📰 A miniature injectable device is being developed that will help treat chronic pain and movement disorders. Revolutionizing implant technology, this new device is the size of a seed and powered wirelessly, thus eliminating the need for batteries, wires, and surgery!

📰 A new study found that people with celiac disease showed consistent differences in immune cell function. There even appear to be differences in immune system functions before symptoms develop. The researchers hope these findings will lead to more personalised monitoring and better care in the future.

📰 Researchers from Radboud University Medical Center have developed a new test that is better able to diagnose rare genetic disorders, provides a much more complete picture of DNA, and can replace fifteen other tests!

📰 Scientists may have figured out a way to regrow worn-out joint cartilage! This could be a game-changer for people with cartilage damage from aging or arthritis, and could even eliminate the need for knee and hip replacement surgeries in the future.

📰 Researchers at Kyushu University have discovered that the circadian clock may be linked to inflammatory responses in immune cells. These findings could improve treatmeants for inflammatory diseases and cancer as they indicate that giving anti-inflammatory drugs at a particular time of day could enhance treatment efficacy and minimize side effects.

Just before the World Athletics Championships, controversy erupts over a requirement for 14 Norwegian female athletes to undergo genetic sex testing, a procedure deemed illegal under Norwegian law and potentially a violation of human rights, NRK reports.

The tests, mandated by international sports federations, conflict with Norway’s Biotech Act, which prohibits such genetic testing without legal basis.

Team doctor Ove Talsnes expresses concern, noting that facilitating these tests could expose him and others to legal consequences.

Human rights lawyer Olaf Halvorsen Rønning warns that forcing athletes to undergo genetic testing infringes on their right to privacy and could constitute a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Despite some athletes reportedly accepting such tests, legal experts argue that sports organizations cannot override national laws.

The international athletics federation (WA) expressed surprise at the legal implications, while other sports like boxing have adopted similar testing requirements.

Only athletes from Norway and France have not yet undergone the mandatory gender tests ahead of the World Athletics Championship.

Kjønnstest kan være brudd på menneskerettighetene Google translate.

Let’s clear up one of the biggest myths in the EDS world:

“If my genetic test was normal, I don’t have EDS.”

Not true.

Genetic testing is can be valuable — but only for certain types of EDS.

If your provider suspects vascular EDS or another rare subtype, testing is essential and potentially lifesaving.

But if your symptoms align with hypermobile EDS (hEDS), diagnosis relies on:

• Beighton score • Systemic features • Family history • Chronic joint instability • Exclusion of other connective tissue disorders

Many women pursue expensive genetic testing hoping for validation — only to feel more confused afterward.

Here’s what genetic testing cannot tell you: ✘ It cannot measure joint instability ✘ It cannot measure pain ✘ It cannot measure fatigue ✘ It cannot assess nervous system dysfunction

It identifies mutations — not symptom burden.

The goal of testing should always be clarity and safety, not validation alone.

If you’re considering testing, talk to a provider who understands when it’s appropriate — and when it’s not necessary.

Knowledge is empowering. But context matters.

Waardenburg syndrome type 1

An FDA-approved test that claims it can identify genetic risk for opioid use disorder (OUD) is so flawed as to basically be useless – at least according to a new study published in Jama.

The genetic test, which is sold under the brand name “AvertD” was given approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2023. The test claims it can use 15 genetic variants to identify people at risk for misusing opioids.

The Jama study explains more specifically that "the package insert for the test says it uses 15 detected genetic polymorphisms that are involved in the brain reward pathways that are associated with OUD.”

However, the study says the test company provides no citations to support the associations between the reward pathways and OUD — meaning the test’s foundation itself seems to be flawed. (Read more at link)