Biotech
Scientific advances in cellular engineering and regenerative medicine: the development of bio-computers, artificial muscles, and the use of stem cells and light-activated systems to restore human biological functions.
Basics
videoJoël de Rosnay says five daily habits change how genes are read
In the 2018 book La Symphonie du vivant, Joël de Rosnay argues that food, exercise, stress, pleasure, and social ties change which genes cells use. Human studies back diet and exercise best; pleasure is barely tested.
Clinical Results
A new cholesterol pill cut bad cholesterol by about 60% in a large trial
CORALreef Lipids is now peer-reviewed in the NEJM (4 February 2026): once-daily oral enlicitide decanoate on top of statins in most participants cut LDL cholesterol by about 56 percentage points versus placebo at 24 weeks, with similar short-term adverse-event rates in the trial. Cardiovascular outcome benefit for this oral drug is still unproven until CORALreef Outcomes reports.
Sydney hospital freezes tumours through a needle under live MRI
Liverpool Hospital in south-west Sydney opened an interventional radiology suite in September 2025 where doctors freeze selected tumours with a needle while watching them on live MRI. One patient with a 9 mm spinal tumour was pain-free the next day. No patient numbers have been published.
videoBreakthrough in robotics: artificial muscles developed for robots
Artificial muscles enable robotic leg to walk and jump autonomously Scientists at the Max Planck Institute have developed artificial muscles…
Lab Breakthroughs
Biogents traps cut tiger mosquito bites by up to 87% in Italy
Biogents' BG-Sentinel traps cut tiger mosquito bites by 64% to 87% at three Italian sites. Its garden model, the BG-Mosquitaire, caught as many mosquitoes as the BG-Sentinel in 2019 US trials, which did not count bites.