Intermittent energy restriction, time-restricted eating and continuous energy restriction can all improve blood sugar levels and body weight in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.
“This study is the first to compare the effects of three different dietary interventions intermittent energy restriction (IER), time-restricted eating (TRE) and continuous energy restriction (CER) in managing type 2 diabetes with obesity,” said Haohao Zhang, PhD, chief physician at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China.
Although researchers identified improved HbA1c levels, and adverse events were similar across the three groups, the IER group showed greater advantages in reducing fasting blood glucose, improving insulin sensitivity, lowering triglycerides, and strengthening adherence to the dietary interventions.
“The research fills a gap in directly comparing 5:2 intermittent energy restriction with a 10-hour time-restricted eating in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The findings provide scientific evidence for clinicians to choose appropriate dietary strategies when treating such patients,” Zhang says.
Zhang and colleagues performed a single-centre, randomised, parallel-controlled trial at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 19, 2021 to November 7, 2024.
Ninety patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the IER, TRE or CER group, with consistent weekly caloric intake across all groups. A team of nutritionists supervised the 16-week intervention.
Of those enrolled, 63 completed the study. There were 18 females and 45 males, with an average age of 36.8 years, a mean diabetes duration of 1.5 years, a baseline BMI of 31.7kg/m², and an HbA1c of 7.42%.
At the end of the study, there were no significant differences in HbA1c reduction and weight loss between the IER, TRE and CER groups. However, the absolute decrease in HbA1c and body weight was greatest in the IER group.
Compared to TRE and CER, IER significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and triglycerides and increased the Matsuda index, a measure of whole-body insulin sensitivity. Uric acid and liver enzyme levels exhibited no statistically significant changes from baseline in any study group.
Two patients in the IER group and the TRE group, and three patients in the CER group, experienced mild hypoglycemia.
The IER group had the highest adherence rate (85%), followed by the CER group at 84% and the TRE group at 78%. Both the IER and CER groups showed statistically significant differences compared with the TRE group.
Zhang said these findings highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of dietary interventions for people who have obesity and type 2 diabetes.
New University of Colorado Boulder research shows the popular sugar substitute erythritol comes with serious downsides, impacting brain cells in numerous ways that can boost the risk of stroke. The study was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
“Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that non-nutritive sweeteners that have generally been purported to be safe, may not come without negative health consequences,” said senior author Christopher DeSouza, professor of integrative physiology and director of the Integrative Vascular Biology Lab.
First approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001, erythritol is a sugar alcohol, often produced by fermenting corn, and found in hundreds of products made by various brands. It has almost no calories, is about 80% as sweet as table sugar, and has a negligible impact on insulin levels, making it a favourite for people trying to lose weight, keep their blood sugar in check or avoid carbohydrates.
But recent research has begun to shed light on its risks.
One recent Cleveland Clinic study involving 4000 people in the US and Europe found that men and women with higher circulating levels of erythritol were significantly more likely to have a heart attack or stroke within the next three years.
DeSouza and first author Auburn Berry, a graduate student in his lab, set out to understand what might be driving that increased risk.
To test impacts of erythritol on cells, researchers in the lab treated human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMECs) for three hours with about the same amount of erythritol contained in a typical sugar-free beverage.
They observed that the treated cCMEVs were altered in numerous ways:
They expressed significantly less nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes and widens blood vessels, and more endothelin-1, a protein that constricts blood vessels. Meanwhile, when challenged with thrombin, cellular production of the natural clot-busting compound t-PA was “markedly blunted.” The erythritol-treated cells also produced more reactive oxygen species (ROS), aka “free radicals,” metabolic byproducts which can age and damage cells and inflame tissue.
Previous research has shown that as little as 30g of erythritol (about as much as you’d find in 600mL of sugar-free ice cream) can also cause platelets to clump together, potentially forming clots.
“Big picture, if your vessels are more constricted and your ability to break down blood clots is lowered, your risk of stroke goes up,” said Berry. “Our research demonstrates not only that, but how erythritol has the potential to increase stroke risk.”
DeSouza notes that their study used only a serving-size worth of the sugar substitute. For those who consume multiple servings per day, the impact, presumably, could be worse.
