Outline

Physicians aim to find better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat acute kidney injury.

Early detection and prompt treatment could prevent long-term health effects of acute kidney injury, a condition that commonly arises while people are in hospital.

Delayed diagnosis and limited treatment options leave people with acute kidney injury at risk of long-term health problems. Researchers are now looking for ways to act earlier and more effectively.

Experts discuss the lessons learnt from COVID-19 and the challenge of preparing the world for the next global pandemic.

The tumour-suppressing protein p53 protects our cells from damage, and its malfunction is associated with a vast array of cancers. There are no drugs to restore p53 function in tumours yet, but several therapies are under development.

After a mixed-up start, it is now understood that most tumours exhibit dysfunction of the protein p53. Restoring its tumour-suppressing properties is no easy task.

Many tumours exhibit dysfunction of the p53 protein, a crucial suppressor of cancer. But, because the cause of this dysfunction varies, so, too, must potential treatments.

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in older adults, but techniques are being developed to offset the worst of the damage.

A raft of approaches for preventing loss of vision owing to this disease are showing their mettle in clinical trials.

People who develop the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) currently have no effective options for preserving their vision. But several promising therapeutic avenues are being explored that might just change that.

Some babies are born with hearts that have missing or malformed parts. A series of delicate operations can fix the damage and extend the lives of these children.

Some babies are born with a rare disorder in which only one of the lower chambers of their heart works properly. These single-ventricle defects (SVDs) can be managed through a complex series of operations.

Babies born with one small or malformed ventricle can be treated with a series of surgeries, but new techniques could allow doctors to begin treatment from within the womb.

Defects in diamonds allow them to be used for a diverse array of applications.

Synthetic versions of the super-hard gem stone are driving the development of a class of device with applications in biomedicine and beyond.

Diamonds, one of the hardest materials on Earth, are so strong that they can protect fragile quantum states that would otherwise survive only in a vacuum or at ultra-cold temperatures. Engineers are mastering the art of growing diamonds with special properties and detecting their quantum spins — opening up a range of sensing applications in the life sciences and elsewhere.

The skin supports a diverse community of microorganisms that train and support the immune system, and fend off pathogenic threats.

An interconnected microbial ecosystem might be key to maintaining dermatological well-being.

The gut is not the only part of the human body that hosts an important microbiome. The surface of the skin is home to a sprawling and complex microbial ecosystem, which interacts with the immune system and influences dermatological health.

Brachytherapy is an established treatment for prostate cancer with much to recommend it, but its use is declining as clinicians opt for flashier therapies.