A recent review by a collaborative team from Sun Yat-sen University and Jinan University systematically summarizes the latest advances in biomacromolecule-loaded microneedles for treating various major diseases. The article details the design of functional microneedles with specific structures to overcome drug delivery barriers in the skin, heart, and blood vessels, thereby improving therapeutic outcomes. It also discusses key challenges in industrial-scale manufacturing and clinical translation, proposing forward-looking solutions.

Severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher rate of hospitalisation for respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey. Scientists found that those with a severe deficiency (below 15 nnmol/L) were 33 per cent more likely to be admitted to hospital for treatment than those with sufficient levels of vitamin D (at least 75 nmol/L). 

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. physicians with an active license is over age 65. This has spurred a small minority of hospitals to enact policies to assess these caregivers’ cognitive and physical health, with the aim of reducing lapses that harm patients.  Doctors whose assessments show deficits could be asked to change their clinical schedule or to shift to administrative or teaching duties. 

An analysis of late-career practitioner programs, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that most lack basic fairness protections for doctors. This shortcoming might tend to limit their engagement with these programs.  

The authors identified several considerations they think are crucial to creating policies that protect patients while fairly treating physicians, who long have been able to make career choices autonomously. 

A major UK clinical trial has shown that adding the corticosteroid dexamethasone to standard antiviral treatment for encephalitis (brain inflammation), caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) does not improve long-term outcomes overall, although early use may lead to better recovery, and the treatment is safe for patients in whom encephalitis is suspected.