Potential new antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea
In 2023, over 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses were reported in England alone - the highest number since records began in 1918. Most of the cases were treatable, but there is growing concern that some strains can't be dealt with so easily.Over time, the bacterium has developed resistance to most classes of available antibiotics and experts fear it may become untreatable in the future, unless new drugs are found. Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to serious health issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Gepotidacin works differently to other antibiotics and stops gonorrhoea from replicating by blocking two essential enzymes. It's already approved in the US for treating urinary tract infections. The trial, being presented at the ESCMID conference, involved 628 patients randomly allocated to receive gepotidacin or an existing antibiotic. The new pill was equally effective for treating gonorrhoea and worked against strains of the infection that were resistant to current first-line treatments, such as ceftriaxone. Side-effects were reported more frequently with gepotidacin, but they were generally mild, such as nausea or some stomach discomfort.
Gepotidacine is not the only new oral antibiotic for gonorrhoea that researchers are exploring. Another, called zoliflodacin, has also shown promise in phase 3 clinical trials. Meanwhile, the UK is considering a vaccine to help stop the spread of gonorrhoea.In November 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a targeted roll-out of the MenB vaccine.Primarily designed to tackle Meningitis B in children, the JCVI found the treatment was roughly 40% effective at preventing people from contracting and spreading gonorrhoea.
Dr Katy Sinka, consultant epidemiologist and head of the STI section at UK Health Security Agency, said it was "really promising" to see a successful trial for a new antibiotic to treat gonorrhoea."As gonorrhoea becomes increasingly resistant to antibiotics, it could become untreatable in future and cause serious problems like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Trials like this are so important to help us discover new treatment options."She said the best way to prevent an STI is by using a condom. If someone has had condom-less sex with a new or casual partner, they should get tested. "Early detection not only protects a person's health but prevents transmission to others. Testing is quick, free and confidential," she said.
Gonorrhoea: quick facts
Gonorrhoea is easily passed from person to person through unprotected sexAround one in 10 infected men and almost half of infected women do not experience any symptomsThe infection can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby, and without treatment, can cause permanent blindness for a newborn babyIt is not spread by non-sexual contact like huggingIt is not transmitted through surfaces and materials like toilet seats, towels, cups or platesIf you've had successful treatment for gonorrhoea before, you can still catch it againSource: NHSMore information and advice is available on this NHS webpage.
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The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Walking is ‘the perfect exercise' – new research reveals you need less than 10,000 steps per day for most benefits
This statement might sound ridiculous, but walking is in vogue right now; not as a means of getting from A to B, but as a vehicle for improving your health. As a fitness writer and coach, I'm happy this is the case. Almost one in three people are failing to meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) physical activity guidelines, according to a large-scale study published in The Lancet last year. Walking is one of the most effective ways to combat this. 'In the past, researchers and clinicians have described walking as 'the perfect exercise', and based on the body of evidence that has accumulated over the past few years, this is now truer than ever before,' says Dr Elroy Aguiar, an associate professor of exercise science at The University of Alabama. 'It is easy to perform, has a low barrier to entry and can elicit the full range of intensity, from light to moderate to vigorous, by simply adjusting your pace.' But how much do you need to walk to benefit your health? Previous studies have focused heavily on the number of steps required to reduce all-cause mortality. But, while this is a desirable outcome, it isn't the most relatable metric – few people are scribbling 'reduce all-cause mortality' among their fitness goals. Another study, also published in The Lancet, recognised this, so researchers set out to 'synthesise the prospective dose-response relationship between daily steps and health outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function and falls'. In layman's terms: how many daily steps are needed to see benefits in each of these areas? Here are the results, and how you can apply these findings to improve your health. 