This review explores the interplay between COVID-19 and malaria, with a focus on pregnant women. The concurrent infection of SARS-CoV-2 and malaria presents significant challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and management due to overlapping symptoms and complex immune responses. Genetic factors, particularly variations in the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, play a crucial role in determining disease susceptibility and severity. Malaria-induced immunomodulation may influence the clinical progression of COVID-19, though the precise impact remains uncertain. The review emphasizes the need for integrated diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to effectively manage co-infections and improve maternal and fetal health outcomes. It underscores the importance of timely intervention and enhanced diagnostic methods to better understand and address these interactions. This review aims to bridge gaps in current knowledge and pave the way for future research and targeted therapeutic interventions, addressing a significant yet often overlooked public health challenge.

USC researchers have identified a new brain imaging benchmark that may improve how researchers classify biologically meaningful changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, especially in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white populations. Using an advanced brain imaging scan called tau PET, the research team studied over 675 older adults from the Health and Aging Brain Study–Health Disparities (HABS-HD) aiming to identify the optimal brain signal that distinguishes individuals with clinically-relevant biological markers of AD from those who are aging normally. They compared tau PET scans of study participants who were cognitively impaired with those who were not impaired based on cognitive tests to establish a tau cut-point that would indicate a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease. The team used a new imaging tracer called 18F-PI-2620, to measure tau protein buildup in the brain. They found that when tau levels in the medial temporal lobe­—a region deep in the brain—exceeded a certain threshold, it strongly indicated cognitive impairment related to AD. But the tau cut-point was only effective when another abnormal protein, amyloid, was also present in those with cognitive impairment, and it only worked for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants. In non-Hispanic Black participants, the tau cut-point did not perform as expected. This suggests that other pathologies or conditions may be driving cognitive decline in this group. The findings reflect a growing focus in AD research on making sure diagnostic tools work for everyone—not just in narrow clinical trial populations.

In a first-of-its-kind pilot project, researchers from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Arizona State University tested the novel integration of a handheld DNA sequencing device within Indonesia’s national antibiotic resistance surveillance system across six chicken slaughterhouses in the Greater Jakarta area. They collected samples from both wastewater and surrounding rivers.

The goal: to determine whether portable DNA sequencing could improve national efforts to track drug-resistant E. coli, a key indicator of antibiotic resistance.

As sport-related concussions continue to spark global concern, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are turning their attention to a largely overlooked group – non-professional athletes – calling for more rigorous return-to-play assessments to protect everyday players.