Publisher Health

A new investigation has identified a connection between prenatal exposure to the commonly used insecticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) and measurable differences in brain structure, along with reduced motor skills, among children and adolescents in New York City.
Researchers found that these brain and motor abnormalities appear to persist for years after birth. The study, conducted by teams from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, is the first to reveal lasting molecular, cellular, and metabolic effects in the human brain tied to prenatal CPF exposure. The findings were published in JAMA Neurology.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research followed 270 participants from the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health birth cohort. All were born to Latino and African-American mothers in New York City. Each child had detectable levels of CPF in their umbilical cord blood at birth and underwent brain imaging and behavioral assessments between the ages of 6 and 14.
Results showed a clear pattern: children with higher prenatal exposure to the insecticide displayed more pronounced structural and functional brain differences. They also performed worse on tests measuring motor speed and coordination. The evidence suggests that CPF exposure before birth disrupts brain structure, function, and metabolism in direct proportion to the level of exposure.
Widespread Exposure and Ongoing Risks
For this study group, indoor pesticide use was the main source of exposure. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned chlorpyrifos for household use in 2001, it remains in use in agriculture for non-organic produce and grains. This continued use means farm workers and nearby communities can still be exposed through contaminated air and dust.

“Current widespread exposures, at levels comparable to those experienced in this sample, continue to place farm workers, pregnant women, and unborn children in harm’s way. It is vitally important that we continue to monitor the levels of exposure in potentially vulnerable populations, especially in pregnant women in agricultural communities, as their infants continue to be at risk,” said Virginia Rauh, ScD, senior author on the study and the Jane and Alan Batkin Professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia Mailman School.
“The disturbances in brain tissue and metabolism that we observed with prenatal exposure to this one pesticide were remarkably widespread throughout the brain. Other organophosphate pesticides likely produce similar effects, warranting caution to minimize exposures in pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood, when brain development is rapid and especially vulnerable to these toxic chemicals,” says first author Bradley Peterson, MD, Vice Chair for Research and Chief of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
The research team included several contributors from multiple institutions. At Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, co-authors were Howard Andrews, Wanda Garcia, and Frederica Perera. From the Institute for the Developing Mind at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the team included Sahar Delavari, Ravi Bansal, Siddhant Sawardekar, and Chaitanya Gupte. Lori A. Hoepner from SUNY Downstate School of Public Health in Brooklyn, New York, also participated.
The project received financial support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grants ES09600, ES015905, ES015579, DA027100, ES08977, ES009089); the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency STAR program (grants RD834509, RD832141, R827027); and the National Institute of Mental Health (grants MH068318, K02-74677). Additional funding came from the John and Wendy Neu Family Foundation, an anonymous donor, Patrice and Mike Harmon, the Inspirit Fund, and the Robert Coury family.
Bradley Peterson is President of Evolve Psychiatry Professional Corporation and serves as an advisor to Evolve Adolescent Behavioral Health, where he holds stock options. He also provides expert testimony. Peterson and co-author Ravi Bansal share a U.S. Patent (Number 61/424,172), and Peterson holds two additional U.S. Patents (61/601,772 and 8,143,890B2). All other researchers reported no conflicts of interest or financial ties.

