in one treatment facility in Niger, this situation is likely mirrored in many more hospitals around the world. As AMR continues to increase globally, concurrent humanitarian crises such as wars and climate change are exacerbating malnutrition, leading to overcrowded treatment centres.' Dr Céline Langendorf, a lab coordinator at MSF, added: 'Our latest findings highlight the urgent need to prioritise infection prevention and control measures in hospitals to protect the most vulnerable patients. In crowded hospitals with limited resources, these bacteria can spread easily from child to child. Without urgent action, more children could die from infections that used to be easy to treat.' A UK government spokesperson said: 'Our 10 Year Health Plan recognises antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major threat and commits to urgently tackle its spread, including through new vaccines. "We have made important progress – reducing antibiotic use in meat and pioneering a world-first subscription model to incentivise the development of new treatments. We also continue to work closely with international partners to influence global efforts to limit the spread of AMR.' They said the government's 2024-29 UK AMR National Action Plan includes commitments to strengthen surveillance to improve the UK's capabilities to measure, predict, and mitigate the evolution and transmission of drug-resistant infections, locally, nationally and internationally. They added that the government has galvanised global support at the UN, including the agreement of a political declaration on AMR, which included targets to reduce AMR deaths by 10 per cent by 2030.
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Humans may have hibernation ‘superpowers' in untapped genes, scientists say
The 'superpowers' of hibernating animals are also present in human DNA, according to a pair of recent studies that provide clues to unlocking this potential and opening the door for new diabetes and Alzheimer's treatments. Hibernating animals such as squirrels and bears exhibit incredible resilience, going long periods without food and water and withstanding near-freezing temperatures by slowing down metabolism. They avoid muscle and nerve decay and stay healthy despite massive weight fluctuations. When these animals emerge from hibernation, they appear to recover from dangerous symptoms similar to those seen in people suffering from diabetes, Alzheimer's and stroke. 'If we could regulate our genes a bit more like hibernators, maybe we could overcome type 2 diabetes the same way a hibernator returns from hibernation back to a normal metabolic state,' Elliott Ferris, an author of one of the studies, says. The research focuses on a gene cluster called the 'fat mass and obesity locus', which plays an important role in hibernators. DNA regions near the FTO locus regulate the activities of neighbouring genes, tuning them up or down. They enable hibernators to put on weight before cosying up for winter and allow them to slowly use their fat reserves throughout hibernation, researchers say. 'What's striking about this region is that it is the strongest genetic risk factor for human obesity,' says Chris Gregg, a senior author of one of the studies from the University of Utah Health. When researchers mutated the hibernator-specific gene regions in mice, they noticed changes in their metabolism and weight. Some mutations sped up weight gain while others slowed it down under specific dietary conditions. The mutations also affected the ability of mice to recover body temperature after a hibernation-like state. 'When you knock out one of these elements – this one tiny, seemingly insignificant DNA region – the activity of hundreds of genes changes,' Susan Steinwand, another author of the studies, says. Previous studies show that hibernating animals can reverse neurodegeneration, avoid muscle decay, remain healthy despite massive weight fluctuations, and show improved ageing and longevity. The latest studies suggest we possess the necessary genetic code for hibernator-like superpowers, if we can bypass some of our metabolic switches. 'This work provides a genetic framework for harnessing hibernator adaptations to understand human metabolic control,' researchers say. 'Humans already have the genetic framework,' Dr Steinwand says. 'We just need to identify the control switches for these hibernator traits.' Further studies on these genes and their surrounding DNA regions can help confer similar resilience to humans, scientists say. 'There's potentially an opportunity – by understanding these hibernation-linked mechanisms in the genome – to find strategies to intervene and help with age-related diseases,' Dr Gregg says. 'If that's hidden in the genome that we've already got, we could learn from hibernators to improve our own health.'