10-second takeaway The latest research suggests that walking 7,000 steps per day can significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depressive symptoms and falls. All movement counts towards improved health, with a separate study finding 'as few as about 2,600 and about 2,800 steps per day yield significant mortality and cardiovascular disease benefits, respectively'. The optimal combination [of weekly movement] comes from maintaining a solid baseline level of step-related movement plus a brief amount [21 minutes or more] of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day,' Aguiar says. This includes two full-body muscle-strengthening sessions each week, as per the WHO guidelines. How many steps do you need to take per day to improve your health? Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll be familiar with walking 10,000 steps per day as a fitness goal. You will also likely know by now that this figure originated from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer called the 'manpo kei' – roughly translated as '10,000 steps metre'. The number 10,000 is satisfyingly round and easily marketable, but it has no solid scientific basis. However, its adoption as a default daily goal by many popular fitness trackers saw it become an unofficial holy grail for health in some circles. In 2023, a study by the University of Granada challenged this notion, finding that the number of steps you need to take per day 'to significantly reduce the risk of premature death' is 8,000, while 'if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps'. The latest research in The Lancet – a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature – aimed to identify how many daily steps are needed to achieve a broader range of health outcomes. Despite its wider scope, it settled on a similar conclusion. 'For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, dementia and falls, an inverse non-linear dose-response association was found, with inflection points at around 5,000-7,000 steps per day,' it states. In other words: the more steps you take, the less likely you are to fall foul of these outcomes. This still applies when walking more than 5,000-7,000 steps per day, but there are diminishing returns. 'An inverse linear association was found for cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes incidence and depressive symptoms,' the report continues. It found that, compared with walking 2,000 steps per day, 7,000 steps per day was associated with: 47 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality. 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease incidence. 47 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. 6 per cent lower risk of cancer incidence. 37 per cent lower risk of cancer mortality. 14 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes. 38 per cent lower risk of dementia. 22 per cent lower risk of depressive symptoms. 28 per cent lower risk of falls. Researchers concluded: 'Although 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7,000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some.' But, they add, the study should be interpreted 'in light of its limitations'; the small number of studies available for most outcomes, a lack of age-specific analysis and biases at the individual study level. Can you build fitness from walking alone? Walking has previously been dismissed by some as lacking the intensity needed to generate tangible health benefits for the masses. But this latest research shows it to be 'meaningful movement that can improve a wide range of health outcomes', says Aguiar. This is particularly true for those currently leading a sedentary lifestyle – the move from zero exercise to even a small amount of daily movement will likely have a dramatic effect. But is walking alone enough to represent a comprehensive fitness plan? The WHO's physical activity guidelines, mirrored by the NHS, recommend adults do 'at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination of the two'. The NHS also says adults should aim to 'do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms – at least two days a week'. Moderate-intensity exercise is any activity that raises your heart rate and quickens your breathing, but isn't so intense that you can't hold a conversation – in the context of walking, this has been equated to a brisk pace, or a cadence of around 110 steps per minute. As an experiment, I went for a 30-minute walk under these conditions and racked up a little over 3,000 steps. If I did this daily, I would surpass the WHO's weekly physical activity guidelines and could potentially hit The Lancet review's suggested target of 7,000 steps per day, when incidental daily movement was considered. But ideally, there would also be some form of formal exercise in my weekly routine, Aguiar tells me. 'To meet physical activity guidelines, you need to perform about 21 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – roughly 1.5 per cent of the day,' he explains. 