60 minutes agoShareSaveRebecca Curran,BBC Scotland and Ken Banks,North east Scotland reporterShareSaveBBCThousands of North Sea oil workers are being told they must lose weight if they are to keep flying offshore – or face losing their jobs.From November next year, industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said the maximum clothed weight for a worker heading offshore should be 124.7kg (19.5 st) – so they can be winched to safety in an emergency.The 249kg (39st) maximum Coastguard rescue helicopter winch load is made up of that figure plus the average 90.3kg (14st) weight of a rescue worker, a 29kg (4.5st) stretcher and the 5kg (0.8st) kit.OEUK said more than 2,200 workers were currently above the weight limit, and jobs could be lost in the worst case scenario.One offshore worker, Phil Perry, told BBC Scotland News he was managing to lose weight – but was worried colleagues could lose their employment when the new rules come into force.Getty ImagesThe new safe weight limit policy comes after the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) warned that rescue winches – which are critical during offshore emergencies – cannot safely lift heavier people.OEUK said the average weight of offshore workers had risen by almost 10kg (1.5st) since 2008.The decision to implement a safe weight limit for offshore workers follows a review by industry experts over the past two-and-a half years.Rules about shoulder size were previously introduced for workers travelling to and from offshore installations by helicopter.Passengers with a shoulder width of 22in (56cm) or more were classed as “extra broad” and had to sit next to a similarly large helicopter window, so they could escape.Phil Perry, 42, from Aberdeen, was 129kg (20st) at one stage – which would have been over the new limit.He is now 118kg (18.5), and his target weight is 110kg (17st).Mr Perry said the fear of losing his job was an added motivation to keep his weight down.”There’s not a lot of people talking about it offshore yet,” he said.”You’ve kind of got to understand that back in the 70s and the 80s the average person was about 70-odd kilos, it’s obviously going in an upward trend.”I think you maybe have to do something about that, because you don’t want to be the one stranded there because you’re too heavy to be lifted out.”Phil PerryMr Perry said it was possible to be healthy while working on a platform in the North Sea.”There are a lot of healthy people offshore, there are gyms, you can go for a walk round the helideck, you can be fit there, I think it just comes down to personal mindset of each individual.”There’s a wide range of fruit and healthy options, but there’s also crisps and sweets which does not help.”Everybody can lose weight, it’s keeping it off that’s the hard thing. I was one of these people that did these kind of crazy diets, but you can’t keep it off.”He said he started eating the right foods at the right times, adding: “I started seeing the results.”He said he “definitely” feared the new rules would lead to job losses.”It will affect the pool available to go offshore, there’s a lot of us out there, and sadly it’s just the way that it’s going to go, that people will start losing their jobs, which is not good for anybody,” he said.He added that the onus was on staff themselves, as well as employers, to make a difference.Could jobs be lost?Graham Skinner, the health and safety manager at OEUK, said it was hoped the new safety policy – as part of a “robust safety culture” – would not lead to job losses, but he could not rule it out.”That would be the absolute worst-case scenario.”Employers will have a duty to support their workers through this and try to find reasonable solutions for it, but in the very worst cases that would be the case for some people.”Mr Skinner described it as “really important” that there was a clear message to the workforce that the new rules were going to come in.”Hopefully that is the impetus for everyone to get behind the policy and lose weight in time for November next year,” he said.”There are those who are going to have a real challenge over the next 12 months to lose weight to get under the weight limit.”There is about 2,270 that are going to have to lose a little bit of weight to make sure they can continue working after November next year.”At that point an offshore worker who weighs over 124 kg will not get their medical and that will preclude them from getting on a helicopter.”However, Mr Skinner said they were “really confident” that the “vast majority” of workers were going to get under the weight limit.Some are extremely fitHe cited the support they would get from their employers, the offshore operators, and the offshore community itself.”We have already heard of offshore workers who are offering circuit training and gym sessions for workers,” he added.”So it’s a great opportunity for the community to come together.”John Boland, the regional officer at the Unite union, said: “We would hope that nobody loses their job through this and there can be support put in to stop that from happening.”The biggest concerns we have had are from individuals that are naturally larger built and in some cases are extremely fit but are above that actual weight limit.”Those are discussions we need to have, how we can support those individuals as well.”The mandatory implementation of the new policy will be from 1 November 2026.More on this story

Just as the universe began with a colossal explosion, bowel cancer also experiences a “Big Bang” moment that determines how it will grow and spread, according to new research supported by Cancer Research UK and the Wellcome Trust.
Scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research in London, the Fondazione Human Technopole in Milan, and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden discovered that this pivotal event occurs when cancer cells first manage to hide from the immune system. This process, called immune escape, allows the cells to evade detection and continue developing unchecked.
During immune escape, bowel cancer cells disrupt the genes that normally allow the body’s immune defenses to recognize them as a threat. Once this happens, the researchers found that the cancer’s ability to disguise itself remains largely unchanged as it grows.
The findings could help doctors identify patients more likely to respond to immunotherapy, including experimental bowel cancer vaccines that train the immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.
How Bowel Cancer Outsmarts the Immune System
Professor Trevor Graham, Professor of Genomics and Evolution and Director of the Centre for Evolution and Cancer at The Institute of Cancer Research, explained the significance of the discovery:
“Some bowel cancers are ‘born to be bad.’ How they interact with the immune system is set early on.

