17th February 2026, Tuesday

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HealthTech News

  • Why most flu infections fizzle: Fluorescent imaging shows transcription is a key bottleneck
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:59 pm

    For the first time, scientists have been able to watch the flu virus live as it infects human airway cells. They developed a new technique which makes the viral genetic material light up under the microscope. By tracking the virus throughout the steps of its life cycle, the researchers found out that only a minority of flu infections is successful. This is mostly due to errors in reading out the viral genetic material.

  • HIV entry blocker pairs CD4 mimic and antibody, showing sevenfold higher efficacy
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:56 pm

    Drug conjugates (ADCs) developed at Institute of Science Tokyo combine a CD4 mimic with neutralizing antibodies for enhanced suppression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. By targeting the gp120 on the viral envelope via a two-step mechanism, the ADCs effectively block viral entry—offering seven times better efficacy than existing approaches. Overall, the findings point towards a promising new direction for HIV treatment—targeting two viral sites with a single molecule.

  • Head position during brain and inner ear MRI can create artifacts that impact interpretation and patient comfort
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:50 pm

    Dark, diamond-shaped spots in inner ear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are not always signs of pathological changes—they can simply result from how a person is positioned in the scanner. A pilot study at the Karl Landsteiner University (KL Krems) shows that characteristic “flow void” artifacts in the inner ear become markedly more pronounced when the head is tilted back and less when the chin is tilted down. With the head tilted back, some volunteers also reported dizziness.

  • Novel biomarker predicts chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:40 pm

    Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new computational approach designed to better account for changes in gene expression within tumors relative to their unique microenvironments. This approach outperformed current methods for predicting chemotherapy response in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

  • Key brain DMT theory takes a hit: Rat study finds no detectable DMT in serotonin neurons
    on February 17, 2026 at 8:00 pm

    For decades, the idea that the human brain might naturally produce the psychedelic compound DMT has attracted considerable attention. It has been speculated that DMT could function as a natural signaling substance in the brain—possibly as a co-transmitter alongside serotonin.