'But what about the remaining 98.5 per cent, or 23.6 hours, in the day? Is it OK to do 21 minutes of exercise, then sit or sleep for the remainder? 'While the evidence is not clear on this just yet, it's reasonable to say that we need to be moving throughout the day and avoiding prolonged sedentary time, which is independently known to be harmful.' He describes walking as 'the base of the physical activity pyramid'. Formal exercise is just the tip of the iceberg, while walking accounts for most of your wider daily movement. 'The optimal combination comes from maintaining a solid baseline level of step-related movement plus a brief amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day,' Aguiar adds. 'It is likely that future iterations of physical activity guidelines by the WHO and individual countries will feature a steps per day target. Importantly, a daily target should not be viewed as a replacement for the current guidelines, but rather it should be viewed as complementary, so it's a both/and scenario.' How to set a suitable daily step goal If you can fit a 30-minute walk into each day, excellent. If you can do two full-body strength training sessions per week on top of this, even better. And if you can gradually introduce some added intensity into a few of your weekly workouts, be that through running, swimming, cycling, HIIT or any other means, you're well on your way to a comprehensive exercise plan. But this isn't always an option. One possible reason why a growing number of people are insufficiently active is that 21st-century living is rather busy. If you struggle to include movement in your day, 7,000 steps is likely to sound like a metaphorical mountain to climb. But, to quote the WHO, 'all physical activity counts', and any extra exercise you can crowbar into your week will still have a positive effect on your health. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that 'as few as about 2,600 and about 2,800 steps per day yield significant mortality and cardiovascular disease benefits, with progressive risk reductions up to about 8,800 and about 7,200 steps per day, respectively'. In short, more movement is better, but a little can still have an impressive positive impact on your health. To reap the benefits of bite-sized exercise options, try the two tips below: Exercise 'snacking': The stereotypical workout lasts an hour, but given all movement matters for your health, it makes sense to squeeze some exercise in whenever you can – especially if you have a hectic schedule. This is called exercise snacking, and it could be anything from stretching at your desk to doing a few squats while brushing your teeth – our handy exercise 'snacking' guide can help you get started. If you want to up your daily step count using this method, you can implement it by parking slightly further away from the supermarket, getting off the bus before your usual stop or swapping the escalator for the stairs where possible. You can also inject some extra intensity into your walks by tackling a hill or upping the pace, as research has linked a higher walking cadence (the number of steps taken per minute) with improved health benefits – you can find out more about this by following the link below. Set achievable goals: People tend to set lofty fitness goals then lose motivation when they fall short. For example, aiming to walk 7,000 steps per day when they currently average 2,000, or going from zero weekly workouts to five. Instead, start small and work your way up – the feel-good hit of achieving these manageable goals can be a powerful stimulus for sticking with an exercise plan. In the case of walking, take a look at your current average daily steps per day via the health app on your phone or a fitness tracker. Divide it by five or 10, then add that figure to your average and try to hit this slightly higher target each day for the next couple of weeks. When this starts to feel easy, repeat the process, slowly taking yourself towards 7,000 steps per day. Why is walking 'the perfect exercise'? Walking is brilliant, but it's by no means magic. I would just as readily recommend other forms of exercise – strength training being premier among them, thanks to its body-strengthening benefits – to those able to access them. The problem is, for various reasons from physical limitations to opportunity, many people are unable to access other forms of exercise. Walking is one of the easiest, most accessible ways people can improve the amount they move and enjoy the many health benefits of doing so, making it a great way to supplement your weekly exercise plans. But if you swap your walk for a cycle and fall short of your daily step goal as a result, this isn't something to get hung up on. Your body has still enjoyed a workout, and your heart and lungs are likely to enjoy a similar stimulus from the two activities – all movement counts. The trick is to find an individualised approach that makes you feel good and allows consistent movement to become a habitual part of your life.
