For the average person, living at high altitude - where oxygen is sparser than at sea level - can have health benefits ranging from lower rates of heart disease to increased endurance. But for those born with inherited mitochondrial diseases, who rarely survive past childhood, low-oxygen air like that found at mountain peaks could be life-saving, potentially extending their lifespan and eliminating their symptoms.

A research team co-led by scientists at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson found that an osteoporosis drug might counter a rare genetic mutation underlying a type of heart disease. The results were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and could have implications for treating other rare diseases.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a group of disorders defined by weak cardiac muscles.

Scientists at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) have developed a ground-breaking technique to deliver therapeutic molecules directly to the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier.

Led by Dr Haosheng Shen, lead researcher from the Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme, NUS Medicine and the NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI) this novel approach utilises a naturally occurring nasal bacterium, Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp),

When a tumour develops, it creates a structure around itself called the tumour stroma, within which blood and lymphatic vessels ensure nutritional and respiratory biological exchanges. Lymphangiogenesis, i.e. the development of lymphatic vessels, is generally associated with a poor prognosis, as it favours the spread of metastases to other organs. By studying the cells that make up the wall of lymphatic vessels, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has made an unexpected discovery: an enzyme they express appears to play a key role in supporting immune cells, particularly when they are activated by anti-tumour treatments.

Physical activity is not only important for fitness, but also for health. This is confirmed by a new study conducted under the direction of Prof. Dr. Maximilian Kleinert at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE). His team discovered that the protein PanK4 plays a crucial role in the energy metabolism of skeletal muscles. It regulates glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation and is activated by physical exercise. The study suggests that PanK4 could be a promising approach for the treatment of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

Antibiotics are indispensable for treating bacterial infections. But why are they sometimes ineffective, even when the bacteria are not resistant? In their latest study published in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of Basel challenge the conventional view that a small subset of particularly resilient bacteria are responsible for the failure of antibiotic therapies.

In certain infectious diseases caused by bacteria, antibiotics are less effective than expected. One example is infections caused by Salmonella bacteria, which can lead to illnesses such as typhoid fever.

Doctors at Queen Mary University of London, Barts Health NHS Trust, and University College London have led the development of a simple, minimally invasive Targeted Thermal Therapy (Triple T) that has the potential to transform medical management of a common, but commonly overlooked, cause of high blood pressure.

This breakthrough, published today in The Lancet, could, after further testing, help millions of people worldwide who currently go undiagnosed and untreated.