“Immunotherapy and bowel cancer vaccines hold enormous promise for treating the disease. Our research suggests that a bowel cancer’s relationship with the immune system doesn’t change very much as it grows. If we can target that relationship early on, treatment should have a stronger chance of success.
“As bowel cancer treatment becomes increasingly personalized, understanding how tumors evolve and change matters even more than it did before. Like the explosion which set the course of the universe, bowel cancer’s Big Bang gives us the biggest clues of what its future holds and how we might change that future.”
A Common and Challenging Cancer
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with about 44,100 new cases each year — around 120 every day. Approximately 15% of these cases respond well to immunotherapy, while the majority remain resistant to this treatment approach.
Currently, several types of bowel cancer vaccines are being tested in clinical trials. These are designed to help the immune system recognize and destroy returning or newly forming cancer cells after surgery or other treatments.
Study lead author Eszter Lakatos, a mathematical biologist at Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said:
“Our research group has investigated and found answers to how cancer cells render themselves invisible to the immune system. Our hope is that these insights will eventually lead to more targeted, effective and early treatments, in addition to surgery.”

To uncover these mechanisms, the research team analyzed tumor and immune cells from 29 people with bowel cancer. They sequenced the DNA and RNA from each sample and examined how tightly the DNA was wound around proteins in the chromosomes (a process known as epigenetics).
The scientists found that epigenetic changes in cancer cells alter how DNA is “read” to produce RNA, which carries the instructions for making proteins. These changes can reduce the number of neoantigens — “red flag” proteins that alert immune cells to danger — on the surface of cancer cells. With fewer neoantigens, the immune system struggles to recognize and destroy the tumor.
Toward More Effective Immunotherapy
The researchers believe that combining immunotherapy with drugs that modify the epigenome could improve treatment outcomes. Such a combination might increase the number of neoantigens displayed by cancer cells, making them easier for the immune system to target. Further testing will be needed before this approach can move into clinical trials.
Dr. Catherine Elliott, Director of Research at Cancer Research UK, said:
“To beat bowel cancer for everyone, we need to understand what happens at the very earliest stages of the disease. No matter how different bowel cancer tumors can look, one defining moment at the start makes a big difference to how the cancer grows.
“Bowel cancer has an insidious ability to resist treatment. Immunotherapy is starting to work well for patients, but it doesn’t work for everyone. This research helps us understand why, as well as giving us new insights to make immunotherapy work better for bowel cancer.”
Understanding the Disease’s Earliest Moments
Tom Collins, Research Lead for Discovery Research at the Wellcome Trust, added:
“Through tracing the earliest stages of bowel cancer, the research team has shed valuable new light on a mechanism that could lead to more targeted, effective and early treatments.
“This is a powerful example of discovery science. Research at this molecular level has provided a deeper understanding of how bowel cancer develops, which could lead to the improved health outcomes for patients in the long-term.”
The study, titled “Epigenetically driven and early immune evasion in colorectal cancer evolution,” was published on November 5 in Nature Genetics.

The skin contains two main types of adult stem cells: epidermal stem cells and hair follicle stem cells. Normally, each type has a clear role — one maintains the skin while the other supports hair growth. However, research from Rockefeller University has revealed that hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) are surprisingly adaptable. When the skin is injured, these cells can switch from growing hair to helping repair the wound.
So what tells them when it’s time to make that switch?
A Stress Signal That Changes Cell Behavior
The same Rockefeller research team has now identified the key signal behind this transformation. Hair follicle stem cells respond to what’s called an integrated stress response (ISR) — a cellular alert system that helps them conserve energy and focus on survival tasks.
In the skin, this stress response is tied to the amino acid serine, a non-essential nutrient found in common foods like meat, grains, and milk. In their study published in Cell Metabolism, the scientists showed that when serine levels fall, the ISR activates and hair production slows down. If the skin is also wounded, the ISR ramps up even further, stopping hair growth entirely so that cells can concentrate on repairing damaged tissue. This shift in priorities helps the skin heal faster.
“Serine deprivation triggers a highly sensitive cellular ‘dial’ that fine tunes the cell’s fate — towards skin and away from hair,” explains first author Jesse Novak, an MD-PhD student at Weill Cornell’s Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program and former doctoral student in the Rockefeller lab of Elaine Fuchs. “Our findings suggest that we might be able to speed up the healing of skin wounds by manipulating serine levels through diet or medications.”
Adult tissues depend on stem cells to maintain balance — replacing cells that die and repairing tissue when it’s damaged. Yet, scientists still know little about how these cells manage their energy and nutrients during different tasks. Novak and his team wanted to understand the metabolic factors that keep stem cells functioning normally and what changes when they must shift gears to heal a wound.