The Independent
13-08-2025
- The Independent
Making steps count: how many you really need for different health benefits
This statement might sound ridiculous, but walking is in vogue right now; not as a means of getting from A to B, but as a vehicle for improving your health. As a fitness writer and coach, I'm happy this is the case. Almost one in three people are failing to meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) physical activity guidelines, according to a large-scale study published in The Lancet last year. Walking is one of the most effective ways to combat this. 'In the past, researchers and clinicians have described walking as 'the perfect exercise', and based on the body of evidence that has accumulated over the past few years, this is now truer than ever before,' says Dr Elroy Aguiar, an associate professor of exercise science at The University of Alabama. 'It is easy to perform, has a low barrier to entry and can elicit the full range of intensity from light to moderate and vigorous by simply adjusting your pace.' But how much do you need to walk to benefit your health? Previous studies have focused heavily on the number of steps required to reduce all-cause mortality. But, while this is a desirable outcome, it isn't the most relatable metric – few people are scribbling 'reduce all-cause mortality' among their fitness goals. Another study, also published in The Lancet, recognised this, so researchers set out to 'synthesise the prospective dose-response relationship between daily steps and health outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function and falls'. In layman's terms: how many daily steps are needed to see benefits in each of these areas? Here are the results, and how you can apply these findings to improve your health. The latest research suggests that walking 7,000 steps per day can significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depressive symptoms and falls. All movement counts towards improved health, with a separate study finding 'as few as about 2,600 and about 2,800 steps per day yield significant mortality and cardiovascular disease benefits, respectively'. The optimal combination [of weekly movement] comes from maintaining a solid baseline level of step-related movement plus a brief amount [21 minutes or more] of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day,' Aguiar says. This includes two full-body muscle-strengthening sessions each week, as per the WHO guidelines. How many steps do you need to take per day to improve your health? Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll be familiar with walking 10,000 steps per day as a fitness goal. You will also likely know by now that this figure originated from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer called the 'manpo kei' – roughly translated as '10,000 steps metre'. The number 10,000 is satisfyingly round and easily marketable, but it has no solid scientific basis. However, its adoption as a default daily goal by many popular fitness trackers saw it become an unofficial holy grail for health in some circles. In 2023, a study by the University of Granada challenged this notion, finding that the number of steps you need to take per day 'to significantly reduce the risk of premature death' is 8,000, while 'if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps'. The latest research in The Lancet – a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature – aimed to identify how many daily steps are needed to achieve a broader range of health outcomes. Despite its wider scope, it settled on a similar conclusion. 'For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, dementia and falls, an inverse non-linear dose-response association was found, with inflection points at around 5,000-7,000 steps per day,' it states. In other words: the more steps you take, the less likely you are to fall foul of these outcomes. This still applies when walking more than 5,000-7,000 steps per day, but there are diminishing returns. 'An inverse linear association was found for cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes incidence and depressive symptoms,' the report continues. It found that, compared with walking 2,000 steps per day, 7,000 steps per day was associated with: 47 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality. 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease incidence. 47 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. 6 per cent lower risk of cancer incidence. 37 per cent lower risk of cancer mortality. 14 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes. 38 per cent lower risk of dementia. 22 per cent lower risk of depressive symptoms. 28 per cent lower risk of falls. Researchers concluded: 'Although 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7,000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some.' But, they add, the study should be interpreted 'in light of its limitations'; the small number of studies available for most outcomes, a lack of age-specific analysis and biases at the individual study level. Can you build fitness from walking alone? Walking has previously been dismissed by some as lacking the intensity needed to generate tangible health benefits for the masses. But this latest research shows it to be 'meaningful movement that can improve a wide range of health outcomes', says Aguiar. This is particularly true for those currently leading a sedentary lifestyle – the move from zero exercise to even a small amount of consistent exercise will likely have a dramatic effect. But is walking alone enough to represent a comprehensive fitness plan? The WHO's physical activity guidelines, mirrored by the NHS, recommend adults do 'at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination of the two'. The NHS also says adults should aim to 'do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms – at least two days a week'. Moderate-intensity exercise is any activity that raises your heart rate and quickens your breathing, but isn't so intense that you can't hold a conversation – in the context of walking, this has been equated to a brisk pace, or a cadence of around 110 steps per minute. As an experiment, I went for a 30-minute walk under these conditions and racked up a little over 3,000 steps. If I did this daily, I would surpass the WHO's weekly physical activity guidelines and could potentially hit The Lancet review's suggested target of 7,000 steps per day, when incidental daily movement was considered. But ideally, there would also be some form of formal exercise in my weekly routine, Aguiar tells me. 