The authors caution that their study was a laboratory study, conducted on cells, and larger studies in people are now needed.
That said, De Souza encourages consumers to read labels, looking for erythritol or “sugar alcohol” on the label.
“Given the epidemiological study that inspired our work, and now our cellular findings, we believe it would be prudent for people to monitor their consumption of non-nutrient-sweeteners such as this one,” he said.
Researchers found the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, introduced across the UK in late summer 2024, led to a 72% reduction in babies hospitalised with the virus if the pregnant parent was vaccinated.
The findings, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, are the first to show the real-world effectiveness of the vaccine during pregnancy in the UK.
Uptake of the jab among those who are pregnant could help to limit the number of sick babies each winter, reducing hospital pressures, experts say.
Virus protection
RSV is a common virus that causes coughs and colds but can lead to a severe lung infection called bronchiolitis, which can be dangerous in babies, with some requiring admission to intensive care. The virus is the main infectious cause of hospitalisation for babies in the UK and globally.
Receiving the vaccine during pregnancy helps to protect both parent and baby. Antibodies produced by the parent in response to the vaccine are passed to the foetus, providing protection from severe RSV for the first six months after birth.
Hospital admissions
The research team, led by the Universities of Edinburgh and Leicester, recruited 537 babies across England and Scotland who had been admitted to hospital with severe respiratory disease in the winter of 2024-2025, the first season of vaccine implementation. 391 of the babies tested positive for RSV.
Parents of babies who did not have RSV were two times more likely to have received the vaccine before delivery than the parents of RSV-positive babies – 41% compared with 19%.
Vaccinate early
Receiving the vaccine more than 14 days before delivery offered a higher protective effect, with a 72% reduction in hospital admissions compared with 58% for infants whose pregnant parent was vaccinated at any time before delivery.
Experts recommend getting vaccinated as soon as possible from 28 weeks of pregnancy to provide the best protection, as this allows more time for the parent to generate and pass on protective antibodies to the baby, but the jab can be given up to birth.
With the availability of an effective RSV vaccine shown to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalisation in young infants in the UK, there is an excellent opportunity for pregnant women to get vaccinated and protect themselves and their infants from RSV bronchiolitis this coming winter.
Dr Thomas Williams, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Paediatric Consultant at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People
Improve uptake
Previous research has found that only half of expectant parents in England and Scotland are currently receiving the RSV vaccine, despite its high success at preventing serious illness.
The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness of the availability and effectiveness of the new vaccine to help protect babies, experts say.
By Dhevarsha Ramjettan, Partner, Nivaani Moodley, Associate Director and Kanyiso Kezile, Trainee Attorney from Webber Wentzel
The Department of Employment and Labour (the Department) has ushered in a decisive moment for transformation in South Africa’s human health and social work activities sector (the health sector). With the publication of the national economic sectors and sectoral numerical targets, now in effect as of 15 April 2024, employers in this sector face new legal and ethical responsibilities to accelerate transformation and inclusion across all occupational levels.
In line with section 15A (2) of the Employment Equity Act, 1998 (EEA), numerical targets have been introduced to promote the equitable representation of suitably qualified individuals from designated groups across all occupational levels. For a sector so deeply connected to the nation’s wellbeing, the implementation of sector-specific employment equity targets marks more than just regulatory change; it signals a foundational shift toward greater inclusion and accountability. The health sector, as classified by the Department, encompasses three key sub-sectors: human health activities, residential care activities, and social work activities without accommodation. Each plays a vital role in delivering healthcare and social support services across South Africa.
The newly gazetted targets place designated groups, namely black people, women, and persons with disabilities, at the centre of a new equity framework. Designated groups are defined as citizens of the Republic of South Africa by birth or descent, or those who became citizens by naturalisation. Designated employers in this sector are now legally required to integrate clearly defined sector-specific numerical targets into their Employment Equity Plans (EEPs), with accountability measures to track progress and enforce compliance.
What are the targets for the health sector?
