Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Parkinson’s Disease Dementia Drug Shows Promise 

This RCT looked at the safety and tolerability of ambroxol, a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease dementia that lowers a-synuclein levels. After 52 weeks, both low and high doses were safe and well-tolerated. The safety profile looks solid — now it’s time to test its effects on cognition.

2: Missing Microbes: 1 in 4 US Infants Lack Key Gut Bacteria

A cross-sectional study found 25% of US infants lack Bifidobacterium — a bacterial strain normally dominant in the gut microbiome. These infants also had higher risks of noncommunicable diseases and immune-related issues in infancy, including obesity and autoimmunity. The findings suggest the loss of Bifidobacterium may be contributing to poor health outcomes and abnormal development. 

3: Hearing Loss Meets Gene Therapy

This single-arm trial looked at the safety and efficacy of an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy for congenital hearing loss. After a single dose, all 10 participants showed rapid improvements in hearing. The effect was age-dependent, with the best outcomes in 5 to 8-year-olds. The trial is still ongoing, but early results point to real potential. 

Vampire Vaccination 🦇

Vampire bats' grooming routine has gone viral 

What happened: Vampire bats might get a bad rap, but scientists have found a way to clean up their image. 

Why it’s interesting: Vampire bats are responsible for about 450 rabies outbreaks each year in cattle in Central and South America. They cost farmers $50 million and can spread to pigs and horses, if not contained fast enough. In the past, farmers and other locals have gone to extreme measures to keep the bats out by setting fires to caves or tree hollows, which can destroy other ecosystems like insect-eating bats and fruits in the process. 

So, a team of epidemiologists created a vampiricide to solve the problem. They took an oral vaccine that prevents bats from passing the rabies virus (making them harmless to livestock) and mixed it wth a carboxymethyl cellulose gel, a thickening agent used in human food products. A fluorescent compound was also added, so researchers could track them as they moved across the colony. When the bats lick themselves and eventually other bats as a form of grooming, they vaccinate each other in the process. 

The vaccine was first tested in a township in Mexico where a large number of vampire bats lived. Researchers applied the gel, and about a week later, they captured 48 bats and took hair samples. They found that 88% of the bats were vaccinated, most of them being female. The vaccine couldn’t come at a more perfect time, as climate change rears its ugly head, it’s causing vampire bats to move towards the US, threatening the farms that reside there.  

But: The vaccine needs to be tested in larger trials before researchers start giving it to farmers. For starters, the study doesn’t show whether or not the vaccine impacts bat populations. Scientists don’t know if it benefits them or if it will cause damage down the line. 

Bottom line: Vampire bats’ social grooming isn’t just good for their relationships; it’s got the potential to save millions of livestock. Who knew these little creatures would teach us about disease prevention?  

Hot Off The Press

1: 🧬 Microplastics have officially made it into human semen and ovarian follicular fluid, according to new research published as an abstract in Human Reproduction. Nearly 90% of samples contained particles like PET and PVC. We already knew these things infiltrate the body — but finding them in reproductive fluids raises fresh questions about fertility. Are they messing with hormones? Damaging cells? The jury’s still out, but it’s a red flag worth watching.

2: 🦠 The U.S. just hit a 33-year high in measles cases, the most since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. According to the CDC,  92% of cases are in unvaccinated people or those with unknown vax status. Most of the clusters are linked to travel with unvaccinated people catching the virus abroad and spreading it to other unvaccinated people back home.

3: 🩸 New data shows that 1 in 3 teens aged 12 to 17 have prediabetes. The CDC is calling the numbers a “critical warning sign,” as they’ve estimated that 32% of adolescents in the US had prediabetes in 2023. Simple lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating and staying active, can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

4: 🌭 1 hot dog a day? That’s now linked to an 11% higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7% bump in colorectal cancer, per a massive Nature Medicine review. Processed meat, sugary drinks and trans fats all raised red flags — and tough questions for public health, especially when the biggest risks are baked into everyday habits.

Notable Numbers 🔢

1,500: the number of deaths caused by the recent European heat wave. A study found that the deaths were the result of human-caused climate change such as the burning of fossil fuels. Out of the 1,500, 1,100 were people 75 or older.

52%: how much Tesla’s Cybertruck (plus Model S and X sidekicks) sales have dropped since last year. Guess not everyone wants a truck that looks like it was built for Nintendo 64.

91: the confirmed death toll after flash flooding in Texas — including 27 children at a summer camp. Search teams are still finding bodies. And the toll could still rise.

Postcall Picks ✅

😂 Laugh: the key is not to panic!

🎧 Listen: to this newest episode of the Funny Medicine Podcast. This week: health truths!

🤑 Plan: your next getaway using these 6 tips from travel experts. 

🌍Discover: England’s first luxury sleeper train. It’s set to depart this month and includes a Victorian bar, car, and spa.

🍽️ Eat: BBQ chicken and veggie skewers with a Greek-inspired marinade — flavour-packed, fast, and made for your post-shift cravings.

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