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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.

Researchers have developed preclinical models for invasive lobular carcinoma and trialed a new drug. It slows tumor growth effectively by targeting specific features of the disease and opening the door to future clinical trials. Breast cancer is not a single disease. Some types of carcinoma do not form distinct masses but spread in a string-like pattern, making them difficult to detect.

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. A study in Lesotho shows that, with the help of a tablet app, villagers who have received training achieve better blood pressure control in their village community compared to normal treatment in healthcare facilities.

A team from the University of Geneva has shown that certain antibodies to seasonal flu can also target avian flu. Stimulating these antibodies could strengthen protection in the event of a pandemic. Are seasonal flu antibodies also effective against avian flu? A team from the University of Geneva has shown that a specific type of antibody associated with the former virus-already present throughout the population-may offer baseline protection against the latter.

Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed an AI-based tool that combines cancer-related and traditional cardiovascular factors. The new risk prediction model enables more precise, individualized treatment for cancer patients who suffer a heart attack. Cancer patients who suffer a heart attack face a dangerous mix of risks, which makes their clinical treatment particularly challenging.

Scientists developed an algorithm able to anticipate the risk of cancer metastasis and recurrence. Why do some tumours spread while others remain localised? The mechanisms governing the metastatic potential of tumour cells remain largely unknown - yet understanding this is crucial for optimising patient care.

In a Phase 1 clinical study, researchers led by EPFL and their partners report that a new liverand gut-targeted oral drug can safely lower triglycerides and other blood lipids. When we eat, our bodies convert extra calories, especially from carbs, sugar, fats, and alcohol, into molecules called "triglycerides".

Memantine, a long-approved and cost-effective drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, could also benefit patients with sickle cell anemia in the future.

Drugs that act against bacteria are mainly assessed based on how well they inhibit bacterial growth under laboratory conditions. A critical factor, however, is whether the active substances actually kill the pathogens in the body. Researchers at the University of Basel have presented a new method for measuring how effectively antibiotics kill bacteria.

Scientists at EPFL and Johns Hopkins uncover the central role of an enzyme in controlling prostate cancer subtypes and improving therapeutic response. A large team of researchers led by Wouter Karthaus, head of the Endocrine Therapy Resistance and Molecular Genetics Lab at EPFL, and Eneda Toska at Johns Hopkins University have identified the enzyme KMT2D as a key epigenetic regulator in prostate cancer.

When you tattoo your skin, you also "tattoo" your immune system. This is the finding of an innovative study conducted by the Infection and Immunity group at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), affiliated with Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), led by Prof. Santiago F. González and published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The drug dexamethasone supplements cancer treatments to alleviate side effects of chemotherapy such as nausea or inflammation. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered that it also fights metastases in certain types of breast cancer. The active substance dexamethasone is a synthetic signaling substance with a similar effect to the body's own stress hormone cortisol.

Scientists at EPFL have developed an innovative, non-invasive brain stimulation therapy to significantly improve visual function in stroke patients who have suffered vision loss following a stroke. The approach could offer a more efficient and faster way to regain visual function in such cases. Each year, thousands of stroke survivors are left with hemianopia, a condition that causes loss of half of their visual field (the "vertical midline").

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a microrobot capable of transporting drugs to specific locations within the body, with the potential for use in hospitals in the near future. Every year, 12 million people worldwide suffer a stroke; many die or are permanently impaired. Currently, drugs are administered to dissolve the thrombus that blocks the blood vessel.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed and tested a new compound to combat iron deficiency. The body can absorb this iron virtually twice as fast as iron in current supplements. It could effectively treat iron deficiency, which affects 2 billion people worldwide. Iron deficiency is globally widespread.

Scientists from the University of Galway in Ireland and the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR, affiliated to USI and member of Bios+) in Bellinzona have uncovered a new natural compound from Irish marine life that shows promise against a difficult-to-treat form of blood cancer. The team studied over 400 extracts from marine samples collected along the Irish coast.

State-of-the-art AI programs can support the development of drugs by predicting how proteins interact with small molecules. However, researchers at the University of Basel have shown that these programs only memorize patterns, rather than understanding physical relationships. They often fail when it comes to new proteins that would be of particular interest for innovative drugs.

Scientists from the Institute of Oncology Research and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, both affiliated with USI, report in Cell Reports the discovery of the first drugs that inhibit FOXA1

Bacterial pathogens becoming resistant to antibiotics is well known. But resistance is also emerging among parasites - including those that cause malaria. As existing medicines lose effectiveness, researchers from Swiss TPH and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and partners have developed a new drug candidate that can kill malaria parasites even when standard treatments fail.