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Greetings from Brooklyn, where the air is thick with wildfire smoke. Stay safe, everyone.
A new idea for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy divides experts
Viral vectors, step aside. A small startup from California has emerged on the rare disease landscape, proposing a novel approach to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy: ultrasound technology.
Using ultrasound to direct genes into specific tissues is not a new concept, as researchers have considered it for delivering chemotherapy to tumors. However, it’s often deemed insufficiently powerful for such tasks. Sonothera claims to have overcome this limitation.
The company asserts that its ultrasound method can deliver significant amounts of full-sized dystrophin to the muscles of monkeys, resulting in a 290% increase in the animals’ calves—nearly four times the level found in healthy humans.
But can these results in monkeys be trusted? Is this a breakthrough toward curing this deadly muscle-wasting disease? As always, the answer is nuanced. STAT’s Jason Mast provides a detailed analysis, including insights from skeptical researchers.
Hormones for me, not for thee
On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. service members will undergo testosterone deficiency screenings as part of their annual physical exams starting at age 30.
This policy exemplifies the Trump administration’s promotion of testosterone replacement therapy for men, positioning the hormone as a symbol of masculinity and health. The popularity of testosterone therapy has surged, spurred by health influencers and online clinics touting its benefits beyond current scientific evidence. STAT’s Annalisa Merelli consulted medical experts to gauge reactions to this government-endorsed approach.
Notably absent from Hegseth’s announcement was any mention of transgender individuals, many of whom use the same hormone treatments. Last summer, the Trump administration banned transgender individuals from military service and has taken extensive measures to restrict trans people’s access to hormones, often vital for their well-being. Testosterone, after all, is the same substance, raising the question: Why is it considered essential for some but disqualifying for others?
Brain implant restores touch, movement to man with quadriplegia
In 2020, Keith Thomas had a life-altering diving accident in Montauk, N.Y., leaving him unable to feel or move below the neck. On Tuesday, I spoke with him over Zoom, where he animatedly used his hands while talking about his dog, Bow.
What changed for Thomas?
He participated in an experimental study aimed at restoring movement and sensation in the hand and arm using a brain-computer interface and spinal cord stimulator. It was successful, and two years after the study concluded, Thomas has maintained many of the improvements noted in the lab, as detailed in a report in Nature Medicine published Thursday.
Could Thomas’ progress serve as a model for the approximately 300,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries? Read more in my article.
The state of the skies
Every time I see images of cities engulfed in wildfire smoke or step outside my Brooklyn apartment into the oppressive heat, I think: “This will be the coldest summer for the rest of my life.”
Recently, wildfire smoke has covered the Midwest and Eastern U.S. Several STAT colleagues have shared photos of hazy skies from their locations. The photo above, taken by STAT’s Emory Parker in Minneapolis, shows air quality reaching dangerous levels on Thursday. For those unaware of the health risks associated with poor air quality, Isabella Cueto’s informative article remains relevant even three years later.
Avoid going outside if possible. If you must go out, wear a mask.
Q&A: How to counsel LGBTQ youth as 988 revives hotline
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline faces a dilemma.
Specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth will be reinstated by year-end, yet they must now align with the Trump administration’s executive order that denies the existence of transgender and nonbinary identities, aiming to enforce a gender binary in U.S. policy. Advocates and experts fear that if these specialized services exclude transgender youth, it could be more harmful than helpful.
To understand how hotline operators might handle these challenges, STAT’s Theresa Gaffney spoke with Alex Boyd, the director of crisis intervention at the Trevor Project. Read more.
Senate GOP blocks measure to end pilot of AI prior authorization in Medicare
An initiative using artificial intelligence for Medicare care approvals will continue after a Senate vote split along party lines on Thursday.
The Democratic-led proposal aimed to halt the Trump administration’s use of prior authorization in original Medicare, where it’s seldom permitted. The WISeR model is opposed by the American Medical Association and numerous senior groups, including the AARP.
Currently, prior authorization in original Medicare is only allowed for certain outpatient services, specific home-use medical equipment, and non-emergency ambulance services. However, this could change depending on Republican actions. Read more from STAT’s John Wilkerson.
