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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 31-Oct-2026 19:16 ET (31-Oct-2026 23:16 GMT/UTC)

Encellin announces new phase 1 clinical progress at ISSCR 2026 showing early evidence of non-fibrotic engraftment of cell therapy implant for type 1 diabetes

International Society for Stem Cell Research
Reports and Proceedings

Encellin today announced new clinical progress from its ongoing Phase 1 study evaluating its implantable cell therapy platform for people with type 1 diabetes. The company made the announcement in connection with the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting, reporting non-fibrotic engraftment across all seven participants enrolled in the trial, along with host vascularization at the implant site and identification of transplanted islets in multiple participants. The findings build upon interim results first reported in January 2026 and reflect a larger patient cohort, with analysis of the full clinical dataset ongoing.

Brazil, Malaysia, and Thailand set to start global clinical trial to test promising dengue treatment developed by Serum Institute of India

Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative
Business Announcement

The Serum Institute of India (SII) and the non-profit medical research organization Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) have signed a licensing agreement covering clinical testing and future access for an SII-developed monoclonal antibody treatment (formerly known as VIS513) against dengue. With this agreement finalized, a Phase III clinical trial led by DNDi is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 across Malaysia, Thailand, and Brazil, all home to leading public health institutions that are members of the Dengue Alliance, a global partnership of dengue-endemic countries working to develop effective and accessible treatments. 1,000 participants are expected to join the study across the three countries.

American Cancer Society reports latest global cancer statistics; Cancer cases approach 21 million worldwide, with burden projected to surge 67% by 2050

American Cancer Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New findings in a report led by the American Cancer Society (ACS) today reveal an urgent picture of a growing global cancer burden and underscore the life-saving potential of stronger prevention and equitable access to care. According to Global Cancer Statistics, 2026, nearly 21 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 9.8 million died from the disease globally in 2024. The estimates show about 1 in 5 people worldwide will develop cancer during their lifetime; 1 in 9 men and 1 in 13 women will die from the disease. The number of cancer cases is projected to reach 34 million by 2050, a 67% increase from 2024, solely based on population aging and growth.

Journal: CA A Cancer Journal for Clinicians

Virtual patients, real-world training

University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science
Grant and Award Announcement

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Penn’s Linguistic Data Consortium have received a two-year, $4 million grant from the Wellcome Trust to develop STELLAR, an AI-powered platform for training mental health clinicians through controllable virtual patient simulations. The project will create “digital twin” patients whose psychiatric symptoms can be adjusted, allowing trainees to practice clinical interviews that better reflect the complexity of real mental health care.

Funder: Wellcome Trust

Measuring what cupping therapy pulls from the skin

American Chemical Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cupping therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique used to treat chronic pain, expedite muscle recovery, and other conditions. It increases blood flow by creating suction on the skin. But what is released from the skin during treatment? Researchers reporting in ACS’ Analytical Chemistry developed a noninvasive approach to analyze compounds pulled in the cup. In a pilot study with healthy volunteers, they detected changes in 13 volatile compounds before and after treatment.

Journal: ACS Omega

What your tears could reveal about your brain

American Chemical Society
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A few tears may someday reveal important clues about a person’s neurological health. Researchers reporting in ACS Omega developed a low-cost electrochemical sensor designed to detect dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in movement, learning, motivation, and emotional regulation. They tested the device using artificial human tears, where it accurately detected a range of dopamine concentrations. The technology could support the development of new tools for monitoring Parkinson’s disease and other conditions linked to atypical dopamine levels.

Journal: ACS Omega

Journalism Science Alliance awards nearly €1 million to 25 new journalist-scientist projects

Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa ITQB NOVA
Grant and Award Announcement

The Journalism Science Alliance, a programme co-funded by the European Union, has awarded nearly one million euros to 25 new projects by journalist-scientist teams from 14 different countries. The projects will pursue investigative journalism, grounded in scientific evidence, on topics spanning environmental issues, health, justice and technology. This is the programme's second funding call.

Prof. Il-Joo Cho’s research team develops a novel brain implant for bidirectional control of neural activity using temperature

Korea University College of Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team led by Professor Il-Joo Cho of Korea University College of Medicine has developed a novel brain implant capable of bidirectionally modulating neural activity using temperature, opening new possibilities for next-generation brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) and treatments for neurological disorders.

Journal: Advanced Science

New CRISPR method makes it possible to control protein production in cells

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Peer-Reviewed Publication

TAPIR increases protein production in a targeted manner – with new insights into stem cell biology and disease-relevant processes.

Journal: Science