Researchers from Monash University have developed miniature human kidneys from stem cells that could accelerate the search for treatments for acute kidney injury (AKI), a sudden loss of kidney function that can cause severe illness and long-term kidney damage. 

The microscopic, living model, published in Genome Medicine, reproduces key features of human kidney injury, allowing researchers to investigate why some kidney cells recover while others develop persistent damage that can contribute to chronic kidney disease.

The health of heart attack survivors follows three distinct paths in the five years after their health event, say researchers from the University of Surrey. The research used an AI tool to find patterns that could not only help clinicians predict which patients could follow which path – but it could also allow them to tailor care sooner through their recovery. 

The risk of herpes zoster among breast cancer survivors, who constitute the largest group of female cancer survivors in Japan, remains unclear. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba used a nationwide medical claims database to identify periods during which breast cancer survivors were at increased risk of herpes zoster compared with age-matched women from the general population and to identify treatment groups that were at the greatest risk.

Although multiple factors contribute to age-related declines in kidney function, the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in this process has remained unclear. Researchers at University of Tsukuba conducted a 5-year prospective follow-up study and found that individuals with higher cardiorespiratory fitness experienced a slower decline in kidney function over time. These findings underscore the potential importance of maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness to preserve kidney health during aging.

From measuring the right dose of a child’s medicine to recognising serious side effects of an antibiotic, understanding medicine instructions matters. But when vital medical information gets lost across language and cultural barriers, everyday medicine can quickly turn into a safety risk.

A new, large-scale Curtin University study has found children who experience parental loss are twice as likely to develop a mental health disorder, compared to those living with both parents.

 

Researchers used data from families across Australia and found 21.4 per cent of children who experienced parental loss had a diagnosable mental disorder such as anxiety, depression or ADHD, compared with 10.8 per cent of children who had not experienced parental loss.

A new study -- co-led by the University of Plymouth, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Nottingham -- is being launched into a treatment for people impacted by liver disease, obesity and alcohol addiction. The trial will see patients treated with Semaglutide, currently used as a weight loss injection, to explore whether it can help suppress their cravings for alcohol in addition to helping them lose weight. The researchers hope that will then have a positive impact on the patients' liver disease, leading to improvements in their overall wellbeing and quality of life.