“Most skin wounds that we get are from abrasions, which destroy the upper part of the skin,” says Novak. “That area is home to a pool of stem cells that normally takes charge in wound repair. But when these cells are destroyed, it forces hair follicle stem cells to take the lead in repair,” Novak says. “Knowing that, we thought that tracking these skin cells through wound healing presented a very good model for testing if and how metabolites are regulating this process overall.”
Serine’s Role Beyond Hair and Skin
Earlier research from the Fuchs lab showed that precancerous skin stem cells can become dependent on circulating serine and that limiting serine in the diet helps stop these cells from turning cancerous. Those findings highlighted serine’s powerful influence on cell behavior and even inspired studies testing serine-free diets as cancer treatments.
However, it remained unclear how reducing serine might affect healthy tissue. To explore this, Novak focused on serine’s role in normal stem cell activity and how its absence might reshape regeneration.
The researchers tested how hair follicle stem cells respond to metabolic stress. They either deprived mice of dietary serine or used genetic methods to block the cells from producing their own. In both cases, the results showed that serine communicates directly with the ISR — a system that monitors when tissue conditions go off balance.
When serine levels were low, hair growth slowed because it requires significant energy. When wounds occurred, the ISR activated even more strongly, prioritizing healing over hair regeneration. In other words, when stress increases, the skin’s repair mechanisms take priority.

“No one likes to lose hair, but when it comes down to survival in stressful times, repairing the epidermis takes precedence,” says Fuchs. “A missing patch of hair isn’t a threat to an animal, but an unhealed wound is.”
Can Extra Serine Boost Hair Growth?
Once the team confirmed that low serine levels affect stem cell behavior, they wondered about the reverse — could increasing serine levels enhance hair growth? The answer appears to be no. The body maintains tight control over serine levels, and even when mice were given six times more dietary serine than usual, levels only increased by about 50%.
“However, we did see that if we prevented a stem cell from making its own serine and replenished its losses through a high-serine diet, we were able to partially rescue hair regeneration,” Novak adds.
Next, the researchers plan to investigate whether wound healing can be improved by lowering serine intake or by using medications that influence serine levels or the ISR pathway. They also aim to test other amino acids to see if any have similar effects.
“Overall, the ability of stem cells to make cell fate decisions based upon the levels of stress they experience is likely to have broad implications for how tissues optimize their regenerative capacities in times where resources are scarce,” says Fuchs.

Nearly one in five packaged foods and drinks in the United States contain synthetic food dyes, according to new research that analyzed 39,763 grocery store products. The study was recently published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Synthetic dyes are often added to make foods look more appealing, especially products aimed at children, but a growing body of evidence indicates they may contribute to behavioral problems such as hyperactivity and inattention.¹
Foods Marketed to Children Contain More Dyes and Sugar
Researchers from The George Institute for Global Health, the University of North Carolina, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest examined ingredient information for packaged foods and beverages made by the 25 largest U.S. food manufacturers. They also focused on the five food categories most commonly promoted to children: confectionery, sugar-sweetened beverages, ready meals, breakfast cereals, and baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and pastries.
Products in these child-targeted categories were significantly more likely to include synthetic dyes. Artificial colors were present in 28% of those products, compared with only 11% in other categories. The study also found that foods containing synthetic dyes had much higher sugar content, averaging 141% more sugar (33.3g per 100g compared with 13.8g per 100g in products without dyes).
Experts Express Concern Over Industry Practices
Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, Research Fellow at The George Institute, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina, said that the continued presence of synthetic dyes in the food system was a cause for concern.

“Given the accumulation of evidence over the last 40 years pointing to the health harms of synthetic dyes, it’s disappointing to see that they’re still so prevalent in our food system, particularly in products that are designed to appeal to children,” she said.
“The high levels of sugar in these brightly colored products suggests that companies are using synthetic dyes to market sweet foods and beverages, but both ingredients are linked to poor health outcomes.”
Major Brands Among Top Offenders
Confectionery companies were found to have the highest use of synthetic dyes, with Ferrero (60%) and Mars (52%) leading the list. More than half (51%) of PepsiCo’s energy drinks contained synthetic dyes, along with 79% of all sports drinks, regardless of brand.
Dr. Thomas Galligan, Principal Scientist for Food Additives and Supplements at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said that synthetic food dyes remain unnecessary in the U.S. food supply, yet efforts to remove them have been slow.
“The FDA recently asked the food industry to voluntarily phase synthetic dyes out of the food supply, but many companies had previously made promises to stop using them and then failed to keep those promises. So, it remains to be seen if food companies will comply with this new request,” he said.

