New research has revealed that Schistosoma haematobium (S. haematobium), a parasitic infection affecting millions globally, can trigger cancer-related gene activity in the cervical lining, with changes becoming even more pronounced after treatment.¹ Presented today at ESCMID Global 2025, this pivotal study sheds new light on how this often-overlooked parasitic disease may contribute to cervical cancer risk at the molecular level.

New USC research has found that COVID-19 therapies cause few serious side effects, based on an evaluation of the full spectrum of evidence available from U.S. biomedical science. The review, published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, incorporated 54 studies spanning inpatient and outpatient treatment, clinical trials and observational research. Only investigations comparing COVID-19 therapy with standard care, placebo or no treatment were examined, so that effects of the disease itself could reasonably be excluded. No significant association with serious adverse events was found for oral antivirals such as Paxlovid. Evusheld and other monoclonal antibodies that bind to the coronavirus’s spike protein, previously administered intravenously in hospital but no longer authorized by the FDA due to their lack of effectiveness against COVID-19 variants, were not associated with serious adverse events. Actemra, an IV monoclonal antibody that works somewhat differently and is also known by the generic name tocilizumab, was associated with infection and low white blood cell counts in some studies. Transfusions of convalescent plasma — a blood product taken from recovered COVID-19 patients — were linked with higher risk of internal bleeding, infection and blood clots. The serious adverse events identified align with current product labeling.

Researchers have developed a simple and cost-effective blood test capable of detecting Parkinson’s disease long before symptoms emerge, comparing the current state of diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases to the fight against cancer 50 years ago—when most cases were identified too late for effective treatment. The test quantifies specific RNA fragments in the blood, focusing on a repetitive RNA sequence that accumulates in Parkinson’s patients and a parallel decline in mitochondrial RNA, which deteriorates as the disease progresses. By measuring the ratio between these biomarkers, the test offers a highly accurate, non-invasive, rapid  and affordable diagnostic tool, providing hope for early interventions and treatments that could change the course of the disease.