Medical Bulletin 27/July/2026 - Video

Here is the top medical news for today:

Study Identifies Compound That Could Improve Muscle Regeneration in Older Adults

Scientists may have discovered a new way to help the body repair aging muscles naturally.

As we grow older, our muscles gradually lose strength and become harder to repair after injury or inactivity. This can lead to muscle loss, weakness, and reduced mobility. Now, a new study published in Scientific Reports suggests that a sulfur-based compound called lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS) may help protect one of the body's natural muscle-repair systems.

Researchers from Kyushu University focused on a protein called hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which plays an important role in repairing damaged muscles. Normally, HGF activates muscle stem cells, allowing them to repair and rebuild injured muscle tissue.

However, as people age, HGF can become damaged through a chemical process called nitration. When this happens, the protein can no longer attach properly to muscle stem cells, reducing the body's ability to repair muscles.

To see if this damage could be prevented, researchers tested two antioxidant compounds: glutathione trisulfide (GSSSG) and lipoic acid trisulfide (LASSS).

The results showed that both compounds reduced damage to HGF. But only LASSS did something extra—it made HGF bind much more strongly to muscle stem cells. In fact, HGF treated with LASSS became more than twice as effective at attaching to its target and was also more resistant to age-related damage.

The researchers believe LASSS may slightly change the structure of HGF, creating a stronger version that they describe as a "Super HGF."

The team also tested LASSS in mice with muscle loss caused by inactivity. Mice given LASSS showed less damage to HGF than untreated mice, suggesting the compound may also work in living tissues.

Although these findings are promising, the research is still at an early stage. More studies, especially in aging animals and humans, are needed to confirm whether LASSS is safe and effective. If successful, it could one day help protect muscle health during aging, prolonged bed rest, or other conditions that cause muscle loss.

REFERENCE: Kahona Zushi, Miyumi Seki, et al.; Enhanced HGF with increased receptor affinity and nitration-dysfunction resistance through interaction with lipoic acid trisulfide. Scientific Reports, 2026; 16 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-60835-w

India Among Nations Overusing Powerful Antibiotics, Global Lancet Analysis Reveals

The antibiotics we rely on to treat infections are slowly losing their power—and overuse is one of the biggest reasons why.

A new study published in The Lancet Public Health suggests that India may be overusing antibiotics, especially a group of powerful medicines known as "Watch" antibiotics. Researchers warn that this trend could speed up the spread of antibiotic resistance, making many common infections much harder to treat.

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change over time and learn how to survive antibiotics. As a result, medicines that once killed bacteria stop working, allowing infections to continue spreading. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance has already been linked to more than 4.7 million deaths worldwide.

The researchers analyzed antibiotic use in 186 countries and found that 99% of them were overusing Watch antibiotics. These medicines are broad-spectrum antibiotics that should only be used for specific infections because they carry a higher risk of causing antibiotic resistance.

The WHO classifies antibiotics into three groups under its AWaRe system:

• Access antibiotics: First-choice medicines used to treat common infections with a lower risk of resistance.

• Watch antibiotics: Stronger antibiotics that should be used only when necessary because bacteria can become resistant more easily.

• Reserve antibiotics: Last-resort drugs used only for severe infections caused by highly drug-resistant bacteria.

Experts say antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern because it can make common infections like pneumonia or urinary tract infections difficult—or even impossible—to treat. It can also make surgeries, cancer treatment, and organ transplants riskier, as these procedures depend on effective antibiotics to prevent infections.

When standard antibiotics stop working, doctors may have to use stronger, more expensive medicines that often cause more side effects and may still not work well.

Researchers say antibiotics should only be taken when prescribed by a healthcare professional, and unnecessary use should be avoided to help slow the spread of antibiotic resistance and preserve these life-saving medicines for the future.

REFERENCE: Cook A, Cooper B, Thorn M et al.; Estimating optimal levels of WHO Access, Watch, Reserve (AWaRe) antibiotic use in 186 countries, territories, and areas on the basis of clinical infection and resistance burden; The Lancet Public Health, DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(26)00103-9

Researchers Discover New Genes Linked to Severe Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

Scientists may be one step closer to better treatments for severe morning sickness.

A new study published in Nature Genetics has identified nine additional genes linked to hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), the most severe form of pregnancy sickness. Researchers say the findings could help develop better treatments and may even make it possible to prevent the condition before pregnancy in women at high risk.

HG affects about 2% of pregnant women and causes extreme nausea and vomiting. Unlike typical morning sickness, it can make eating and drinking nearly impossible, leading to dehydration, weight loss, and poor nutrition. In severe cases, it can affect the health of both the mother and the baby.

Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine at USC analyzed genetic data from nearly 11,000 women with HG and more than 461,000 women without the condition, making it the largest genetic study of HG so far.

The study identified 10 genes linked to HG. While four genes were already known, six were discovered for the first time.

The strongest genetic link remained GDF15, a gene that produces a hormone that rises rapidly during pregnancy. Previous research showed that women who have lower levels of GDF15 before pregnancy may be more sensitive to the hormone, making them more likely to develop severe nausea and vomiting.

The newly discovered genes are involved in pregnancy hormones, appetite, nausea, metabolism, insulin regulation, and brain function. One gene, TCF7L2, is already known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and may also influence a hormone called GLP-1, which helps control blood sugar, appetite, and nausea. Researchers believe these discoveries could help explain why some women develop HG while others do not.

Current treatments do not work for everyone. The team is now planning a clinical trial to test whether metformin, a common diabetes medicine, can increase GDF15 levels before pregnancy and reduce the risk or severity of HG.

Although more research is needed, the findings offer new hope for women affected by this debilitating pregnancy condition.

REFERENCE: Marlena Fejzo, Xinran Wang, Qing Tan, et al.; Multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of severe pregnancy nausea and vomiting. Nature Genetics, 2026; 58 (4): 810 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-026-02564-4