“If the FDA were to require warning labels on synthetically dyed foods, similar to the rule in place since 2010 in the European Union, there would be a much stronger incentive for industry to reformulate. Those warnings would also ensure consumers are better able to protect themselves from products sold by companies who choose not to phase dyes out entirely.”
State Efforts and Consumer Advice
Dr. Dunford said it was encouraging to see that dozens of U.S. states have now introduced bills targeting synthetic dyes this year. She added that the new research could be valuable to policymakers as they move forward.
“But until the regulatory process catches up with the science, parents and health-conscious consumers should always check the ingredients label for synthetic dyes and for high levels of added sugar. If a product contains either, you are better off not buying it, especially for your kids.”
Notes California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Health Effects Assessment: Potential Neurobehavioral Effects of Synthetic Food Dyes in Children. 2021. https://oehha.ca.gov/risk-assessment/report/health-effects-assessment-potential-neurobehavioral-effects-synthetic-food-dyes-children

2 hours agoShareSaveGeorge KingSuffolkShareSaveRawlstock/Getty ImagesA doctor accused of pouring beer down a younger colleague’s cleavage before licking it off and touching her breasts has been suspended for a year. Dr Mark Johnson, who was working at West Suffolk Hospital at the time of the incident, also allegedly sent “derogatory and sexually demeaning” messages to another junior colleague.Some of these messages included comments about the size of his colleague’s breasts, sex positions and oral sex, a tribunal was told.The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPT) said some of Dr Johnson’s actions constituted sexual harassment and suspended him from practising for 12 months.During the hearing the General Medical Council (GMC) representative argued Dr Johnson should be banned indefinitely from the profession.The MPT panel, however, concluded his “conduct was not persistent nor was it a pattern of predatory behaviour” and that he was “capable of remediation”.GoogleDr Johnson joined West Suffolk Hospital as a consultant in 2013, before leaving 10 years later following disciplinary proceedings.The panel heard he sent sexual and inappropriate messages to a junior colleague about other colleagues between November 2018 and November 2019.During a work Christmas party in December 2022, Dr Johnson moved his hand up and down a colleague’s back, blew smoke from a vape in her face and kissed her.Then he was said to have tipped some of his drink onto the junior colleague’s cleavage before licking it from her skin.The GMC suggested this was “a grave violation” of her “dignity”, while the MPT said his actions were “sexually motivated and constituted sexual harassment”.The MPT ruled the conduct of Dr Johnson, who is now employed at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, was “inherently serious, deliberate, and sexually motivated”.While it concluded his fitness to practise was impaired, it said he had “developed meaningful insight” and “embedded sustainable behavioural change”.Dr Richard Goodwin, the medical director at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We referred Dr Johnson to the GMC following an internal process, prompted by reports of potential sexual misconduct.”We’re committed to eradicating sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace by promoting a culture that fosters openness and transparency, and never tolerates unwanted, harmful or inappropriate sexual behaviours.”The Royal Sussex County Hospital has been contacted for comment.You may also be interested inRelated internet links

