A team of interdisciplinary researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Guwahati, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed an optical sensing platform for cholesterol detection, based on silk fibre functionalised using phosphorene quantum dots, it was announced on Wednesday.

A point-of-care (POC) device has been developed in the laboratory scale for detecting cholesterol using this, according to a Ministry of Science & Technology statement.

It can sense cholesterol in trace amounts, even below the preferred range. It can be an efficient tool for routine monitoring of cholesterol levels in the human body.

The platform developed for cholesterol detection can help identify early symptoms of diseases like atherosclerosis, venous thrombosis, cardiovascular diseases, heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and cancer.

Rwanda will roll out a new malaria prevention strategy under which all members of a household will be tested if one person is diagnosed with the disease, a health official has said.

"This approach will help reduce malaria transmission among the population, and once transmission is lowered, it serves as a form of prevention," Epaphrodite Habanabakize, malaria prevention senior officer at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), told national broadcaster Rwanda TV on Monday.

He said the strategy would initially be implemented in the capital, Kigali, before being expanded to other districts nationwide.

"If someone visits a health facility and is diagnosed with malaria, a health worker will visit their home to test all household members. Those who test positive but are not showing symptoms -- despite carrying the malaria parasite -- will still be given malaria medication," he explained.

A new study on Monday estimated that in 2024, 2.7 per cent of electronic dance music-nightclub attending adults in New York City (NYC) used ‘Tusi’ drug in the past year, with higher use among Hispanic people and people who use other drugs.

‘Tusi’, also known as ‘tucibi’ or ‘pink cocaine’, is a drug concoction that emerged in Latin America and Europe within the past decade and is becoming increasingly popular in the US.

According to the study published in the scientific journal Addiction, consumers often don’t understand what ‘Tusi’ is when they take it.

Tusi is commonly confused with the 2C family of drugs – psychedelics – because it is a phonetic translation of “2C”. Tusi is also commonly called “tucibí” or “tusibí” (the phonetic translation of 2C-B, a particular type of psychedelic). And it is also often called “pink cocaine” (“cocaina rosada” in Spanish). All of these names have the potential to confuse people who use, who may believe they are taking a psychedelic drug or largely unadulterated cocaine.

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University in Japan on Saturday said they have found that the motion of unlabelled cells can be used to tell whether they are cancerous or healthy.

They observed malignant fibrosarcoma cells and healthy fibroblasts on a dish and found that tracking and analysis of their paths can be used to differentiate them with up to 94 per cent accuracy.

Beyond diagnosis, their technique may also shed light on cell motility related functions, like tissue healing, according to the study published in the journal PLOS One.

The team of researchers, led by Professor Hiromi Miyoshi, came up with a way of tracking cells using phase-contrast microscopy, one of the most common ways of observing cells.

Phase-contrast microscopy is entirely label free, allowing cells to move about on a petri dish closer to their native state, and is not affected by the optical properties of the plastic petri dishes through which cells are imaged.

Early-life exposure to small particle air pollution and outdoor artificial light at night could increase the risk of paediatric thyroid cancer, a new study led by researchers at Yale University in the US has suggested.

The team found a “significant association” between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN) and increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer in children and young adults up to 19 years old, according to the study published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

The exposures occurred during the perinatal stage of life, typically defined as the time from when pregnancy occurs up to a year after birth.

Zambia confirmed its second mpox-related death as the cumulative cases reached 49 in the southern African country.

Minister of Health Elijah Muchima said on Thursday that the second mpox-related death, involving a 10-year-old child, was recorded in Mpika District, Muchinga Province.

The country recorded its first mpox-related death last month after reporting its first mpox case in October last year.

In remarks delivered during an update press briefing, the minister said the country recorded 13 new cases between April 2 and 15, bringing the total number to 49, with cases reported in six of the country's 10 provinces so far.

A total of 32 cases have so far been treated and discharged, while 15 people are currently under home isolation, he added.

The minister said the Health Ministry is working with cooperating partners to investigate, detect, and contain mpox cases to prevent further spread, news agency reported.

Indian pharmaceutical companies are ramping up efforts to expand their footprint in the lucrative US oncology generics market, which is currently valued at $145 billion and growing at a robust pace of 11 per cent annually, according to a new report.

In recent months, several Indian drugmakers have secured approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for generic versions of cancer drugs which marked a steady increase in the entry of complex generics and biosimilars into the American market.

With oncology emerging as one of the fastest-growing therapy segments globally, Indian firms are positioning themselves to tap into this high-value space by leveraging their strength in affordable manufacturing, technical expertise, and increasing regulatory approvals, the report said.

Industry experts say this marks a shift from traditional generics to more complex formulations -- reflecting the evolving capabilities of Indian pharma companies.

Medical experts on Friday emphasised the critical link between dietary habits and liver health, saying that healthy changes today can cut liver disease risk by 50 per cent.

Ahead of the World Liver Day which falls on April 19, healthcare experts said that food is medicine, as cases of liver diseases among both urban and rural populations rise in the country.

Doctors said that liver disease is no longer confined to alcohol abuse — there is a worrying rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) due to unhealthy eating patterns, obesity, and lack of exercise.

A recent large-scale study published in Frontiers in Nutrition has reinforced the critical role of diet in liver health.

Hackers could exploit genomic data vulnerabilities using next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technology, warns a study on Thursday urging the need to secure it.

The powerful sequencing tool NGS is used for the development of tailor-made medicines, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease tracking, and gene research.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth, UK, raised concerns over how the tool can be exploited for data breaches, privacy violations, and even future biothreats by hackers.

A person has died and 12 others have been infected after contracting Legionnaires' disease in an outbreak linked to central Sydney, the Department of Health in the Australian state of New South Wales said on Thursday.

There are now 12 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease in people who spent time in central Sydney between March 13 and April 5, up from the six cases that had been diagnosed as of April 10, the department said.

It said that one of the confirmed cases died in the hospital. Of the 12 reported cases, 11 have been hospitalised for treatment.