An interdisciplinary research team led by the Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has conducted Hong Kong’s first study analysing 16 years of data to confirm the safety of lithium treatment for bipolar disorder. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, reveal that while patients receiving lithium treatment exhibit a slightly higher rate of thyroid and kidney dysfunction than non-users, the overall incidence remains low.

Researchers in Japan have successfully generated lung cells similar to alveolar epithelial type 2 (AT2) cells from mouse embryonic fibroblasts without using stem cell technology. The AT2-like cells were generated in just 7 to 10 days—a significant reduction compared to the approximately one month typically required by conventional stem cell-based differentiation methods. This approach may pave the way for treating interstitial pneumonia and other serious respiratory diseases.

An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team has developed an index for determining appropriate irradiation conditions for laser treatment and conducted an in-silico-supported meta-analysis that analyzed treatments within that index. 

Clean, safe water is vital for human health and well-being. It also plays a critical role in our food security, supports high-tech industries, and enables sustainable urbanisation. However, detecting contamination quickly and accurately remains a major challenge in many parts of the world. A groundbreaking new device developed by researchers at the National University of Singapore has the potential to significantly advance water quality monitoring and management.

The intricate, hidden processes that sustain coral life are being revealed through a new microscope developed by scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The diver-operated microscope — called the Benthic Underwater Microscope imaging PAM, or BUMP — incorporates pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) light techniques to offer an unprecedented look at coral photosynthesis on micro-scales. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the new microscope will help scientists uncover precisely why corals bleach, and inform remediation efforts. While the bleaching process is known, it’s not fully understood, and it hasn’t been possible to study in depth in the field — until now.

A Chinese research team has developed a new surgical procedure named FENCY ligation, which can be combined with preoperative embolization to safely remove giant plexiform neurofibromas. This technique greatly reduces bleeding and improves surgical outcomes, even in complex areas. Most of the 11 patients reported excellent recovery and high satisfaction, with minimal complications.

Researchers from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital found that fat grafting effectively reverses skin fibrosis by restoring dermal adipose tissue function. The study identified PPAR-γ–TGF-β1 signaling as an effective mechanism, offering a new therapeutic target for fibrotic skin diseases.