Credit card-sized TB test finds hidden infections in patients with HIV; this common mouth bacteria could predict survival in head and neck cancer; many older women may unknowingly have brain tumors – Morning Medical Update

The newest tuberculosis infection testing device by Tulane University is the size of a credit card, requires no electricity and significantly improves detection of the disease in those with HIV. © Vincent Postle/Tulane University

Credit card-sized TB test detects hidden infections in patients with HIV

Tulane University researchers have developed a handheld, electricity-free tuberculosis test that dramatically improves detection in people with HIV — who often go undiagnosed with current tools. Inspired by the chemical defense of bombardier beetles, the device — called ASTRA — uses a drop of blood and delivers results in four hours. In trials, ASTRA outperformed traditional IGRA tests in HIV patients, detecting TB with 87% specificity versus 60%. Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the innovation could close a dangerous diagnostic gap in low-resource, high-HIV settings.

This common mouth bacteria could predict survival in head and neck cancer

Brazilian researchers have found that the oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum was present in nearly 60% of head and neck cancer tumors—and its presence may signal better outcomes. Patients with the bacteria had an average survival of 60 months, compared to 36 months for those without. The study, published in Journal of Oral Microbiology, suggests F. nucleatum could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and paves the way for more personalized cancer treatment strategies.

Many older women may unknowingly have brain tumors

A new Swedish study finds that 2.7% of 70-year-old women may have undetected meningiomas — typically benign tumors that grow on the brain’s outer membranes. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, using data from the H70 population study, stress that while most cases require only monitoring, incidental findings during MRIs could lead to unnecessary surgeries. The findings, published in Acta Neurochirurgica, call for careful evaluation and common-sense management of brain tumor diagnoses in older adults.