The targets are as follows:
Occupational Level
Target % (Designated Groups)
Male (%)
Female (%)
Top Management
71.3%
27.6%
43.7%
Senior Management
85.9%
39.8%
46.1%
Professionally Qualified & Middle Management
95.9%
49.8%
46.1%
Skilled Technical Workers
95.9%
49.8%
46.1%
All Levels (Disability Inclusion)
Minimum 3%
–
–
As illustrated above, the targets are set for the top four occupational levels. Employers may elect to use either national or regional Economically Active Population (EAP) data, depending on the geographic spread of their operations, as a benchmark when setting their numerical targets.
These targets are legally binding, not aspirational. Designated employers must actively report progress towards these thresholds in their annual submissions to the Department. Failure to meet or demonstrate sustained progress may result in increased scrutiny, the withholding of employment equity compliance certificates, and disqualification from doing business with the State. These figures therefore provide a compliance yardstick for designated employers.
Key implications for health sector designated employers
Designated employers must update their EEPs to reflect the numerical targets applicable to their workforce size and sector classification. These targets are legally binding and will inform compliance assessments and the issuing of compliance certificates, without which employers may be barred from doing business with the State.
All designated employers in the health sector are required to prepare and implement EEPs for the period 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2030. This plan must outline the employer’s strategy to achieve equitable representation across occupational levels, in line with the newly introduced sectoral targets.
Employers who become designated after 1 April 2025 will still be required to develop an EEP that covers the remainder of the five-year cycle, up to 31 August 2030. In drafting these plans, employers must refer to the relevant Codes of Good Practice issued under section 54 of the EEA.
The 3% disability target is a mandatory sector-wide requirement. Given the health sector’s role in driving inclusive care, employers are now expected to model disability-friendly workplaces and proactively recruit and retain persons with disabilities.
What should employers in the health sector do now?
Employers in the health sector should act swiftly to align with the new sectoral targets by reviewing and updating their existing EEPs. This includes conducting workforce audits to identify representation gaps and barriers that hinder the attainment of an equitable, non-discriminatory workplace.
Meaningful engagement with Employment Equity Committees is essential to developing practical implementation strategies. Employers should also invest in targeted skills development, retention, and succession programmes that support the advancement of designated groups in both clinical and administrative roles.
Finally, senior leadership must be equipped with the necessary training and held accountable for driving and sustaining transformation across all levels of the organisation. Transformation within the health sector is not just about meeting targets, it is about building a more inclusive and responsive health system. Employers must lead decisively and ensure that their employment practices reflect both the spirit and the letter of the law. Employers should conduct a thorough analysis of their workforce, policies, and procedures to identify and address any barriers to employment equity compliance.
The demands placed on South African frail care and retirement villages are tougher than ever. These establishments must consistently provide high-quality care, while addressing persistent staffing issues and adapting to an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
The limitations of traditional care models heavily reliant on individually employed caregivers can no longer be ignored. In response, a strategic shift towards collaborating with experienced healthcare professional service agencies is gaining momentum, providing a welcome pathway for facilities to greatly enhance care provision, optimise operational workflows, and mitigate potential liabilities.
Addressing the shortcomings of traditional models
Modern senior care facilities face growing challenges that necessitate efficient resource management. Rising operating costs, stricter regulatory demands, and persistent staffing shortages (particularly for specialised roles) create significant operational burdens. To maintain high standards of care and ensure resident well-being, facilities must adopt innovative solutions that address both operational and care-related needs.
Exceptional care can only be built on in personalised attention, and outsourcing allows facilities to raise their care standards by accessing a pool of highly trained and compliant caregivers in collaboration with a reputable healthcare professional staffing services provider. The right agency partner makes it possible for facilities to prioritise personalised care, ensuring each resident receives the attention required for the best outcomes.
Putting personalised care at the top of the quality scale
Caregiving agencies have an important role to play in implementing robust care plans in collaboration with doctors. By placing caregivers that work under the instructions of the facility’s matron or registered nurse, agencies assume responsibility for ensuring care plans are followed diligently, while clinical facilitators provide continuous training that ensures caregivers are competent and confident in their roles. Such a collaborative approach greatly enhances resident wellbeing and safety. With the expertise of such specialist agencies, retirement villages and frail care facilities can be assured that consistent, high-quality care will be delivered, a critical factor in building trust with residents and their families.
