With Parkinson’s disease (PD) burden expected to increase alongside the aging global population and with no effective treatment or cure, exercise is increasingly viewed as an effective intervention. Regular physical activity strengthens muscles and improves walking, balance, mood, and independence, and may also influence the disease itself. By stimulating muscles to release exerkines, exercise appears to generate protective signals that reduce inflammation, improve cellular energy production, support dopamine-producing neurons, and enhance brain plasticity. 

A study published in Nature Cell Biology reports a new vulnerability in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that might lead to novel therapies to treat this cancer while minimizing harm to normal cells.

The study, "Drug-Induced Nephrotoxicity of Aminoglycosides and the Role of Medicinal Plants as Nephroprotective Agents," was carried out by Astha Chaudhary, Monika Singh, Moumita Barman, and S. Sadish Kumar in the Journal of Current Indian Science.

A new review article examines how a widely used class of antibiotics damages the kidneys, how that damage is detected and measured clinically, and how a range of medicinal plants—backed by documented bioactive compounds—may offer a safer, side-effect-free means of protecting kidney tissue in patients who cannot avoid these drugs.

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) – pollution particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less – is released by human activity but also by natural sources like wildfires. These pollutants are a health risk for everyone, but pregnant people and unborn babies are particularly vulnerable. A new study shows that while total exposure to polluted air in the US has decreased over the past decades, almost two thirds of the days when unborn babies are exposed to unhealthy levels of PM_2.5 pollution are now due to wildfires. The team said this highlights that a shift of perspective is needed to efficiently target interventions and allocate resources to those most in need.

As more Americans with HIV live into older age, Medicare spending on their care is projected to rise dramatically from $10.9 billion in 2026 to $27.3 billion in 2035, with HIV medications accounting for nearly two-thirds of total costs.