The first month of the year 2025 unfortunately welcomed a new neurological disorder in India. This is Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). It was in the last month when a school teacher in Pune noticed her six-year-old son struggling to hold a pencil. At first she assumed it is just his frustration with his homework. However, later, this very thing turned out to be the first sign of GBS, a rare neurological disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks nerve cells. This then leads to muscle weakness, paralysis and even respiratory failure.

Within a few days, her son was admitted in a hospital, put under intensive care and was unable to move, swallow, or breathe without ventilator support. The good thing is that he is now recovery, however, there are many more such who fell under the blanket of this sudden outbreak of GBS.

What Is GBS?

GBS symptoms include tingling in the hands and feet, followed by muscle weakness and difficulty moving. Symptoms often worsen for two to four weeks. In severe cases, it can result in full paralysis and difficulty breathing, with a death rate ranging from 3% to 13% depending on access to medical treatment.

In recent months, Pune has reported over 160 cases of GBS, with five deaths suspected. Currently, 48 people are in critical condition, 21 are on ventilators, and 38 have been released. The outbreak is being linked to Campylobacter jejuni, a foodborne pathogen that has been identified as a leading cause of GBS worldwide.

What Is The Link Between Campylobacter and GBS?

Campylobacter is a bacterium that is frequently found in raw chicken, contaminated water, and poor food handling procedures. In the 1990s, researchers discovered a link between it and GBS in rural China, when children were exposed to contaminated water during the monsoon season.

Experts believe that Campylobacter infections are more likely to produce GBS in countries with poor sanitation, whereas respiratory infections are more frequent in high-hygiene areas. In 2015, Brazil reported an increase in GBS cases associated with the Zika virus, whilst COVID-19 vaccinations were related to a limited number of GBS infections in the United Kingdom.

Is GBS Rare?

Although Campylobacter is widespread, only 1 in 100 strains carry the molecular structure which can trigger GBS. Among the people infected with this rare strain, only 1 in 100 will develop GBS, and so the overall risk will be 1 in 10,000.

This phenomenon is known as molecular mimicry. Some Campylobacter strains have a sugar-coated outer layer that resembles human nerve cells. When the immune system attacks the bacteria, it may mistakenly destroy nerve cells as well, leading to GBS. Scientists believe that a particularly aggressive Campylobacter strain is currently circulating in Pune, causing an uptick in cases.

Is There Any Cure?

For now, there is no cure to this, however there are ways to manage it. Many physicians use plasma exchange to remove harmful antibodies from the blood. Antibody treatment with intravenous immunoglobin can also reduce the severity of disease.

The World Health Organization too has stepped in to investigate the outbreak. For now, experts have urged the public to not panic and ensure that they are taking all safety and hygiene precautions in consuming water and food.

Age is a universal truth—every second that passes, we move closer to our later years. But growing older and ageing aren’t exactly the same. Ageing refers not merely to the passage of time but to how our bodies and minds cope with it. Intriguingly, some people maintain vitality and health well into their 80s or 90s, while others experience frailty, cognitive decline, or chronic illnesses far earlier.

A recent study led by an international team at the University of Colorado Boulder sheds light on why this happens. Published in Nature Genetics, the research identifies six distinct biological pathways that accelerate ageing, revealing how genetics and lifestyle combine to influence our longevity and overall health.

What Accelerates Unhealthy Ageing In Human Beings?

Frailty, defined as multisystem physiological decline, is a hallmark of unhealthy ageing. In the United States, more than 40% of adults over 65 are considered frail, showing symptoms like slower walking speed, weaker grip, and a higher number of diagnosed illnesses. But frailty isn’t uniform. Two people with identical frailty scores could be struggling with entirely different issues—one might face mobility limitations, while the other battles cognitive decline.

Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, a frailty expert at Dalhousie University in Canada and co-author of the study, emphasizes that ageing is not a single process. “Aging is not just one thing. There are many ways to be frail. The question then becomes: What genes are involved?”

To tackle this question, researchers examined DNA and health data from hundreds of thousands of participants in the UK Biobank, mapping 408 genes linked to 30 frailty symptoms. This was a dramatic increase from the 37 genes previously associated with accelerated ageing, revealing a much broader genetic landscape than previously understood.

What Are The Six Triggers That Can Make You Age Faster?

The study highlights six distinct pathways that contribute to unhealthy ageing, each with its own underlying biology:

Disability-Linked Ageing: Genes affecting mobility, coordination, and physical strength. Individuals in this group often experience reduced walking speed, poor balance, and difficulty performing daily tasks.

Cognitive Decline: Genes influencing brain function, memory, and learning. Those affected are more likely to develop dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or other forms of cognitive impairment.

Metabolic Dysfunction: Genes involved in metabolism and energy regulation. This pathway can result in obesity, insulin resistance, or diabetes, accelerating age-related deterioration.

