The same technology used to deliver mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines is being used to target a type of immune cell that can help tumours evade the body's defences. Adelaide University researchers have effectively reprogrammed these cells so they can do their job and fight cancer.

In an Arthritis & Rheumatology analysis of data on 60,980 US adults with autoimmune rheumatic conditions who developed COVID-19 between December 2020 and August 2024, those who received booster or updated (2023-2024) COVID-19 vaccines were less likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to those who received only the initial series vaccines or who were unvaccinated.

**Note this is an early release from the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]. Please credit the meeting when using this research**

New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) shows that people who have had COVID-19 have a lower, rather than higher, risk of subsequent development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Furthermore, the effect is evident only in people who did not receive the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The study is by Carl Villaro Nolsøe and Dr Runa Mortansdottir Nolsöe, North Zealand Hospital, Hillerod, Denmark, and colleagues.

New research reveals a shared biology behind profound fatigue in five major illnesses - including long Covid and PTSD.

A new paper shows striking biological similarities between five major illnesses which until now have largely been viewed as separate disorders.

The findings suggest that chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as ME), long Covid, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (MS) may be driven by common underlying mechanisms.

This is despite the conditions being triggered by different events - ranging from viral infections to psychological trauma or autoimmune responses.

Six years after COVID-19 disrupted childhood around the world, new research following the same children from before the pandemic through today finds that the damage was far less widespread than early warnings predicted. A Special Section in the Society for Research in Child Development's flagship journal Child Development, synthesizing 17 long-term studies across six countries, finds that most children's health, learning, social development, and wellbeing recovered substantially. Setbacks that persisted were concentrated among children who already faced other risks before the pandemic began. This new research, tracking children over a longer period, tells a different story: pandemic impacts were real and wide-ranging, but not as severe as initially feared, and many effects weakened over time. The children who fared worst and recovered more slowly were disproportionately those shaped by pre-existing risks — not the pandemic alone.

Results from a clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published today in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases show that the antiviral drug, PAXLOVID, commonly prescribed to treat acute COVID-19, does not have an impact on Long COVID symptoms when compared to placebo.

Researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) and their collaborators have traced harmful autoantibody production following SARS-CoV-2 infection to a distinct population of B cells. By integrating single-cell, proteomic, genetic, clinical, and laboratory data, the team found that these cells adopt molecular features also seen in established autoimmune diseases. The findings help explain how viral infections can disrupt immune regulation and may provide a framework for understanding and eventually preventing autoimmune complications following infection.

During COVID-19, ethnopharmacology became prominent in Nigeria due to affordability, accessibility, and cultural trust, but evidence for safety and efficacy remains limited. This review examines ethnopharmacology's integration into Nigeria's COVID-19 response, evaluating strengths, constraints, and future pathways. Common remedies included ginger, garlic, lemon, turmeric, and bitter kola. NAFDAC listed 14 herbal medicines based on toxicological safety, but efficacy requires rigorous trials. Some formulations showed promising preliminary results, but evidence was constrained by small samples, lack of RCTs, and insufficient pharmacokinetic data. Strengthening resilience requires research investment, IP frameworks, and transparent communication.

BUFFALO, NY – August 25, 2026 – A new precision oncology paper was published in Volume 17 of Oncotarget on August 14, 2026, titled “Systematic methodological flaws in DNA contamination assessment of mRNA vaccines: A critical analysis of Achs et al. (2025).”