Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Contraception for Him: Animal Study Explores Future for Male Birth Control 

This experimental study tested YCT-529, a non-hormonal male contraceptive, in mice and non-human primates. By disrupting vitamin A signaling – a pathway necessary for sperm production and fertility – YCT-529 temporarily halted fertility within 2-4 weeks of oral administration. Fertility returned 6-15 weeks after stopping treatment, leaving the door open for future evaluation in human trials. 

2: Long-Term Stroke Risk Following Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) and Minor Stroke  

This systematic review and meta-analysis looked at the long-term risk of stroke after TIA or minor stroke, drawing from over 170K patients and 38 studies. The risk of subsequent stroke remained high: 5.8% within 1 year, 12.8% within 5 years, and 19.8% within 10 years. These findings reinforce the importance of stronger long-term stroke prevention. 

3: Clearing the Air: Do Air Purifiers Reduce Post-Op Infection?  

This RCT tested whether low-cost, wall-mounted air purifiers could reduce SSI rates after orthopedic surgery. After 12 weeks, there was no difference in infection rates between control and purifier groups (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.91-1.05).

Dating Apps & HIV Prevention 📱

How people can find dates and take care of their health all in one app

What happened: Dating apps may soon be able to help prevent the spread of HIV and STIs.

Why it’s interesting: Recent studies have found that 77% of folks in the US who use dating apps are interested in ordering an HIV self-test, while 22% have never been tested. The World Health Organization recommends that people self-test, as 1 in 5 don’t know their HIV status.

That’s why Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) teamed up with dating apps like Grindr to support HIV and STI prevention online. Thanks to partnerships, BHOC has been able to include sexual health information and features like testing reminders and HIV testing access.

After learning that there were gaps in HIV screening, BHOC developed the TakeMeHome self-test program that gives testing kits to more than 500,000 people in the US. It’s also available through the Grindr app, where customers can order an at-home test kit in under a minute. This new method of testing reduces stigma and traditional barriers when it comes to HIV testing. It also helps those weary of clinics or doctors’ offices get the care they need.

But: All of this hard work may go unnoticed due to the Trump administration’s funding cuts and the anti-LGBTQ+IA laws that are popping up all over the country. UNAIDS has said that 42 projects that are supported by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief have been cut, leaving many confused about future projects. Cuts to programs that fund HIV and STI prevention can reverse decades of progress and put millions of people at risk.

Bottom line: Despite barriers and possible funding cuts, BHOC are still trying to bring their cause to countries outside the US in hopes of redefining sexual health.

Hot Off The Press

1: 🇺🇸 US doctors are now actively exploring jobs in Canada, citing fears over a second Trump term and health secretary RFK Jr.’s anti-science stance. On the flip side, some Canadian physicians are staying put out of national loyalty. Meanwhile, Trump’s proposed 25% tariff on Canadian-made drugs could disrupt access to medications like antidepressants and HIV treatments in the US. The political pressure may boost Canada’s physician supply — but not without ripple effects.

2: 🩻 A Japanese man with a spinal cord injury can now stand on his own after receiving an injection of neural stem cells — part of the first human trial using reprogrammed iPS cells for paralysis. Another participant regained some movement; two others saw little improvement. While larger studies are still needed, researchers say the results mark a promising step for regenerative medicine.

3: 💨 A new study from Barcelona found that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution early in life have weaker connections between key brain regions. The research found reduced connectivity within cortical and subcortical brain networks responsible for thinking and perceiving. This isn’t the first time scientists have been concerned about how pollution affects the brain, and they’re still searching to understand how.

4: ⚖️ Alabama’s attempt to prosecute people for having abortions out of state has been shut down by a federal judge. The ruling could support new protections against pregnancy and mutual aid criminalization. The judge who made the call said prosecuting people for helping others receive legal abortions elsewhere violates the First Amendment and the right to travel.

5: ✍🏻 Almost 2,000 scientists, engineers, and researchers signed an open letter to President Donald Trump’s administration to stop the “assault” on science. The group is calling out Trump for ending funding for research, firing scientists, and removing access to public data. The White House has not yet commented on the letter.

Notable Numbers 🔢

1.1 million: global deaths linked to antimicrobial resistance in 2021. That number could reach 1.9 million by 2050, driving the global push for new antibiotics. In one recent case, researchers found a lasso-shaped molecule in a lab tech’s garden that kills drug-resistant bacteria — targeting the ribosome in a way most antibiotics don’t. Proof that the next big breakthrough might literally be hiding in your backyard.

3 months: how long a single injection continued to release medication in rats — with most of the dose still left. MIT researchers created an injectable crystal depot that slowly releases medication under the skin. After 3 months, 85% of the dose remained — pointing to a much longer duration ahead. Human trials are next.

Picks

😂Laugh: at this meme about a surgeon's inner thoughts!

🤑Save: on basically everything with Amazon’s Spring Sale!

📉Still holding $TSLA? Here's a pretty good analysis on the issues (beyond just saying "omg eLoN").

👂Listen: to the White Coat Investor Podcast. In this episode, the hosts discuss toxic work environments and how to avoid burnout!

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