Multiple Disease Burden: A combination of genetic predispositions that increase susceptibility to several chronic conditions simultaneously, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and cancer.

Unhealthy Lifestyle: Environmental and behavioral factors such as poor diet, smoking, sedentary habits, and insufficient sleep, which interact with genetic susceptibility to exacerbate ageing.

Limited Social Support: Genes and psychosocial factors that influence mental health, stress response, and social engagement. Lack of social networks can compound physical and cognitive decline.

Why Do Some People Get Better With Age?

Senior author Andrew Grotzinger, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at CU Boulder, highlights that while the study focuses on genetic underpinnings, lifestyle factors cannot be ignored. “This paper not only identifies sub-facets of disordered aging but also demonstrates that there is very different biology underlying them,” he explains.

For example, someone with genetic vulnerabilities in metabolism may mitigate accelerated ageing by maintaining a balanced diet and regular exercise, while social isolation may amplify cognitive and physical decline in another individual. Understanding the intersection of genes and lifestyle is critical for designing personalized interventions.

This study represents the largest genetic exploration of frailty to date, providing a roadmap for future interventions aimed at slowing or reversing unhealthy ageing. By identifying the distinct subtypes, researchers hope to develop targeted therapies that address the root biological causes rather than just the symptoms of frailty.

Potential interventions could include cognitive training programs for those genetically predisposed to mental decline, metabolic regulation therapies, or community-based programs to improve social engagement and psychological resilience.

Moreover, the findings could inform public health strategies, helping clinicians identify at-risk populations earlier and provide tailored guidance on diet, exercise, and social habits.

While ageing is inevitable, unhealthy ageing is not. The insights from this study could revolutionize how we approach longevity, offering the possibility of personalized ageing plans based on genetic profiling and lifestyle interventions.

As Dr. Isabelle Foote, co-author and postdoctoral researcher at CU’s Institute for Behavioral Genetics, notes, “To be able to identify treatments to stop or reverse accelerated biological aging, you need to know what the underlying biology is. This is the largest study yet to use genetics to try to do that.”

By recognizing the six distinct triggers of accelerated ageing, scientists are laying the foundation for therapies that could help millions of people maintain health, mobility, and cognitive function well into their later years.

The search for stronger, longer-lasting teeth has been a cornerstone of dentistry. From the widespread use of fluoride to modern resin fillings, the field has steadily advanced but has never managed to replicate the extraordinary natural material that coats our teeth: enamel. Once it erodes, it’s gone forever—or at least, that’s what we’ve always believed.

Now, researchers from King’s College London are challenging this assumption with an unusual but promising source: keratin, the protein that makes up human hair and animal wool. Their findings suggest that something as simple as a haircut could one day contribute to regenerating tooth enamel and transforming oral care.

Why Tooth Enamel Is Irreplaceable?

Tooth enamel may look simple—a hard, shiny coating that gives teeth their strength and luster—but it is one of the most remarkable substances in the human body. Harder than bone, enamel is designed to withstand decades of grinding, chewing, and exposure to temperature extremes.

Unlike bone, however, enamel is non-living. It lacks the cells and blood supply necessary to heal itself. That’s why a small cavity or a patch of erosion, if left untreated, can become a permanent problem. Once enamel wears away, it exposes dentin, a softer layer that appears yellow and is far more vulnerable to decay.

The impact of enamel erosion is staggering. Dental decay weakens a tooth’s strength by up to 95 percent, leaving it prone to fractures, sensitivity, and eventually loss. According to the Global Burden of Disease 2019, untreated cavities affect an estimated two billion people worldwide, making dental decay the most common disease on the planet.

What Are The Limitations of Current Dental Treatments?

Modern dentistry has developed tools to slow or mask the damage caused by enamel loss, but not to restore it. Fluoride can strengthen remaining enamel and delay erosion, but it cannot rebuild what has already vanished. Resin-based fillings, while effective in patching cavities, are no match for the natural durability and resilience of enamel. Worse still, resins can contain toxic compounds and lack the long-term strength of natural tooth material.

The result is a cycle of temporary fixes. Cavities are filled, fillings fail, larger restorations follow, and eventually, teeth are lost. As populations age and diets grow increasingly sugar-heavy, the financial and health burden of this cycle is enormous. The challenge has been clear: how can dentistry move beyond patchwork solutions to true biological regeneration?

How Does A Hair Protein Improve Your Teeth?

The answer may lie in keratin, the fibrous protein best known for forming hair, nails, and wool. In their study, researchers at King’s College London extracted keratin from sheep wool and introduced it into a solution designed to mimic human saliva. To their surprise, the keratin didn’t simply dissolve or degrade—it began pulling minerals from the artificial saliva and assembling them into structures that closely resembled natural tooth enamel.

The regenerated material didn’t just look like enamel under a microscope; it behaved like enamel, too. It demonstrated the same stiffness, resistance to wear, and pearly shine that makes natural teeth so resilient.

