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An author’s name was misspelt in this paper by El-Taji and colleagues (BMJ 2025;390:e087524, doi:10.1136/bmj-2025-087524, published 25 September 2025). The first name of the fourth listed author should be Abdullah [not Abdallah] Ghali.
Sale listing on the dark web for nitazenes have gone up as listings for fentanyl (pictured) have gone down.Credit: Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times/GettyResearchers who study trends in illicit drug use are concerned that sales of a potent class of synthetic opioids called nitazenes are on the rise globally.The opioid class of drugs includes heroin and morphine. Unlike those drugs, which are derived from naturally occurring opium, nitazenes are synthesized from scratch in a laboratory. The first nitazenes were developed as painkillers in the 1950s, but were never approved for medical use because they carried a high risk of dangerous side…
How Protein Plays a RoleLifting weights, however, can help you preserve muscle mass. It can act as a signal to retain and even gain muscle if paired with the right diet, according to the University of Maryland Medical System.The key is to track your protein intake as well as the magnitude of your calorie deficit.In your body, protein is broken down into amino acids, which are like building blocks. Your body reassembles those amino acids to build muscle and other tissues, helping you recover after a workout. But if you don’t eat enough, your body doesn’t have the building blocks…
Global consumption of plastics is on the rise, but only a small percentage of plastic waste is recycled. Credit: Justin Sullivan/GettyCrucial negotiations on what would have been the first ever global agreement to limit plastic pollution collapsed last month amid acrimony and distrust. This week, hopes for an agreement suffered another blow when Ecuador’s ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso resigned as chair of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) for the treaty.Plastics pollution is surging — the planned UN treaty to curb it must be ambitiousAt the last INC meeting, held in Geneva in August, negotiations ran long into the night, but…
Neurodegenerative diseases remain difficult to detect and monitor with high precision. However, emerging sequencing-based methylation tools are enabling new ways to track the progression of these complex conditions. In this Inside Precision Medicine webinar, speakers will explore how analysis of cfDNA, powered by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, is advancing the detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Researchers from Wasatch BioLabs will present a cfDNA methylation approach built from native-read whole-methylome models in brain tissue that expands the informative loci available for resolving cell-type signals, differentiating diseases, and tracking neuronal signals for therapeutic evaluation. Experts from Oxford…
Neurodegenerative diseases remain difficult to detect and monitor with high precision. However, emerging sequencing-based methylation tools are enabling new ways to track the progression of these complex conditions. In this Inside Precision Medicine webinar, speakers will explore how analysis of cfDNA, powered by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, is advancing the detection and monitoring of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Researchers from Wasatch BioLabs will present a cfDNA methylation approach built from native-read whole-methylome models in brain tissue that expands the informative loci available for resolving cell-type signals, differentiating diseases, and tracking neuronal signals for therapeutic evaluation. Experts from Oxford…
The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) conference kicks off next week in Boston. Before we pack our bags, GEN chatted with Sarah Tishkoff, PhD, the David and Lyn Silfen University Professor in Genetics and Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. Tishkoff has also served as president of ASHG for the past year (ASHG presidents serve a one-year term.) Her research interests include genomic and phenotypic variation in ethnically diverse Africans. The Presidential Symposium, “Unraveling the Genetic Foundations of Human Disease: Insights from the Past, Present, and Future,” represents these interests and will take place on Wednesday, October 15th at…
Replacing red meat with plant proteins lowered total and LDL cholesterol in 36 trials.Mixed animal-and-plant protein diets slightly increased triglyceride levels.Small cholesterol changes can add up to meaningful heart health benefits over time. A new analysis of diet studies suggests that swapping red meat for plant proteins can help support healthier cholesterol levels, and in turn, better heart health. For their analysis, researchers from Spain reviewed dozens of clinical trials comparing red meat with other foods. They found that swapping red meat for plant proteins improved cholesterol levels, while replacing it with a mix of animal and plant proteins led…
When they launched their business in 2017, twins and co-founders Lisa MacFarlane and Alana MacFarlane Kempner wanted to take the mystery out of the gut microbiome by carrying out public education on a large, evidence-based and entertaining scale. The Gut Stuff was borne out of an ‘obsession’ with gut health that developed after lending themselves as ‘guinea pigs’ to the Predict twin study led by Professor Tim Spector at Kings College, at which time they discovered that despite having identical DNA they only share 30% to 40% the same microbiota, answering many of their long held health-related questions.What began as…
This 30-day plan is set at 1,500 calories per day, with modifications for 1,800 and 2,000 calories.Each day provides at least 83 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber—two nutrients that promote satiety and can help with weight loss.This plan prioritizes gut-healthy nutrients like fiber, prebiotics and probiotics, while limiting added sugar and processed meats. A healthy and diverse gut microbiome may positively influence several areas of our health. It can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, support a healthy immune system, reduce inflammation and may even help promote weight loss and reduce the risk of obesity. If…