Enjoy a helping of news
July 5 & 6, 2025
AI
Microsoft AI diagnoses complex medical cases with 85% accuracy, study finds | MobiHealthNews
Microsoft has developed an AI-enabled diagnostic system, the Microsoft AI Diagnostic Orchestrator (MAI-DxO), which can accurately diagnose complex medical cases at a rate more than four times higher than human doctors, according to a recent experiment. "When paired with OpenAI's o3 model, MAI-DxO achieves 80% diagnostic accuracy–four times higher than the 20% average of generalist physicians.
MEDICINE AND HEALTH
A cholesterol secret inside ticks may halt Lyme disease spread | ScienceDaily
Scientists have discovered that the bacteria behind Lyme disease and anaplasmosis have a sneaky way of surviving inside ticks—they hijack the tick’s own cell functions to steal cholesterol they need to grow.
Parkinson’s reversal? One drug brings dying brain cells back to life | ScienceDaily
Stanford researchers discovered that dialing down an overactive enzyme, LRRK2, can regrow lost cellular “antennae” in key brain cells, restoring vital dopamine communication and neuroprotective signals in a mouse model of genetic Parkinson’s.
Hidden Health Risks That Start In The Mouth - Medical Device News Magazine
Hidden health risks that start in the mouth can often be overlooked, yet they can have significant impacts on overall well-being. It is crucial to be vigilant and proactive in addressing oral health concerns to prevent potential systemic issues from arising.
New research confirms that neurons form in the adult brain | ScienceDaily
These findings confirm that our brains remain more adaptable than previously believed, opening the door to potential treatments for ...
China pours money into brain chips that give paralysed people more control | Nature A deep brain device that allowed a man with no limbs to play computer games is one of an increasing number of brain–computer interfaces (BCI) being trialled in people in China.
MEDTECH
Home medical tests miss the mark (Video)
Surgeons complete first fully robotic heart transplant in US history
The procedure occurred in March 2025. Kenneth K. Liao, MD, PhD, chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and circulatory support at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of cardiothoracic transplantation and mechanical circulatory support at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, and colleagues completed the transplant using an advanced Da Vinci surgical system.
Intuitive gains CE mark for robotic-assisted surgical system | Medical Device Network Intuitive’s multi-port robotic-assisted surgical system, da Vinci 5, has secured the CE mark approval for use in both adult and paediatric patients in Europe.
OTHER
Daily briefing: The first full ancient Egyptian human genome sequence | Nature Teeth from 4,800-year-old remains have yielded the first full human genome sequence from ancient Egypt. Plus, the orbit of a ‘clingy’ planet could cause its own demise and how climate change is ravaging the iconic moai statues on Rapa Nui.
Neanderthals boiled bones in ‘fat factories’ to enrich their lean diet | Nature
Germany digs reveal a large-scale operation 100,000 years earlier than oldest known fat rendering by modern humans.
CANCER
Sweet-smelling molecule halts therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer | ScienceDaily
A compound best known for giving almonds and apricots their aroma may be the key to defeating hard-to-kill cancer cells.
ENGINEERING
This sun-powered sponge pulls drinking water straight from the ocean | ScienceDaily
In a leap toward sustainable desalination, researchers have created a solar-powered sponge-like aerogel that turns seawater into drinkable water using just sunlight and a plastic cover. Unlike previous materials, this new 3D-printed aerogel maintains its efficiency at larger sizes, solving a key scalability issue. In outdoor tests, it produced clean water directly from the ocean without any electricity, pointing to a future of low-cost, energy-free freshwater production.
Devices that pull water out of thin air poised to take off | Science | AAAS
More than 2 billion people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water, with global warming and competing demands from farms and industry expected to worsen shortages. But the skies may soon provide relief, not in the form of rain but humidity, sucked out of the air by “atmospheric water harvesters.” The devices have existed for decades but typically are too expensive, energy-hungry, or unproductive to be practical.
ETHICS
Signs of AI-generated text found in 14% of biomedical abstracts last year | Nature
An object from another solar system is hurtling our way. It is just the third interstellar object ever spotted, although many others have probably gone by unnoticed.