People affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, did not develop more severe forms of mpox — compared to HIV-negative people — during the multiregional outbreak of this disease that occurred in Spain in 2022. This is one of the main conclusions of an article published in the journal Scientific Reports, which analysed 1,158 confirmed cases of mpox in adult men. The cases were reported between June 2022 and January 2023 in seven autonomous communities. The population sample analysed in the study represents more than half of the cases recorded in Spain during this period.

A retinal image could help doctors quickly distinguish between similar neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s disease, and with remarkable accuracy, according to new research.  

Researchers from the University of Waterloo are leading the development of a fast, non-invasive, and affordable diagnostic tool. There is currently no objective diagnostic test for ALS or Frontotemporal Lobular Dementia (FTLD-TDP), in which the protein TDP-43 forms deposits in the spinal cord and brain, respectively. 

Berberine is sometimes promoted in social media as a “natural Ozempic,” but scientific evidence does not support this comparison. A review by researchers from Wroclaw Medical University shows that this plant alkaloid does not act like incretin drugs and does not regulate metabolism through a single hormonal mechanism.

Current research indicates that berberine mainly affects the intestinal environment, influencing gut microbiota, inflammatory processes, and the integrity of the intestinal barrier. Its metabolic effects are therefore indirect and strongly dependent on the composition of the microbiota, which may explain why responses differ between individuals.

The authors also note that the compound’s low systemic bioavailability may favor its local action in the intestine, where it is metabolized by gut microorganisms. At the same time, berberine can cause gastrointestinal side effects and interact with several medications, which means it should not be treated as a universal metabolic supplement or a substitute for medical therapy.