Technology & innovation

Illustration of the concept of nuclear fusion

U.K. to offer fusion energy industry $3.3 billion funding boost over next five years

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More than £2.5bn of investment into fusion energy over the next five years has been announced as part of the British government’s Spending Review. It said the money would “cement” Oxfordshire’s role as a “world-leading hub” for the technology, while funds would also be invested into plans to build a fusion power plant in Nottinghamshire. Nuclear fusion is the same energy process that powers the stars, which scientists say has the potential of virtually unlimited supplies of low-carbon, low-radiation energy and is often called the “holy grail” of clean energy.

Holding hands

Pancreatic cancer vaccine eradicates deadly disease in more than half of targets in early trials

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The pioneering work from Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University researchers targets pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the most common cancer that plagues the organ. While not the most common form of cancer, pancreatic cancer is particularly insidious, often remaining undetected until it metastasizes. The five-year survival rate is just 13.3%. In preclinical trials, the vaccine eliminated the cancer in more than half of the targets.

Illustration of red blood cells

Japan to begin clinical trials for artificial blood

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For decades, a shrinking population and an aging society in Japan have led to fewer blood donors. This situation is especially dire during disasters or in remote regions, where matching blood types and storing donated blood are logistical nightmares. Recognizing this, researchers at Nara Medical University are developing a safe, effective artificial blood that could be administered to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Clinical trials begin this year, with practical use expected by 2030.

Surgery

Surgeons in California perform first-ever successful bladder transplant

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Patients who have their bladder removed most often have a portion of intestine repurposed to pass urine, often resulting in a host of new complications, including infections and digestive issues. Those complications have led doctors around the world to seek bladder transplant techniques for years. The transplant performed in early May has so far succeeded, and doctors said they are “satisfied” with the patient’s recovery, though many unknowns remain.

​Korean scientists develop technique that detects nearly 100% of bacterial infections in under 3 hours​

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Scientists at the Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have made a major breakthrough in the accuracy and speed at which often deadly pathogen infections can be identified and treated. In many cases, this accelerated process can save lives. The new technique, known as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), detected seven species of bacteria that commonly infect humans. It proved to be more than 99% accurate for all but one – a pathogen that infects skin tissue – which had a still-impressive 96.3% success rate.

Battery illustration

Chinese researchers develop new battery recycling process that recovers 99.99% of lithium

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The groundbreaking method, developed by researchers from Central South University, Guizhou Normal University, and the National Engineering Research Center of Advanced Energy Storage Materials, employs a unique ‘battery effect’ mechanism. The process achieves remarkable recovery rates: 99.99% of lithium, 96.8% of nickel, 92.35% of cobalt, and 90.59% of manganese, all within just 15 minutes. Unlike traditional methods, this approach avoids harsh chemicals and minimizes environmental harm, generating effluents suitable for use as fertilizer.

Good news for public health

Annual jab for HIV protection passes trial hurdle

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An annual injection designed by California’s Gilead Sciences to guard against HIV has completed an important early safety trial, researchers report in The Lancet medical journal. Lenacapavir stops the virus from replicating inside cells. For the trial, 40 people without HIV were injected into the muscle with lenacapavir, with no major side effects or safety concerns. And after 56 weeks, the medicine was still detectable in their bodies. If future trials go well, it could become the longest-acting form of HIV prevention available.

Human eye up close

Stem cell therapy trial reverses “irreversible” damage to cornea

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A new study conducted by scientists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear investigated a new treatment that removes stem cells from a patient’s uninjured eye, growing their population in the lab for a few weeks, then surgically transplanting them into the injured eye. The phase 1/2 trial recruited 14 patients to undergo the procedure. By the first checkup at three months, the corneas of seven (50%) of the participants had been completely restored. By the 12-month mark, that number had increased to 11 (79%) patients.

Illustration of the concept of nuclear fusion

France runs fusion reactor for record 22 minutes

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Achieving the dream of commercial fusion power is the Holy Grail of engineering and has been for 80 years. With a single gram of hydrogen isotopes yielding the energy equivalent of 11 tonnes of coal, a practical fusion reactor would hold the promise of unlimited, clean energy for humanity until the end of time. France has upped the ante in the quest for fusion power by maintaining a plasma reaction for over 22 minutes – 25% longer than the previous record set by China in January 2025.

Two people holding hands

U.S. approves “milestone” Parkinson’s treatment for 2025 release

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The treatment, which will be sold under the name Onapgo, is essentially a subcutaneous – under the skin – device that allows for continuous infusion of the dopamine agonist apomorphine hydrochloride to reduce ‘off’ episodes. These episodes are periods during the day and night when lepodova medication wears off and adverse motor-function symptoms become amplified. In trial, Onapgo significantly reduced these daily off episodes by an average of 2.47 hours, compared to the placebo treatment.

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