What’s more, the team discovered that mixing different types of keratin produced superior results. By layering proteins in a hierarchical structure—similar to Russian nesting dolls—they achieved enamel-like material with remarkable strength, durability, and resistance to various forms of degradation.

Attempts to regrow enamel are not new. Previous efforts have focused on peptides, stem cells, and synthetic biomaterials. Yet these approaches have often stumbled over practical barriers, from poor bioavailability to the inability to repair deep cavities.

Keratin may offer a way around these roadblocks. It is abundant, renewable, and can be sourced from waste materials like wool or hair, aligning with a circular economy model. Unlike synthetic resins, keratin-based materials are biocompatible and less likely to trigger toxicity or rejection.

As Dr. Sherif Elsharkawy, the study’s senior author, put it: “We are entering an exciting era where biotechnology allows us to not just treat symptoms but restore biological function using the body’s own materials.”

While the concept might sound futuristic, researchers believe keratin-based enamel boosters could be available within two to three years. Potential applications range from everyday products like toothpaste to more targeted dental gels applied by clinicians.

Imagine visiting your dentist not for a drill-and-fill appointment but for a keratin “varnish” that coats your teeth, hardening over time into new enamel. Or brushing daily with a toothpaste that rebuilds microscopic enamel loss before it develops into a cavity.

If successful, these products could revolutionize dental care by shifting the focus from repair to regeneration.

The implications stretch far beyond whiter smiles. Dental decay is a leading cause of pain, disability, and lost productivity worldwide, especially in low-resource settings where access to dental care is limited. A safe, affordable way to restore enamel could dramatically reduce the burden of oral disease across populations.

The study, published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, is still in early stages. Researchers must test keratin-based enamel in real-world conditions, ensuring it can withstand the stresses of chewing, exposure to bacteria, and years of daily use. Clinical trials will be critical before any commercial rollout.

Still, the concept is generating excitement as co-author Elsharkawy noted, “With further development and the right industry partnerships, we may soon be growing stronger, healthier smiles from something as simple as a haircut.”

Hundreds of children lined up at health centers in East Java on Monday as Indonesia began a mass vaccination drive to curb a deadly measles outbreak that has claimed 17 lives in recent months. The campaign, which targets tens of thousands of young children, comes amid concerns over low vaccination coverage in the world’s fourth most populous nation.

Outbreak Hits East Java Hard

According to the Sumenep District Health Agency, more than 2,000 children have been infected with measles in East Java over the past eight months. Sixteen of the 17 deaths were reported in Sumenep district, where officials revealed that none of the patients had received complete measles immunization.

Deputy chief of Sumenep district Imam Hasyim urged parents to ensure their children receive the shots. “Otherwise, this disease, measles, will spread further among our children. It will be even more fatal in the future,” he said. Authorities are aiming to vaccinate 78,000 children aged between nine months and six years as part of the emergency drive.

What Is Measles?

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through coughing, sneezing, or direct contact with an infected person. Symptoms often start with a high fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by a distinctive red rash that spreads across the body.

While measles may seem like a childhood illness, it can cause severe complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, blindness, and even death. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that measles is among the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine.

Past Outbreaks in Indonesia

This is not Indonesia’s first struggle with measles outbreaks. In 2018, the eastern province of Papua experienced a major outbreak that killed dozens. At the time, vaccination efforts faced hurdles when the Indonesian Ulema Council announced that the measles-rubella vaccine contained pork derivatives. While authorities permitted temporary use of the vaccine made by India’s Serum Institute, vaccination rates dropped as debates over halal certification grew.

Last year, only 72% of Indonesia’s 22 million children under the age of five received the measles vaccine, according to government statistics. In some provinces, coverage fell below 50%, far short of the 95% rate needed to prevent outbreaks.

Global Concern Over Measles Resurgence

The outbreak in Indonesia mirrors a troubling global trend. WHO reported that 60 countries experienced major measles outbreaks in 2023. Worldwide, about 84% of children received their first dose of the vaccine and 76% got the recommended second dose. Public health experts, however, stress that vaccination rates must be significantly higher to achieve herd immunity.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported the highest number of measles cases in over 30 years. Similar outbreaks have been recorded across Europe, Africa, and Latin America, underscoring how quickly the virus can spread when immunization coverage declines.

Authorities Call for Collective Action

Indonesian officials have appealed to local leaders, community groups, and religious authorities to encourage participation in the vaccination campaign. Given the sensitivity around vaccine ingredients in the past, their role is considered vital in restoring public trust.

Health experts stress that strengthening immunization programs is critical for Indonesia’s future. With millions of children still vulnerable, they warn that outbreaks will continue unless vaccine coverage improves substantially.

As the latest campaign rolls out, parents like those in Sumenep are being urged to prioritize their children’s protection. For many, this mass drive could mean the difference between life and death.