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May 09, 2025
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Zawya
4 days ago
- Zawya
Musk's Neuralink to test brain chips in clinical study in Great Britain
Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink said on Thursday it will launch a clinical study in Great Britain to test how its chips can enable patients with severe paralysis to control digital and physical tools with their thoughts. The company is partnering with the University College London Hospitals trust and Newcastle Hospitals to conduct the study, it said in a post on X. Neuralink said patients living with paralysis due to conditions such as spinal cord injury and a nervous system disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) qualify to participate in the study. The company raised $650 million in its latest funding round last month. It began human trials in 2024 on its brain implant after resolving safety concerns flagged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which had initially rejected Neuralink's application in 2022. According to the company, five patients with severe paralysis are currently using its device to control digital and physical tools with their thoughts. Neuralink, founded in 2016, has raised about $1.3 billion from investors and is valued at roughly $9 billion, according to media reports, citing PitchBook. (Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
Zawya
5 days ago
- Zawya
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and European Commission Launch New Initiative to Strengthen Mpox Testing and Sequencing Across Africa
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the European Commission today announced the launch of the Partnership to Accelerate Mpox Testing and Sequencing in Africa (PAMTA), a landmark initiative to boost diagnostics and outbreak response capabilities in Mpox-affected African countries. Co-funded under the EU4Health 2024 Work Programme, PAMTA reflects the growing momentum of Africa–EU health cooperation and aims to reinforce the continent's resilience against current and future health threats. The initiative will accelerate testing, sequencing, capacity building, and local manufacturing efforts for mpox and other priority pathogens across Africa through a €9.4 million to Africa CDC and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), managed by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). The project officially began on 1 June 2025 and will be implemented over three years. Africa CDC Director General, H.E. Dr Jean Kaseya, welcomed the initiative as a timely and strategic intervention to close the diagnostic gap for Mpox and other outbreaks in Africa. 'This partnership reflects our commitment to working with trusted partners to build agile and self-reliant public health systems across Africa. Together with the EU and our technical partners, we are setting a new benchmark for outbreak detection and response.' The PAMTA initiative focuses on four key objectives: scaling up Mpox testing with the goal of supporting over 150,000 tests across the continent; strengthening genomic sequencing capacity to track viral evolution and spread; building human resource capacity in molecular diagnostics, genomics, bioinformatics and data interpretation; and promoting the production and validation of locally developed testing kits within Africa. 'PAMTA marks a historic milestone as the first initiative jointly signed between the European Commission and Africa CDC,' said Deputy Head of DG HERA, Laurent Muschel. 'Building on HERA's earlier donation of Mpox vaccines, this action enables a critical next step: strengthening diagnostic capacities as part of a broader medical countermeasures approach. It reflects our shared commitment to reinforcing epidemic preparedness across Africa — from vaccines to diagnostics, from innovation to manufacturing. This action shows that, together, the African Union and the European Union can deliver tangible results to protect lives.' The launch of PAMTA builds on broader efforts by the EU and its partners to address the Mpox outbreak. By mid-2025, more than 600,000 vaccine doses had been delivered to African countries through HERA and Team Europe. Simultaneously, research initiatives such as MPX-RESPONSE and EDCTP3 continue to explore new therapeutic options, while the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (PGI)—also funded through EU4Health—is enhancing public health laboratory networks and genomic surveillance across the continent through public private partnerships. PAMTA marks a significant milestone in EU–Africa collaboration for health resilience. By supporting comprehensive diagnostics and fostering local innovation, the initiative is helping to lay a strong foundation for Africa's long-term pandemic preparedness and response capabilities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Emirates 24/7
5 days ago
- Emirates 24/7
New genetic study identifies neurological mechanisms as key drivers of chronic cough
A team at the University of Leicester, working with researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Queen Mary University of London, has conducted the first study of its kind to investigate the genetics of chronic cough. Their findings were published in the European Respiratory Journal. The study included almost 30,000 individuals experiencing chronic cough from multiple population health resources including the UK Biobank, EXCEED Study, the Copenhagen Hospital Biobank, Genes & Health and the eMERGE Network. As the largest and most diverse genetic study of chronic cough to date, researchers uncovered genes involved in neuronal signalling and sensory pathways, revealing a neurological basis for the condition. The findings advance understanding of cough reflex hypersensitivity as a nervous system-mediated process and open up opportunities for the development of new targeted treatments. Additionally, the study revealed shared genetics between chronic cough and chronic pain, suggesting shared neurological mechanisms. This insight offers a promising foundation for future research studies and could help inform effective strategies for managing both conditions. Dr. Kayesha Coley, from the University of Leicester's Genetic Epidemiology group, who led the study, said, 'Our study represents a major step forward for understanding the biological mechanisms underlying the condition, and we hope it will inform future drug developments.' Chronic cough can severely impact quality of life, often causing fatigue, breathlessness, disturbed sleep, and emotional distress. For many, it becomes a debilitating condition that disrupts everyday life and social interactions.