Ensuring competency, continuity of care and flexibility
Traditional work models, where facilities directly recruit and employ caregivers, often struggle with operational logistics in continuity of care and training. Here, staffing shortages due to unforeseen absences can greatly disrupt daily routines. In contrast, partnering with a staffing solutions organisation provides access to a reliable pool of caregivers on-demand.
A professional agency partner handles all scheduling requirements, while ensuring extra caregivers are oriented to the facility. This enables quick replacements (often within two hours) to minimise disruptions and maintain consistent care, while such flexibility also gives the facility the room to scale up or down on caregiving resources in direct response to the changing needs of residents without significant cost.
Critically, a key benefit of partnering with a staffing provider is the comprehensive administrative relief they offer. Agencies manage the entire recruitment process, onboarding, payroll, and continuous training, freeing facilities from these burdens. Here, the agency steps in to simplify processes and mitigate risk by handling everything from start to finish, with thorough criminal and reference checks to minimise security risks and comprehensive recruitment processes that ensure caregivers are proficient in English and possess the necessary skills and attributes for the job.
Outsourcing to continually enhance personalised care standards
One of the most compelling advantages to partnering with a staffing services agency is the fact that the facility has guaranteed access to pre-screened, trained, and compliant caregivers who have been through a rigorous upskilling course to ensure they are well-prepared for the frail care environment. The right staffing partner takes time to understand each facility’s unique needs and matches caregivers accordingly, with business unit managers actively participating in the selection process to ensure the perfect fit.
Equipped with comprehensive training on essential skills, including dementia care, palliative care and rehabilitation, these caregivers can address the specific needs of residents with confidence and compassion. Their specialised training relieves pressure on facilities and ensures residents receive appropriate care, which enhances family satisfaction.
The right partner also employs clinical facilitators designated to provide on-site training and support, so that the facility is assured caregivers are up to date with the latest care practices and technologies to continuously enhance the overall quality of care. Facilities benefit from collaborative training opportunities, further upskilling their own staff at no additional cost. Significantly, these specialised care services can supplement the core offerings of the facility to better meet the diverse needs of residents, attract a broader clientele and strengthen their market position.
An essential shift toward high-quality care
For the future of senior care, strategic partnerships with healthcare staffing providers are no longer optional, but essential. These collaborations ensure the long-term success of retirement villages and frail care facilities by optimising staffing, enhancing care, and mitigating risks. They are the foundation for delivering exceptional resident experiences and building a culture of safety and trust. These partnerships will allow facilities to meet the demands of today, while building a forward-thinking model for the dignified and compassionate senior care of tomorrow.
By sparking the immune system into action, radiation therapy makes certain tumours that resist immunotherapy susceptible to the treatment, leading to positive outcomes for patients, according to new research published July 22 in Nature Cancer. Investigators dove deep into the molecular biology of non-small cell lung cancer to pinpoint what happens on a cellular and molecular level over time when the cancer is treated with either radiation therapy followed by immunotherapy or immunotherapy alone.
They found that radiation plus immunotherapy induced a systemic anti-tumour immune response in lung cancers that do not typically respond to immunotherapy. The combination therapy also yielded improved clinical response in patients whose tumours harbour features of immunotherapy resistance.
“For a fraction of lung cancers where we aren’t expecting therapy responses, radiation may be particularly effective to help circumvent primary resistance to immunotherapy; this could potentially be applicable to acquired resistance, too,” says senior study author Valsamo “Elsa” Anagnostou, MD, PhD, co-director of the Upper Aerodigestive Malignancies Program, director of the Thoracic Oncology Biorepository, leader of Precision Oncology Analytics, co-leader of the Johns Hopkins Molecular Tumor Board and co-director of the Lung Cancer Precision Medicine Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins.
Researchers have long sought to better understand why some tumours grow resistant to immunotherapy and how to intercept that resistance.
Radiation therapy has been proposed as one possible way to induce a systemic immune response because of a unique phenomenon called the abscopal effect. Radiation at the site of a primary tumour typically causes tumour cells to die and release their contents into the local microenvironment. Sometimes, the immune system discovers those contents, learns the tumour’s molecular footprint, then activates immune cells around the body to attack cancer cells at tumour sites that were not the targets of the radiation, including some far away from the primary cancer in the body.