'To meet physical activity guidelines, you need to perform about 21 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity – roughly 1.5 per cent of the day,' he explains. 'But what about the remaining 98.5 per cent, or 23.6 hours, in the day? Is it OK to do 21 minutes of exercise, then sit or sleep for the remainder? 'While the evidence is not clear on this just yet, it's reasonable to say that we need to be moving throughout the day and avoiding prolonged sedentary time, which is independently known to be harmful.' He describes walking as 'the base of the physical activity pyramid'. Formal exercise is the tip of the iceberg, while walking accounts for most of your wider daily movement. 'The optimal combination comes from maintaining a solid baseline level of step-related movement plus a brief amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per day,' Aguiar adds. 'It is likely that future iterations of physical activity guidelines by the WHO and individual countries will feature a steps per day target. Importantly, a daily target should not be viewed as a replacement for the current guidelines, but rather it should be viewed as complementary, so it's a both/and scenario.' How to set a suitable daily step goal If you can fit a 30-minute walk into each day, excellent. If you can do two full-body strength training sessions per week on top of this, even better. And if you can gradually introduce some added intensity into a few of your weekly workouts, be that through running, swimming, cycling, HIIT or any other means, you're well on your way to a comprehensive exercise plan. But this isn't always an option. One possible reason why a growing number of people are insufficiently active is that 21st-century living is rather busy. If you struggle to include movement in your day, 7,000 steps is likely to sound like a metaphorical mountain to climb. But, to quote the WHO, 'all physical activity counts', and any extra exercise you can squeeze into your week will still have a positive effect on your health. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that 'as few as about 2,600 and about 2,800 steps per day yield significant mortality and cardiovascular disease benefits, with progressive risk reductions up to about 8,800 and about 7,200 steps per day, respectively'. In short, more movement is better, but a little can still have an impressive positive impact on your health. To reap the benefits of bite-sized exercise options, try the two tips below: Exercise 'snacking': The stereotypical workout lasts an hour, but given all movement matters for your health, it makes sense to squeeze some exercise in whenever you can – especially if you have a hectic schedule. This is called exercise snacking, and it could be anything from stretching at your desk to doing a few squats while brushing your teeth – our handy exercise 'snacking' guide can help you get started. If you want to up your daily step count, you can implement this by parking slightly further away from the supermarket, getting off the bus slightly before your usual stop or swapping the escalator for the stairs where possible. You can also inject some more intensity into your walks by upping the pace, as research has linked a higher walking cadence (the number of steps taken per minute) with improved health benefits – there is more on this and other ways to increase the health benefits of your walk at the link below. Set achievable goals: People tend to set lofty fitness goals, then lose motivation when they fall short. For example, aiming to walk 7,000 steps per day when they currently average 2,000, or going from zero weekly workouts to five. Instead, start small and work your way up – the feel-good hit of achieving these manageable goals can be a powerful stimulus for sticking with an exercise plan. In the case of walking, take a look at your current average daily steps per day via the health app on your phone or a fitness tracker. Divide it by 10, then add that figure to your average and try to hit this slightly higher target each day for the next couple of weeks. When this starts to feel easy, repeat the process, slowly taking yourself towards 7,000 steps per day. Why is walking 'the perfect exercise'? Walking is brilliant, but it's by no means magic. I would just as readily recommend other forms of exercise – strength training being premier among them, thanks to its body-strengthening benefits – to those able to access them. The problem is, for various reasons, from physical limitations to opportunity, many people are unable to access other forms of exercise. Walking is one of the easiest, most accessible ways people can improve the amount they move and enjoy the many health benefits of doing so, making it a great way to supplement your weekly exercise plans. But if you swap your walk for a cycle and fall short of your daily step goal as a result, this isn't something to get hung up on. Your body has still enjoyed a workout, and your heart and lungs are likely to enjoy a similar stimulus from the two activities – all movement counts. The trick is to find an individualised approach that makes you feel good and allows consistent movement to become a habitual part of your life.