In what could mark a major step forward for diabetes care, scientists have found extraordinary health benefits in a little-known desert plant. The fruit of Nitraria roborowskii Kom, long used in traditional medicine, showed strong potential to fight insulin resistance and restore healthy metabolism in diabetic mice. The plant extract not only helped stabilize blood sugar but also corrected several related issues, including abnormal fat metabolism and oxidative stress. These results were linked to the activation of a key cellular signaling system that regulates how the body processes glucose and energy. The discovery points to the possibility of safer, naturally derived treatments for one of the world’s most widespread chronic diseases.
The number of people living with diabetes is expected to climb to 750 million by 2045. While modern drugs can control symptoms, many come with side effects and do not address the underlying causes of metabolic imbalance. This has led scientists to revisit nature’s medicine cabinet in search of new therapeutic options. Among these is Nitraria roborowskii Kom, a tough shrub that thrives in the harsh deserts of western China. Its bright red fruits, sometimes known as “desert cherries,” have nourished and healed local communities for centuries. Only recently have researchers begun to uncover the biological mechanisms behind its traditional use, prompting systematic scientific investigations into its potential.
Breakthrough Study Confirms Potent Diabetes-Fighting Properties
A collaborative study between Qinghai University and the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, published in the Chinese Journal of Modern Applied Pharmacy, provided strong experimental evidence of the fruit’s effects. Using well-controlled trials, scientists tested a concentrated form of the extract (NRK-C) on diabetic mice over seven weeks. The results were striking: the compound not only lowered blood sugar and improved insulin responsiveness but also addressed broader metabolic dysfunctions through a previously underexplored biological route.
How the Desert Berry Restores Metabolic Balance
The detailed analysis revealed the extract’s impressive range of benefits. Over the course of seven weeks, NRK-C reduced fasting blood glucose levels by 30-40% in diabetic mice, with stronger results at higher doses. It also improved insulin sensitivity by roughly 50% compared with untreated animals. In addition to these improvements, the extract balanced cholesterol and lowered oxidative stress markers by as much as 60%, a rare feat for any single therapeutic compound.
Further investigation showed that NRK-C works by reactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway — a critical metabolic circuit that often breaks down in diabetes. This reactivation appears to “reboot” the body’s ability to regulate glucose and fat metabolism. Microscopic examination supported these findings, revealing healthier liver and pancreatic tissue structures in treated mice compared with untreated ones. Taken together, these findings suggest the compound helps the body reset its metabolic function rather than just masking symptoms. Its naturally broad effects contrast sharply with the narrowly targeted mechanisms of many pharmaceutical drugs.

Expert Insight: A Holistic Approach to Diabetes Treatment
“These results are exciting because they suggest we might be able to treat diabetes more holistically,” said Dr. Yue Huilan, a senior researcher on the project. “Instead of just lowering blood sugar like most medications, this plant extract appears to help the body regain its natural metabolic balance. The implications could extend beyond diabetes to other conditions involving insulin resistance.” While the team emphasized that human trials are still needed, the findings represent an encouraging move toward more natural and comprehensive approaches to diabetes care.
This discovery opens up several promising research directions. Pharmaceutical developers may pursue standardized NRK-C extracts as supplements or adjunct therapies, while nutrition experts could explore adding the fruit to functional foods aimed at metabolic health. The results also lend modern scientific support to traditional medicinal knowledge, helping bridge ancient practice and contemporary medicine. Researchers are particularly eager to determine whether NRK-C could help prevent diabetes in high-risk individuals or reduce complications in those already affected.
More broadly, the findings underscore the value of preserving and studying traditional medicinal plants, many of which may hold untapped potential for addressing modern health challenges. Nature, it seems, still has many healing secrets waiting to be rediscovered.