Because of this effect, radiation therapy could potentially improve how well an immunotherapy works against a cancer, even far from the original radiation site. Yet little has been known about the molecular biology behind the abscopal effect, or how to predict when and in which patients it will occur.
To study this phenomenon, Anagnostou and colleagues obtained samples from patients with lung cancer at different times throughout their treatment journey and from various locations in the body, not just at the primary tumour site. They collaborated with Willemijn Theelen and Paul Baas at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, who were running a phase II clinical trial on the effect of radiation therapy followed by immunotherapy, specifically the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab.
With help from Theelen and Baas, Anagnostou’s team analysed 293 blood and tumour samples from 72 patients, obtained at baseline and after three to six weeks of treatment. Patients in the control group received immunotherapy alone, while the experimental group received radiation followed by immunotherapy.
The team then performed multiomic analyses on the samples (combining different “omics” tools, including genomics, transcriptomics and various cell assays) to deeply characterise what was happening to the immune system systemically and in the local microenvironment at tumour sites that were not directly exposed to radiation.
In particular, the team focused on immunologically “cold” tumours — those that typically do not respond to immunotherapy. These tumours can be recognised by particular biomarkers: a low mutation burden, no expression of a protein called PD-L1, or the presence of mutations in a signalling pathway called Wnt.
Following radiation and immunotherapy, the team found that “cold” tumors far from the site of radiation experienced a prominent reshaping of the tumor microenvironment. Anagnostou describes this shift as the tumors “warming up,” transitioning from little or no immune activity to inflamed sites with strong immune activity, including the expansion of new and pre-existing T cells.
“Our findings highlight how radiation can bolster the systemic anti-tumor immune response in lung cancers unlikely to respond to immunotherapy alone,” says lead study author Justin Huang, who led the multiomic analyses. “Our work underscores the value of international, interdisciplinary collaboration in translating cancer biology insights to clinical relevance.” Huang was awarded the 2025 Paul Ehrlich Research Award in recognition of groundbreaking discoveries by young investigators and their faculty mentors at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
With Kellie Smith, PhD, an associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and a Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy researcher, Anagnostou’s team focused on patients who attained long-term survival with combination radiotherapy and immunotherapy, and performed a functional test to find out what the patients’ own T cells were doing in the body. In cell cultures, they confirmed that the T cells expanding in patients who received radiation and immunotherapy were indeed recognizing specific mutation-associated neoantigens from the patients’ tumours.
Finally, by tracking patient outcomes from the clinical trial, the team observed that patients with immunologically cold tumours that “warmed up” due to radiation therapy had better outcomes than those who did not receive radiation therapy.
“It was super exciting, and truly made everything come full circle,” says Anagnostou. “We not only captured the abscopal effect, but we linked the immune response with clinical outcomes in tumours where one would not expect to see immunotherapy responses.”
Using specimens from the same cohorts of patients, the team has recently been working to capture the body’s response to immunotherapy by detecting circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in the blood. That work was presented April 28 at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago.
A “gagging order” preventing Carte Blanche from broadcasting a programme about a Durban-based cardiologist accused of malpractice has been set aside.
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Siphokazi Jikela has ruled that the finalisation of the interdict, granted in early June by another judge, would “amount to an unjustified prior restraint and would undermine the essential role of the media in a democratic society”.
The matter came before Judge Jikela for determination on whether or not the interim order should be made final.
She has now dismissed the application and ordered cardiologist Dr Ntando Peaceman Duze to pay the costs.
Duze was accused by some of his patients of inserting stents unnecessarily, which resulted in them lodging complaints with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Carte Blanche interviewed them and got independent experts to corroborate their claims.
While Carte Blanche gave him multiple opportunities over two weeks to respond to questions, Duze turned to the courts, claiming “defamation” and preventing the airing of the segment. He wanted the interdict to be made final until the HPCSA had ruled on the complaints against him.
The matter was argued before Judge Jikela the following week. She handed down her ruling on Monday.
Duze, in his initial application, also cited two other cardiologists as respondents but did not persist with his claims against them.
