Scientists make pancreatic cancer discovery, and other top health stories to read

A gene that works to slow the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer is “switched off” by the disease, according to a new study.

The gene, called HNF4A, is significantly shut down in the early stages of the cancer, allowing the disease to become more aggressive, the researchers say.

They analyzed samples of both healthy and pancreatic cancer tissue and found pancreatic cancers triggered a process known as DNA methylation, which affected the beneficial function of HNF4A.

The researchers – from Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham, Stanford University and the University of California and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles – say they hope the discovery will help with the development of new treatments for the disease.

Pancreatic cancer – which affects the digestive system gland that produces digestive juices and hormones such as insulin – has the worst survival rate of the most common cancers.

Global childhood immunization stalled in 2023, with 2.7 million additional children unvaccinated or under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels.

New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF shows that in 2023 the number of children who received three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine – which is a key marker for global immunization coverage – stalled at 84% (108 million). The number of children who didn’t receive a single dose of the vaccine increased from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023.

The findings also show that nearly 3 in 4 infants live in countries where low vaccine coverage is driving measles outbreaks.

The trends reflect ongoing challenges with logistics, disruptions in healthcare services, vaccine hesitancy and unequal access to services, the WHO and UNICEF say. More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings.

The data does show progress in some areas, including HPV vaccine coverage among girls increasing globally from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023. The authors noted that this is still “well below the 90% target to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem”.

Meanwhile, children in Ivory Coast have received the first doses of a new malaria vaccine. Called R21, the vaccine costs less than $4 a dose, meaning it could be rolled out widely, and has high efficacy levels in young children, according to the researchers that developed the shot.

Almost half of adult cancer deaths in the US could be prevented with lifestyle interventions, a study from the American Cancer Society says. The researchers looked at 18 modifiable risk factors, including smoking, excess body weight and diet, across 30 types of cancer.

Researchers are analyzing immune system data to investigate if previous exposure to influenza and flu vaccines could offer protection if there was an H5N1 bird flu pandemic.

A team at an Australian research university say they have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can classify brain tumours within hours – potentially saving cancer patients weeks of waiting time for diagnosis.

A UK report has examined whether a tax on certain ‘broad-spectrum’ antibiotics could help tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This class of antibiotics are used more generally when an organism is unknown, exacerbating AMR, according to the study. The burden of the proposed tax would be on doctors’ practices rather than patients.

Scientists hope that a simple stool sample test could cut the time it takes doctors to diagnose autism. They used AI to identify autistic children based on microbes and biological functions in the digestive system.

Officials in Colorado have confirmed a human case of plague in the US state. Transmitted by fleas, the bacteria that causes the infectious disease rarely infects humans today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

CDC data shows that New York has reported 143 cases of dengue virus infection so far this year, reflecting a record-setting global increase in the disease, which is most common in tropical and subtropical areas. Symptoms of the mosquito-borne illness include fever, aches and pains, nausea, vomiting and rash, and usually occur about two weeks after being bitten by an infected insect.

There is growing awareness of extreme heat's effects on health and livelihoods. A comprehensive One Health approach is essential for addressing interconnected health crises amplified by climate change.

The WHO has warned measles cases are rising in its European region. Here’s what you need to know – and what can be done.

Did you know healthcare is a big emitter of global greenhouse gases? Systemic change is needed to advance sustainable practices – and health economics can help. Find out more in this article.