How can cancer cells be targeted without damaging healthy tissue? This is one of the major challenges facing oncology today. Using  synthetic DNA strands, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has created a “smart” system that can recognise cancer cells with exceptional precision and release powerful drugs only where they are needed. Beyond cancer treatment, this research paves the way to “smart” medicines and programmable drug delivery. The full article can be discovered  in the latest issue of Nature Biotechnology.

New research could pave the way for a simple blood test to spot dementia - years before a traditional diagnosis is possible. Scientists have discovered that subtle changes in the blood may reveal the earliest signs of cognitive decline long before symptoms become obvious. These changes are caused by chemicals produced by gut bacteria - reinforcing the idea that the gut–brain connection plays an important role in early memory changes. While not yet at the point of providing a diagnostic test, it is hoped that the research could one day help catch the presence of dementia earlier in life - potentially even before significant brain damage has happened. 

Having more brothers and sisters may make it easier to cope with the death of a parent, in midlife, particularly when it’s the mother who dies, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

Kinesio taping, or ‘KT tape’ as it’s usually known—widely used to ease joint/muscle pain and boost range of movement—may not be all that effective, suggests a pooled data analysis of the existing evidence, published in the online journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.