However, he said the complaints against him were instigated by them because of “professional jealousy”, a “conspiracy” and a “smear campaign”, because of the success of his practice at Westville Life Hospital.
He said he had elected not to respond to Carte Blanche because the questions were “defamatory” and sub judice as the issues were under consideration by the HPCSA.
Carte Blanche opposed the application.
Advocate Warren Shapiro argued that both the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of appeal had determined that a “prior restraint” was a drastic interference with freedom of expression, which was only granted in narrow circumstances.
Judge Jikela said that while Duze claimed the broadcast would infringe on his right to dignity and may cause reputational harm, she was mindful that “any restriction on media reporting warrants careful and cautious consideration”.
“Several defences may be raised in response to an allegation of defamation. In this matter, [Carte Blanche] sets out the defences that directly address the core grounds on which [Duze] has based his case.
“Notably they contend that the broadcast in question centres on the personal accounts of his former patients, which are supported by medical records and independent expert opinion. Duze himself states that he consults, on average, 50 patients a day and he treats nearly every heart patient at Westville Life Hospital.
“In these circumstances, there is a compelling public interest in the dissemination of information concerning the conduct of a medical professional whose actions may pose a risk to the health and safety of current and future patients,” Judge Jikela said.
Carte Blanche had also said the intended broadcast included comments made honestly and in good faith which fell within the ambit of protected fair comment.
“It is trite that media publications on matters of public interest enjoy protection, provided they are made reasonably, without malice, and after taking reasonable steps to verify the information prior to publication,” the judge said.
Judge Jikela said Duze’s right to protect his reputation and professional standing was not absolute and it did not trump Carte Blanche’s constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression which includes the freedom of the press.
“Importantly, the public also has a legitimate interest in being informed about matters that concern public health and potential risks to patient safety.”
She said Duze had only made “vague references” to pending hearings and investigations. Duze had to show a real and demonstrable risk of substantial prejudice “as opposed to a remote possibility”.
“The HPCSA is not a court of law. The sub judice rule does not apply automatically to its processes.
“I do not believe that the broadcast will improperly influence the panel of medical professionals tasked with adjudicating the complaints against him, particularly where those complaints are supported by scientific and clinical evidence.”
Turning to the issue of the balance of competing rights, Judge Jikela said Carte Blanche had sought external objective opinions and had given Duze the right to reply.
“Media reports are vital in ensuring transparency, accountability and the protection of the public, particularly in sectors as essential as health care,” she said.
Medical practitioners had a duty to act in the best interests of patients. Where there were breaches of these obligations, the public had a constitutionally protected right to be informed.
“While the right to dignity and reputation must be respected, it cannot be invoked to shield conduct that may endanger lives or compromise patient care,” Judge Jikela said.
She said prior restraint had a “chilling effect” on the right to freedom of expression.
If the broadcast was indeed unlawful or defamatory, Duze could claim damages from Carte Blanche.
“The inconvenience of pursuing a damages claim does not outweigh the importance of safeguarding freedom of expression, particularly where the applicant [Duze] has not demonstrated irreparable harm or the falsity of the statements,” she said.
A major shift is underway in South Africa’s aesthetics industry, as cutting-edge platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is quickly surpassing fillers or traditional platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy as the anti-ageing treatment of choice, delivering results that patients describe as “four times better” than its predecessor.
“Since introducing PRF into our practice, patients overwhelmingly choose it over PRP for skin rejuvenation and anti-ageing,” notes Dr Reza Mia, aesthetics expert at Anti-Aging Art in Johannesburg. “It means injecting a more potent concentrate with four times the cells to produce the results needed than previous alternatives, and subjectively, patients report it’s indeed four times better.”
A significant evolution from the once-popular “vampire facial”, PRF uses concentrated healing cells from the patient’s own blood to address an impressive range of concerns.
“When someone needs to improve their skin condition, stimulate hair growth, treat stretch marks and scarring, heal certain injuries or wounds, or even enhance intimate well-being with our P-shots and V-shots, PRF delivers some extraordinary results. For example, with our P-shots and V-shots, we’re seeing dramatic improvements in post-menopausal and post-pregnancy concerns among women, while men are achieving some enhancements in size, function, and performance,” he explains.
