Health

Researchers in Vietnam, Thailand, India and the UK have been awarded more than £4 million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to identify and evaluate inclusive methods of healthcare provision.

Researchers from National Taiwan University Hospital and Academia Sinica have identified a simple blood marker that can reliably pinpoint chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients at negligible risk of developing liver cancer.

Researchers have identified the mechanism by which a common genetic mutation increases liver disease risk. Their findings suggest that healthy choices, such as increasing antioxidants and limiting exposure to smoke, may reduce the risk of this disease.

Perimetry (visual field testing) quantifies a patient’s retinal sensitivity to light and clarifies a deviation from normal retinal sensitivity. Visual field tests generally require high patient concentration, which can be exhausted. We constructed a framework for deep reinforcement learning to train ViFT (Visual Field Transformer), which controls all processes of visual field testing. ViFT achieves the same or higher accuracy than the state-of-the-art strategies, with less than half the test time of the state-of-the-art strategies.

Around 354 million people in North America and Europe are likely to have been affected by fine particulate matter pollution from the 2023 Canadian wildfire season, a new study suggests.

Standard blood tests can help physicians predict the risk of mortality in patients with Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS). These findings may facilitate earlier interventions and enable more personalized treatment strategies for this severe cutaneous adverse reaction (SCAR).

Researchers at National Taiwan University have discovered a versatile enzyme from Bacillus subtilis that efficiently attaches phosphate groups to natural compounds. This breakthrough offers a greener way to boost drug solubility and develop more effective nutraceuticals and prodrugs.

• Singapore’s flagship medical school is doubling down on population health research and technology-enabled solutions to strengthen healthcare systems and prepare tomorrow’s leaders • The School rebrands its Health Services & Systems Research (HSSR) programme to deliver policy-relevant, tech-driven solutions for a healthier Singapore • Launches new education pathways to enhance professional capabilities in population health research

With just five minutes a day of training in Rei-ho (an ancient practice common amongst samurai), seniors can improve their leg strength and build up muscles essential for independent living.

The research group led by Drs. Mitsuru Arase, Mari Murakami, and Prof. Kiyoshi Takeda (Graduate School of Medicine/ Immunology Frontier Research Center at The University of Osaka) revealed that transcription factors RUNX2 and BHLHE40 play crucial roles in inducing T cells involved in Crohn's disease.

Taiwan Innotech Expo (TIE) 2025 will return from October 16–18 at Taipei World Trade Center, Hall 1, uniting government, academia, and industry under the theme “Cross-Domain AI Innovation: Driving the Future with Intelligence.” The event will feature 450 exhibitors presenting nearly 1,100 patented technologies, highlighting Taiwan’s role as a key driver of global innovation.

Self-healing hydrogel, Cool crawler, AI and world's longest crop experiment & Freeze-framing cells. Plus how media interest helps engineers and society. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice

A customizable protein has been developed to help the body remove harmful cells, such as those involved in cancer or autoimmune diseases, offering a potential new direction for treatments.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that they can keep mouse uterine tissue alive outside of the body, allowing them to directly observe embryonic implantation and development. Their technique brings hope for patients with infertility, and may allow for the development of therapies to treat recurrent implantation failure and improve the chance of implantation success using assisted reproductive technologies.

Researchers from The University of Osaka found that macrophages use microautophagy, mediated by Rab32-positive lysosome-related organelles, to directly engulf damaged mitochondria and other organelles. This was discovered to be independent of macroautophagy. Key factors in this process include Rab32 GTPase, PI(3,5)P2, ubiquitination, and p62/SQSTM1. By clearing mitochondria, microautophagy promotes metabolic reprogramming toward glycolysis, supporting M1 macrophage polarization. Loss of Rab32/38 disrupts this process, highlighting microautophagy’s role in regulating macrophage function.

A drug called lubiprostone - typically used for constipation - was remarkably shown to help patients with chronic kidney disease.

• International researchers led by Duke-NUS identify rare mutations in the SPNS1 gene as the cause of a previously undiagnosed multi-organ disorder • Faulty fat recycling in cells triggers damaging build-up in muscles and liver • Findings lay the groundwork for new therapies for affected families

By analyzing outcomes from a large-scale national dataset, this study raises tough questions about the impact of pre-hospital life support procedures on outcomes in patients with asystole.

Researchers at National Taiwan University developed a biodegradable, electroconductive self-healing hydrogel combined with acupuncture that restores motor function and protects brain neurons in Parkinson’s disease models.

Scientists from National Taiwan University System developed a next-generation nanomaterial-enhanced mass spectrometry system that dramatically boosts sensitivity and accuracy for detecting multiple classes of psychoactive substances. This approach overcomes traditional matrix interference, allowing rapid, reproducible, and interference-free drug screening for real-time diagnostics.

Lingnan University constantly seeks to attract talented students with diverse talents. This year, through its Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission Scheme (SALSA), the University has admitted five outstanding athletes: cyclists Yeung Cho-yiu, Phoebe Tung, and Liang King-hung, rower Head Jaden Li, and taekwondo athlete Lam Siu-wai. All five will pursue the Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Sports Coaching and Event Management (SCEM) in the 2025/26 academic year, and the University will provide complete support to ensure well-balanced development in both academia and athletics.

Taiwanese research team provides important new evidence on diabetes medications' respiratory outcomes, with implications for patients with dual chronic conditions.

- A research team led by DGIST Professor Younghoon Kee has identified a novel DNA damage repair pathway and mechanism. - Study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), one of the most distinguished international journals.

Studies have found that natural polysaccharides from Taiwan's national treasure "Antrodia", after specific treatment, can not only effectively inhibit inflammation, but also fight the proliferation of lung cancer cells.

Whispers in the gut, "Memory foam" for space 🚀, Potassium power 🔋& Intelligent multitasking. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice

Prof. Fang-Jen S. Lee's team at National Taiwan University discovered that an intermediate cellular metabolism molecule, glycerol, regulates the localization and function of the Golgi protein Imh1, thus revealing a previously unappreciated connection between cellular metabolism and vesicular transport.

Scientists found three language-model chatbots — even with advanced prompt‐engineering tricks — often give suboptimal guidance across stroke prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery, highlighting the need for human oversight to ensure appropriateness and safety.

A research team at National Taiwan University has developed a new stem cell-based vaccine that could help prevent and treat colorectal cancer.

A group of researchers led by The University of Osaka have identified a novel genetic mutation in Streptococcus pyogenes, a common bacterium which causes strep throat, significantly associated with severe invasive infections. A single mutation in the bacterial ferric ion transporter enhances bacterial growth in human blood. This mutation, unique to Japanese isolates, indicates a novel pathogenic mechanism. This world-first discovery offers a potential new target for treatments and preventive measures.