Kyoto, Japan -- As close relatives of humans, chimpanzees had sometimes been used in biomedical experiments. They were instrumental in the identification of the hepatitis C virus: the then mysterious pathogen was artificially injected into chimpanzees for study, leading to its eventual identification in 1989. Since then, treatments for humans have advanced and hepatitis C can now be nearly cured with medication. However, the same treatment has not been extended to the chimpanzees.

In 2022, a team of researchers from Kyoto University found that chimpanzees infected with hepatitis C had experienced negative health effects and shorter lifespans. This time, in a collaboration with Kumamoto University, the team was determined to eliminate this virus in chimpanzees residing at Kumamoto Sanctuary, a research facility of Kyoto University’s Wildlife Research Center. The sanctuary is home to several chimpanzees who were once used in medical experiments by multiple organizations in Japan, and is a place where they can spend the rest of their lives being cared for.

"Prioritizing chimpanzee health and welfare is the number one reason for conducting this study," says first author Satoshi Hirata. "We felt that it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to improve their condition."

Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) disproportionately affects the elderly and is expected to be the most frequent cranial surgical indication by 2030. Yet, no globally accepted evidence-based practice guidelines currently exist, and significant controversy continues over key treatment approaches, including middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE), perioperative supportive pharmacotherapy, and the handling of anticoagulant therapy.

A new study from Reichman University has found that a short, three-week digital training program, combined with the standard drug treatment for Parkinson’s disease, led to significant improvements in patients’ motor function and measurable changes in the brain’s motor circuits.

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have presented new findings indicating that the experimental drug Davunetide may significantly slow the progression of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in women, who exhibited a markedly different response to treatment than men. These results reinforce the need for sex-specific medicine in neurodegenerative diseases.

Announcing a new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances; DOI  10.29026/oea.2026.250334.