Turning platelets into a living filler
Through cutting-edge techniques, Dr Mia’s team turns the patient’s blood into a natural injectable filler with a blend of active cells and filler material, creating a gel-like substance. The filler is then injected back into the face or other areas where volume is needed, offering a compelling substitute for hyaluronic acid fillers, and a more powerful alternative to synthetic products.
PRP’s shorter lifespan comes from the use of anticoagulants that prevent clotting and keep the platelets inactive until they are injected. These additives thin the solution, causing it to spread quickly in the body. As a result, the treatment has less time to work and build momentum.
Because anticoagulants can interfere with the regenerative properties of platelets, they aren’t used in PRF. Instead, PRF works with the body’s natural fibrin clotting process, creating a rich concentration of platelets, healing proteins, and repair signals that trigger tissue regeneration and collagen production – helping the skin recover and appear more youthful for longer.
“These platelets stay active for roughly three weeks, instead of the 12-hour window we see with PRP. The release is gradual and the platelets have more time to work in the body, so collagen and fibronectin production is stimulated for longer. This translates into thicker skin, steadier hair-growth cycles, and a noticeably longer glow. Our clinic further uses an advanced centrifuge protocol that can achieve more than four times the platelet count from a session with PRF, packing each vial with far greater regenerative potential.”
In practice, Anti-Aging Art uses PRF to revitalise and restore wherever the skin or hair needs a boost. It’s become a go-to for smoothing fine lines, strengthening hair follicles to fill in patchy beards and thinning crowns, and refreshing postpartum skin. “Many patients who switched from PRP to PRF report they healed faster and need fewer follow-up visits, making it a preferred option.”
The recovery time is also notably shorter. “With standard microneedling, patients remain red for two to three days. With PRF, they’re red for just a day – the platelets actually accelerate their healing.”
A non-surgical breast enhancement alternative
One of the most groundbreaking applications has been for non-surgical breast enhancement. “For patients who’ve removed their implants and now have tissue laxity, or those seeking natural enhancement without surgical implants, PRF filler is a game-changer. For breast enhancement, there really isn’t an alternative, with results lasting as long as six to 12 months.”
Because PRF is taken from the patient’s own blood and then allowed to thicken into a soft gel before injection, it acts like a natural cushion inside the breast. Once placed, the gel holds its shape for a few weeks, giving an immediate subtle lift. The platelets inside also continue to release growth signals that tell the body to lay down fresh collagen and create tiny new blood vessels, so the early fullness slowly turns into real, living tissue instead of fading away like normal swelling.
“Patients like that the injected material is completely theirs, with no risk of immune rejection, hard capsules or implant leaks, while routine mammograms remain easy for radiologists to read. Most women feel only mild bruising and heaviness for a day or two, and they’re back to normal within the week.
“There is some swelling over the first few days, so patients should plan treatments well before any special events. If you choose a top-up after a year, the new PRF simply layers onto existing tissue, giving a gentle, cumulative boost without stretching the skin unnaturally.”
Treatments start around the cost of a mid-range smartphone and vary based on the extent of the area treated. Results become visible quickly but continue to improve over time, developing over three to six months as collagen rebuilds, delivering significant value compared to multiple syringes of traditional fillers or surgical options.
However, Dr Mia cautions that PRF is powerful but not magical. “Regeneration has a biological ceiling. We can thicken skin, soften scars, and enhance breasts naturally, but PRF doesn’t replace surgical intervention for augmentation. PRF also isn’t appropriate for everyone – especially anyone with active cancer in the treatment area, since the growth factors could stimulate those cells.
“But for most patients seeking a rejuvenated, youthful appearance with that coveted ‘juicy’ glow, PRF delivers results that synthetic alternatives simply can’t match,” he concludes.
Schematic of approach to simulating brain shunt fluid dynamics. Credit: Harvard SEAS
Millions of people worldwide suffer from hydrocephalus, a condition which recently received greater attention when Billy Joel announced his diagnosis. Treatment usually involves surgical placement of shunts to divert cerebrospinal fluid away, but this procedure often leads to complications, infections, and multiple re-treatments.
