IBD, which comprises the inflammatory conditions Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects about 1.6 million Americans, many of whom cannot be effectively treated. This mostly is due to a lack in understanding of what exactly causes the increased inflammation, fibrosis, and compromised intestinal barrier that underlie this disease and its manifold symptoms. 

 

A new study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering and led by Wyss Founding Director Donald Ingber, developed donor-specific microfluidic Organ Chip models of colon that replicate major hallmarks of IBD in vitroin an unprecedented way. Their approach pinpointed new drivers of IBD progression and, for the first time, demonstrated a direct impact of pregnancy hormones on IBD severity in female IBD patient chips and recapitulated the enhanced initiation of cancer formation in IBD tissues.

New data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that sexually transmitted infections reached record levels across Europe in 2024, driven by sharp rises in gonorrhoea and syphilis, and widening gaps in testing and prevention. Targeted action is urgently needed to prevent further spread, including among women of reproductive age.

Teenagers who view exercise as fun, social and beneficial to their health are significantly fitter by age 17 than those motivated by competition or pressure. Tracking more than 1,000 adolescents, the study found early attitudes strongly predict later fitness. Intrinsic motivations were key, especially for girls, while fear of judgement reduced fitness. Researchers suggest programs should prioritise enjoyment, inclusion and wellbeing over competition.

Launching today at the 79^th World Health Assembly, the Lancet MedZero platform (www.medzerocarbon.com) is the first to provide comprehensive carbon analytics across the full spectrum of healthcare, from pharmaceuticals and surgical instruments to chest X-rays and blood tests.

Convened by The Lancet and developed by an international academic consortium, it has been designed by clinicians, for clinicians, with over 14,000 entries at launch.

Eating foods that contain common preservative food additives may increase the risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the European Heart Journal.