Daily Mail
11-08-2025
- Daily Mail
How our 'killer' immune cells can be harnessed to beat diabetes and arthritis
A 'game changing' new technique which wipes out rogue cells responsible for autoimmune conditions may offer the hope of a one-off treatment for many debilitating diseases. Around four million people in the UK live with an autoimmune condition, according to a major study published in The Lancet. These arise when immune cells produce faulty antibodies that mistakenly attack the body's own tissues, triggering inflammation and tissue damage. Depending on the condition, different parts of the body are affected. In rheumatoid arthritis, for example, it's mainly the joints, with type 1 diabetes it is cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, and in multiple sclerosis, it's the nerves, leading to numbness and movement difficulties. The new treatment harnesses the body's own immune defenders, 'natural killer' cells, to wipe out rogue white blood cells responsible for producing the antibodies that launch these attacks. Early trials show it not only improves symptoms, but 'resets' the immune system, suggesting it may offer long-lasting relief. Current treatment for autoimmune conditions often relies on long-term use of steroids and immunosuppressant drugs, but in reducing the immune response these can increase risk of infection, cancer and other complications. In the absence of effective treatments many patients face years of fatigue, pain and disability. More recently, scientists have begun trialling CAR-T therapy, better known as a cutting-edge cancer treatment, for autoimmune diseases such as lupus – where multiple tissues and organs come under attack, including the kidneys, lungs, joints and brain. CAR-T therapy works by modifying a type of white blood cell called T cells so they recognise a marker on the cancer cell and then kill it. While promising, 'one drawback to this approach is there can be significant side-effects', says Professor Lucy Walker, chair in immune regulation at the Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, University College London. These include cytokine release syndrome, where the immune system goes into dangerous over-drive, triggering widespread inflammation, and neurological complications. 'While these may be acceptable in cancer settings, as late-stage cancer patients tend to be older, for autoimmune diseases, approaches with fewer side-effects are needed because they're chronic but not immediately life-threatening and often affect younger people,' she adds. It's hoped the latest breakthrough (called CAR NK –which stands for Chimeric Antigen Receptor Natural Killer cells) may prove an even better option. The CAR NK cells are a type of immune cell genetically engineered in the lab to target the cells that produce the faulty antibodies. The immune system then regenerates with 'normal' cells. The difference with CAR-T therapy, says Professor Walker, is that with the newer technique the 'CAR' (an artificial protein that helps immune cells attack specific targets) is put in 'another type of white blood cell, the NK cell, in order to deliver the same killing effect, but with fewer toxicities'. And while CAR-T cells must be made from the patient's own immune cells in a complex and time-consuming process, CAR NK cells can be manufactured in bulk from donor umbilical cord blood or stem cells, then frozen and stored ready for use, significantly reducing cost. The treatment is already being tested on patients with lupus, a condition affecting around 70,000 people in the UK and which can be debilitating, even life-threatening. After 27 people with severe lupus received an infusion of CAR NK cell therapy, all showed signs of improvement and 70 per cent went into full remission, according to results presented in June at a major rheumatology conference in Barcelona. What's more, there were no reports of serious side-effects. In another study, published in Cell in June, researchers treated a patient with systemic sclerosis, a rare and serious autoimmune disease that attacks blood vessels and connective tissue, leading to organ damage. After treatment, the patient's skin and blood vessels began returning to normal. One benefit of using natural killer cells is they do not usually trigger rejection, so there is no need for a tissue match. Professor Zhao Dongbao, a senior immunotherapy researcher at Shanghai's Naval Medical University and one of the lead investigators on the lupus study, told Good Health CAR NK therapy 'is expected to be used for the treatment of more than ten million patients worldwide, with more than one million patients with autoimmune diseases in the US and the UK'. He says plans are under way for formal clinical trials for lupus, 'with potential expansion to other autoimmune diseases in the future'. He believes the approach could 'transform care' for people with a wide range of autoimmune conditions. But Professor Walker cautions: 'The approach is promising but is in its infancy – it's only been tested on a very small number of people.' However, she says, if follow-up work 'showed it was successful, it could represent a much more targeted approach than long-term immunosuppression and potentially be tolerated much better'. Luke Evnin, chair of the US-based Scleroderma Research Foundation, is upbeat: 'The promise is that in a single course of treatment, the patient would get lasting benefit and potentially stop other medicines and be freed from disease progression. It would be a game-changer.'