Bioengineers in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have now developed a new computational model to aid the creation of shunts tailored to individual patients’ anatomy and needs. The model combines brain anatomy, fluid flow, and biomolecular transport dynamics to simulate shunt performance with pinpoint accuracy.
The work was supported by federal funding from the National Science Foundation and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was led by SEAS postdoctoral fellow Haritosh Patel, who works in the labs of Joanna Aizenberg, Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology; and Venkatesh Murthy, Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Director of the Center for Brain Science.
Repeat surgeries due to infection or obstruction
Tens of thousands of shunt procedures are performed annually in the U.S. — many of which are repeat surgeries due to the inserted devices becoming blocked or obstructed, or the patient suffering an infection.
“Some elderly patients told me they had had over 10 surgeries — one every two to three years,” Patel said. “We really wanted to understand why this was happening, and we realised that many of these obstructions and infections were tied to shunt designs that didn’t fully consider fluid dynamics as a fundamental part of their geometry. We noticed that the tubing geometry used in shunts closely resembles the kind of piping we rely on in household plumbing. While that simplicity has its advantages, we saw an opportunity to explore more creative, biomimetic solutions that better suit the complexity of the brain’s environment.”
Pursuing the problem from both a material and design perspective, the team quickly realized there was no universally accepted fluid flow model for the brain ventricle space to guide them. “Okay, well, we can’t test our devices in a model, so why don’t we first make a better model?” Patel said.
Computational tool simulates fluid flow in brain
The result is their computational tool, called BrainFlow, which combines detailed anatomical and physiological features of the brain to simulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid flow in the presence of shunt implants.
The model incorporates patient-specific medical imaging data along with pulse-induced flow to mimic a patient’s cerebrospinal fluid dynamics, all to offer insight into optimal shunt design, placement, and even choice of materials.
“We believe that our model, combined with novel geometries and materials improvements such as anti-biofouling coatings developed in my lab, could lead to smoother integration of optimized, patient-specific medical devices into patients’ brains, with less likelihood of complications, and a better quality of life,” Aizenberg said.
The Harvard team is currently conducting studies that use the model to test different designs of shunts and calculate their efficacy.
Neurotransmitters at a synapse. Credit: Scientific Animations CC4.0
A new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has upended decades of neuroscience dogma by revealing that the neurotransmitter dopamine communicates in the brain with extraordinary precision – not broad diffusion as previously believed. This groundbreaking research offers fresh hope for millions of people living with dopamine-related disorders, marking a significant advance in the quest for precision-based neuroscience and medicine.
For years, scientists thought of dopamine as a kind of chemical “broadcast system,” flooding large areas of the brain to influence behaviour. But new research, published in Science, found that dopamine acts more like a finely-tuned postal service, delivering highly localised messages to specific nerve cell branches at exact moments in time.
“Our current research found that dopamine signaling and transmission in the brain is much more complex than we thought,” said Christopher Ford, PhD, professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and lead author. “We knew that dopamine plays a role in many different behaviours, and our work gives the beginning of a framework for understanding how all those different behaviours could all be regulated by dopamine.”
‘We are really only at the tip of the iceberg in trying to understand how dysfunctions in dopamine contribute to diseases like Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia or addiction.’
– Christopher Ford, PhD
Using advanced microscopy techniques, researchers found that dopamine is released in concentrated hotspots which enable targeted, rapid responses in nearby brain cells, while broader signals activate slower, widespread effects. This dual signaling system allows dopamine to simultaneously fine-tune individual neural connections and orchestrate complex behaviours like movement, decision-making, and learning.
The implications are far-reaching: dopamine system dysfunction plays a central role in a wide range of brain disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, addiction, schizophrenia, ADHD and depression. Current treatments largely focus on restoring overall dopamine levels – but this research suggests that the precision of dopamine signalling may be just as crucial.
“We are really only at the tip of the iceberg in trying to understand how dysfunctions in dopamine contribute to diseases like Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia or addiction,” said Ford. “More work is needed to grasp how these specific changes in dopamine signalling are affected in these different neurological and psychiatric diseases. The goal, of course, would then be to build on those findings to come up with new and improved treatments for those disorders.”