Daily Mirror
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I was fit and healthy but had 'stress' headaches before ultra-rare diagnosis'
Alicja Faryniarz, 44, had her life turned upside down when she suffered a stroke while playing tennis and was rushed to hospital A 'fit and healthy' woman was left paralysed after headaches she believed were down to 'work stress' turned out to be warning signs of an extremely rare brain condition. Alicja Faryniarz, 44, said she sensed something 'wasn't right' but her symptoms were repeatedly dismissed by medics as migraines or sinus issues. The accountant started experiencing severe headaches during her 20s, which caused fainting spells and overwhelming tiredness. Yet every time she visited her GP, she claims they "brushed it aside" and gave her painkillers despite her enduring "intense pain". It was only in September last year that her brain condition was identified after she had a stroke whilst playing tennis. Alicja collapsed on court and was rushed to hospital, where medics diagnosed her with brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM). AVM impacts fewer than 1% of Brits and occurs when tangled blood vessels form abnormal connections between arteries and veins in the brain. The condition is typically present from birth, though it can develop later in life, and sufferers seldom display symptoms, the NHS states. Alicja had a three-inch AVM, which burst and left the right side of her body paralysed whilst also putting her in a coma for three days. She is now highlighting the "hidden" risks of the rare condition, which she had no clue she was born with. Alicja, from Cobham, Surrey, shared her harrowing experience: "My life ended on the day I had the stroke and I'm still trying to get it back. I've had to give up my life as I can no longer enjoy the things I loved like cycling, running, dancing, walking my dog, the list goes on. "If I was given a CT scan instead of doctors brushing it aside, I believe they would have found it and none of this would have happened. I'm no longer the same person." Attributing the cause of her AVM rupture to workplace stress and a recent blood donation that may have thickened her blood, Alicja recounted the strain she was under: "I had a lot of plates spinning and life was very overwhelming at times. I would have these severe headaches where I would have to pause work and lie down for a moment and take some time until it passed." Alicja's ordeal began in her early 20s with severe headaches and fainting spells, during which she said doctors simply prescribed painkillers for the "horrific pain" allowing her to continue her active lifestyle and work commitments. Her condition deteriorated after moving to the UK from Poland in 2004, experiencing more frequent headaches and extreme fatigue. The situation reached a crisis point in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic when an intense fainting episode led to her collapsing in her bathroom, resulting in a black eye and concussion. Alicja said: "I had collapsed and hit my head on the bathroom tiles. An ambulance was called but they only arrived the next day and as I had Covid at the time they wouldn't take me to the hospital." She is convinced that a timely hospital visit and brain scan would have detected the AVM, potentially preventing the upheaval of her life. Despite this, she endured three more fainting spells before suffering a stroke on September 3 last year. Alicja said: "I had worked from home and had travelled to Esher Tennis Club for an end-of-summer competition. The past weekend I had been on a 115km bike ride and went on a walk with friends, and to be honest, I wasn't feeling too well, but I had gotten used to it. "I played the first game fine, but then during the second match, I hadn't played for very long when my vision went blurry and I had a really intense headache. I remember collapsing to the floor not being able to move or speak and being in agony - I was terrified and thought I was dying." She revealed that it took two hours for an ambulance to arrive before she was taken to St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, where doctors induced a coma. Later, she was transferred to St George's Hospital in London and admitted to the ICU, awakening three days later on September 6. Alicja said: "When I woke up I was unable to move the right side of my body and I couldn't speak. I had to physically pick up my right and leg with my right hand just to move it. "Half my body was gone, like it never existed, like someone had just taken it away. It took me two weeks just to be able to move my middle finger a little." Alicja's recovery journey began at St George's hospital and continued until September 22, before she was transferred to Woking Community Hospital for a further stretch of over a month. A year has passed since her ordeal, and now Alicja can speak and move her right arm, yet walking unaided remains out of reach, with a walking stick or wheelchair being essential for mobility. She emphasised: "If you know or think something is wrong make sure you get it checked out. I'm sharing my story as I want to spread awareness that it could happen to anybody."