2 hours agoShareSaveJenny ReesWales health correspondentShareSaveFor Lizzie Day, having Botox was as much a part of her routine as getting her morning coffee. It was only when a doctor friend raised concerns about a “fat-dissolving” treatment she was using that the 30-year-old took stock and started questioning what was going into her body. Until this point, the recruitment consultant admitted she would just “jump on the bandwagon” of the latest aesthetic treatment to be discussed on social media.Wales’ regulator Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) believes a comprehensive review is required into the type of services available, as well as into who provides them and where.Its head Alun Jones said regulation has not kept up, creating “loopholes and anomalies”, while one GP likened the current situation to a “free-for-all”.The Welsh government said Botox and weight-loss medicines can only be supplied with a prescription and a scoping exercise will be carried out early next year to see if further regulation is needed.”I had no idea what was being injected into me,” Lizzie said. “It’s just hype – it’s a trend, a bit like fashion – if everyone buys the same handbag it becomes popular and I’d say it’s the same for aesthetics.”In England anyone prescribing treatments such as Botox or weight-loss injections Mounjaro and Ozempic must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).However, in Wales only doctors are required to register with the Welsh equivalent, HIW. This means other healthcare professionals are not legally required to meet the same standards or be routinely inspected.Despite this, many do not question who carries out work, as Lizzie adds: “It’s just like going to get your coffee in the morning – popping in for a bit of Botox.”Lizzie has lived in Manchester for the past decade, where she said treatments such as fillers, jaw-line enhancement and Botox are the norm for many.It was only when a doctor friend back home in south Wales raised concerns about a “fat-dissolving” treatment she was using, that she took stock. She now gets Botox treatment with a GP at a private clinic in the Vale of Glamorgan, where she will also have treatment declined if they don’t think it’s necessary – something she was not accustomed to elsewhere.”I did beg him for Mounjaro,” she laughed. “But he said ‘sorry, you don’t qualify’. “But I know some people who will get told no by one person and will go anywhere to get it.”HIW’s Alun Jones said a comprehensive review is required.”If you’re a non-clinical individual providing Botox injections, it’s hard to see where the oversight comes from,” he added.”The legislation that empowers us to act is quite out of date.”He said carrying out certain procedures requires HIW registration, but only if provided from a fixed, physical location. “So you could provide certain services on a mobile basis and you would no longer need to be registered with us,” Mr Jones added.He said monitoring and inspections would drive up standards or spot bad practice, which in turn would keep the public safe.”What the public might not know is the person giving them an injection has had minimal training and perhaps they’re not equipped to cope with a medical emergency should there be a reaction to that injection,” he said.Hannah Jones, from Cardiff, started using Botox when she turned 30 last year.But she kept returning for top-ups every fortnight because it wasn’t having the desired “freezing” effect.It was only when she came across contradictory advice from another provider online that she started questioning what was being injected into her face, as doses had never been discussed.She also learned she needed to wait 12 weeks between Botox injections, and prescribers of Botox had to see patients face-to-face, whereas she had only ever received injections from a third party, not the named prescriber of the medicine.”That was a major red flag,” she said. “I think it’s really important that people do their research before they have these treatments.”These are issues the aesthetics industry itself has long campaigned to change, right across the UK, with a new bill drawn up earlier this year in Scotland.Dr Tom Kamal is a GP registrar in Barry, but also runs his own private clinic in the Vale of Glamorgan, where he provides aesthetic treatments such as Botox, as well as weight-loss injections – which can have severe side effects if not properly administered.He said he has treated many clients who had previously unnecessarily moved up through the doses of Mounjaro very quickly.”Everyone seems to think that the higher the dose, the more rapid the weight loss is, but that’s actually not the case – it’s no wonder they experience side effects.”He said under the right supervision the medicine “can make a massive difference” but the side effects can range from nausea, constipation and diarrhoea, to more sinister things such as pancreatitis and gallstones.Dr Kamal described the situation in Wales as “a free-for-all”.With the non-surgical aesthetics industry estimated to be valued at £3bn, Dr Kamal said the challenge for regulators is keeping up with the pace of change in a sector driven by social media trends.”Saying no is one of the most important things that we do here in clinic,” he said, adding that it would be easy to capitalise on trends and provide unnecessary services for clients willing to pay.It’s advice such as this that Lydia Cheetham from Penarth wishes she had been given eight years ago, when the trend was “big lips, big bum, big cheeks – it was everything bigger”, she said.Lydia had her first lip fillers at 18, only to have them painfully dissolve a few years later.”I wish I had never gone so crazy in the first place because I think I’m still living with the lasting effects around my mouth and I don’t know if that’ll ever go away fully,” she said. “I wish someone had just said ‘look you do not need all this’.”There needs to be much more regulation to stop people doing things just because it’s trending this year or your friends have done it.”The Welsh government said: “Botox and weight-loss medicines can only be supplied with a prescription from an appropriately-qualified healthcare professional, who must act in accordance with the standards set by their respective professional regulatory bodies. “Failure to meet those standards can lead to regulators to limit or suspend healthcare professionals’ practice.”We recently introduced a mandatory licensing scheme for acupuncture, dry needling, body piercing, electrolysis, tattooing and semi-permanent makeup.”We will undertake a Wales-specific scoping exercise early next year to ascertain whether further regulation is needed and will continue to engage with other governments across the UK on this issue.”More top stories

