There is a promising new drug for the rare disease mastocytosis, which is associated with skin lesions, among other things. Researchers at the University of Basel have now been able to use artificial intelligence to quantitatively measure for the first time the extent to which it reduces skin lesions.

Many people find it difficult to take their medication correctly as prescribed. This has significant health implications and economic consequences. Digital health apps are designed to help people take their medication correctly. However, a study by the University of Basel shows that digital assistants do not replace the need for personalized professional support. They have also not yet reached their full potential.

Researchers at the University of Basel have developed a gene therapy that could potentially treat a rare and currently fatal muscle disease in children. The study shows in animal models that a single treatment is sufficient to stabilize muscles and nerves and to halt disease progression. The challenge now is to bring this promising therapy into the clinic.

Some bacteria are miniature masters of navigation: A built-in "compass" made of magnetic nanoparticles helps them to reliably find the optimal habitat. Researchers at the University of Basel have now unlocked the magnetic properties of individual bacteria - an important step toward harnessing the potential for technology, environmental research and medical applications.

How does a tiny cluster of cells become an embryo with a head, trunk, and tail? And how do thousands of genes coordinate this development? A new imaging method makes it possible to visualize the activity of thousands of genes simultaneously throughout the entire zebrafish embryo. Using this technology, a research team at the University of Basel has created an atlas of all genes and cells involved in turning a cluster of cells into an embryo.

Why do many people say they are so exhausted in the spring? Researchers at the Center for Chronobiology at the University of Basel, the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK) and the Inselspital in Bern investigated this question. The study reveals that spring fatigue appears to be more of a cultural phenomenon than a measurable biological one.

Lasers cut precisely and without contact - ideal for surgery. The problem is that, in hard tissues such as bone, they are too slow and do not cut deep enough. Researchers at the University of Basel have now demonstrated a way to cut much deeper and faster with a surgical laser than with previous laser systems.

In rural regions of Africa, high blood pressure often goes untreated because health centres are far away and there is a shortage of health professionals.