Seven complaints, filed on Thursday, claim the popular chatbot encouraged dangerous discussions and led to mental breakdowns.Four wrongful death lawsuits were filed against OpenAI on Thursday, as well as cases from three people who say the company’s chatbot led to mental health breakdowns.The cases, filed in California state courts, claim that ChatGPT, which is used by 800 million people, is a flawed product. One suit calls it “defective and inherently dangerous.” A complaint filed by the father of Amaurie Lacey says the 17-year-old from Georgia chatted with the bot about suicide for a month before his death in August. Joshua Enneking, 26, from Florida, asked ChatGPT “what it would take for its reviewers to report his suicide plan to police,” according to a complaint filed by his mother. Zane Shamblin, a 23-year-old from Texas, died by suicide in July after encouragement from ChatGPT, according to the complaint filed by his family.Joe Ceccanti, a 48-year-old from Oregon, had used ChatGPT without problems for years, but he became convinced in April that it was sentient. His wife, Kate Fox, said in an interview in September that he had begun using ChatGPT compulsively and had acted erratically. He had a psychotic break in June, she said, and was hospitalized twice before dying by suicide in August.“The doctors don’t know how to deal with it,” Ms. Fox said. An OpenAI spokeswoman said in a statement that the company was reviewing the filings, which were earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal and CNN. “This is an incredibly heartbreaking situation,” the statement said. “We train ChatGPT to recognize and respond to signs of mental or emotional distress, de-escalate conversations, and guide people toward real-world support. We continue to strengthen ChatGPT’s responses in sensitive moments, working closely with mental health clinicians.”Two other plaintiffs — Hannah Madden, 32, from North Carolina, and Jacob Irwin, 30, from Wisconsin — say ChatGPT made them have mental breakdowns that led to emergency psychiatric care. Over the course of three weeks in May, Allan Brooks, 48, a corporate recruiter from Ontario, Canada, who is also suing, came to believe that he had invented a mathematical formula with ChatGPT that could break the internet and power fantastical inventions. He emerged from that delusion but said he is now on short-term disability leave.“Their product caused me harm, and others harm, and continues to do so,” said Mr. Brooks, whom The New York Times wrote about in August. “I’m emotionally traumatized.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Nanobodies, which are very small proteins found in camelid species such as camels, llamas, and alpacas, may provide a powerful new way to treat brain disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. A new study published on November 5 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Pharmacological Sciences explains how their small size allows them to reach and treat brain cells more effectively in mice, while causing fewer side effects. The researchers also outline what must be done before these treatments can be safely tested in humans.
“Camelid nanobodies open a new era of biologic therapies for brain disorders and revolutionize our thinking about therapeutics,” says co-corresponding author Philippe Rondard of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Montpellier, France. “We believe they can form a new class of drugs between conventional antibodies and small molecules.”
How Nanobodies Were Discovered
Nanobodies were first identified in the early 1990s by Belgian scientists investigating the immune systems of camelids. They found that, in addition to the standard antibodies composed of two heavy and two light chains, camelids also produce a simpler version made up of only heavy chains. The small, active fragment of these antibodies — now known as nanobodies — is about one-tenth the size of typical antibodies. These unique molecules have not been observed in any other mammals, although they do exist in some cartilaginous fish.
Antibody-based drugs are widely used to treat conditions like cancer and autoimmune diseases, but they have shown limited success in addressing disorders of the brain. Even the few antibody therapies that provide some benefit, such as certain Alzheimer’s treatments, are often linked to unwanted side effects.
According to the researchers, nanobodies’ compact structure gives them a distinct advantage. Their smaller size allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier and act on targets more efficiently, which could lead to improved outcomes with fewer adverse reactions. In previous studies, nanobodies have been shown to restore normal behavior in mouse models of schizophrenia and other neurological disorders.
How Nanobodies Work in the Brain
“These are highly soluble small proteins that can enter the brain passively,” explains co-corresponding author Pierre-André Lafon, also of CNRS. “By contrast, small-molecule drugs that are designed to cross the blood-brain barrier are hydrophobic in nature, which limits their bioavailability, increases the risk of off-target binding, and is linked to side effects.”

Beyond their unique biological properties, nanobodies are simpler to produce and purify than traditional antibodies. They can also be precisely engineered and fine-tuned to target specific molecules in the brain.
Before nanobody-based drugs can be tested in human clinical trials, several key steps must be completed. The research team notes that toxicology studies and long-term safety assessments are essential. They also need to understand the effects of chronic administration and determine how long nanobodies remain active in the brain (a crucial step for developing accurate dosing strategies).
“Regarding the nanobodies themselves, it is also necessary to evaluate their stability, confirm their proper folding, and ensure the absence of aggregation,” says Rondard. “It will be necessary to obtain clinical-grade nanobodies and stable formulations that maintain activity during long-term storage and transport.”
Moving Toward Clinical Applications
“Our lab has already started to study these different parameters for a few brain-penetrant nanobodies and has recently shown that conditions of treatment are compatible with chronic treatment,” Lafon adds.
This research was supported by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), University of Montpellier, French National Research Agency (ANR-20-CE18-0011; ANR-22-CE18-0003; ANR-25-CE18-0434), Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM EQU202303016470 and FRM PMT202407019488), LabEX MAbImprove (ANR-10-LABX-5301), Proof-of-concept Région Occitanie, and the transfer of Technology Agency SaTT AxLR Occitanie.