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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong
@carissacwwong.bsky.social
730 followers 87 following 46 posts
Health reporter at New Scientist. Email: carissa.wong#newscientist.com She/Her 🏳‍🌈
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 12
In my cover story for @newscientist.com this week, I dug into the fascinating new field of "cancer neuroscience".

Scientists have found that tumours hack the nervous system to fuel their own growth - and disrupting this interplay could bring new treatments.

www.newscientist.com/article/2482...
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Reposted by Carissa Wong
mjflepage.bsky.social
Michael Le Page @mjflepage.bsky.social · 2d
Regulatory cells in our blood play a key role in preventing our immune systems attacking us - and the discovery of these cells by Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi was today rewarded with a Nobel prize 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2498...
Nobel prize for medicine goes to trio for work on immune tolerance
The 2025 Nobel prize in physiology or medicine has gone to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for their discoveries around how we keep our immune system under control
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · 19d
The vast majority of long covid research has ignored how the condition may affect the menstrual cycle. Now a study suggests it may make periods longer and heavier.

www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier
Half a decade since the arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we're still learning about its complications, with the latest research suggesting that long covid may disrupt menstrual periods
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · 19d
Some of our immune cells fend off infections by undergoing an inflammatory form of cell death, but this may come at the cost of chronic inflammation later in life.

www.newscientist.com/article/2496...
Good immune health may come at the expense of chronic inflammation
Inflammation is a vital part of the immune response, but it seems that the system can sometimes go awry, resulting in chronic inflammation that has been linked to conditions such as cancer
www.newscientist.com
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Reposted by Carissa Wong
mjflepage.bsky.social
Michael Le Page @mjflepage.bsky.social · Sep 3
We’re spending more time on the loo 🚽because of smartphones 📱 - and that substantially increases the risk of getting piles, according to a small study 🧪

www.newscientist.com/article/2494...
Smartphone scrolling on the toilet could increase risk of haemorrhoids
People seem to spend longer on the toilet if they use a smartphone while sitting there – and all that scrolling may be boosting their likelihood of getting haemorrhoids
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Sep 4
Could psychedelics treat anxiety? A landmark trial found a single dose of the mind-altering drug LSD seems to reduce anxiety without lasting side effects.

www.newscientist.com/article/2495...
A single dose of LSD seems to reduce anxiety
About half of people with generalised anxiety disorder don’t respond to common treatments with antidepressants – but psychedelics may offer relief
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Sep 3
An intriguing study suggests the hepatitis B vaccine may reduce the risk of diabetes, and not just by preventing infections.

www.newscientist.com/article/2494...
Hepatitis B vaccine linked with a lower risk of developing diabetes
Being vaccinated against hepatitis B may reduce chronic inflammation levels in the body, which could help ward off diabetes
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Aug 19
Mouth-watering news...We've identified microbes that produce fine flavours in chocolate, a discovery that could lead to entirely new kinds of the delectable treat.

www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
How cocoa beans' microbiomes are key to the finest chocolate flavours
Nine species of fungi and bacteria have been found in cocoa beans that produce fine chocolate, and this knowledge could help producers develop better flavours
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Aug 15
We already use cancer-killing viruses to treat a few types of tumour. But cloaking the viruses in bacteria could extend this approach to a wider range of cancers.

www.newscientist.com/article/2492...
Cancer-killing virus becomes more effective when shielded by bacteria
Virus-based treatments are already approved to treat several types of cancer, and combining them with bacteria could make them even more effective
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Aug 1
Some respiratory viruses may activate the growth of dormant cancer cells that have spread to the lungs from elsewhere in the body.

www.newscientist.com/article/2490...
Covid-19 and flu may reawaken dormant cancer cells in the lungs
Mice with a handful of cancerous cells in their lungs experienced a 100-fold increase to this number after being infected with swine flu
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jul 22
Some people with irritable bowel syndrome point to gluten as a trigger. But new findings suggest that the protein, found in grains like wheat and barley, may not actually worsen symptoms in many cases.

www.newscientist.com/article/2489...
Gluten may not actually trigger many irritable bowel syndrome cases
People who follow a gluten-free diet in the hope of it calming their irritable bowel syndrome may actually be able to tolerate the common dietary protein
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jul 4
Do we grow new brain cells in adulthood? Yes, according to evidence that provides a "missing link" in one of neuroscience's biggest controversies.

www.newscientist.com/article/2486...
Do we grow new brain cells as adults? The answer seems to be yes
Scientists have found evidence of new brain cells sprouting in adults - a process that many thought only occurred in children
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 30
A single dose of a long-lasting antiviral has shown promise in protecting against all flu strains for months - and it could even work better than vaccines in some people.

www.newscientist.com/article/2486...
Single antiviral shot could offer better protection than flu vaccines
A long-lasting formulation of an antiviral drug greatly reduced people’s risk of a symptomatic flu infection in a trial, and should even be effective against new strains
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 25
Cancer cells steal mitochondria, energy-generating parts, from nerve cells. This theft seems to help cancer cells spread to distant sites - and targeting it could bring new treatments against the deadliest tumours.

www.newscientist.com/article/2485...
Cancer cells steal mitochondria from nerve cells to fuel their spread
Cancer cells can acquire energy-generating structures called mitochondria from nearby nerve cells, which seems to aid their spread, a discovery that could lead to new treatments
www.newscientist.com
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Reposted by Carissa Wong
jjaron.bsky.social
Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · Jun 16
It's absolutely wild that US government policy is that cows should be protected against bird flu, but people shouldn't - really interesting piece from @gracewade.bsky.social www.newscientist.com/article/2484...
How a US agriculture agency became key in the fight against bird flu
Amidst an ongoing outbreak of a deadly bird flu virus in livestock, the US Department of Agriculture is doing more to prevent the spread than public health agencies are
www.newscientist.com
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Reposted by Carissa Wong
gracewade.bsky.social
Grace Wade @gracewade.bsky.social · Jun 18
Loved @davidarobson.bsky.social's latest column for @newscientist.com. I only started feeling comfortable in a swimsuit when I began appreciating my body for what it could do rather than how it looked. I am a big fan of the body-neutrality movement! www.newscientist.com/article/mg26...
How to use psychology to feel better about how you look in a swimsuit
Recent research delves into our issues with "seasonal body image dissatisfaction", says David Robson, who has advice on how to combat it during the summer months
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 20
You're probably familiar with the pain and peeling that comes with spending too much time in the sun, but what exactly is sunburn (hint: inflammation)? How can we treat it? And what are the long-term dangers?

www.newscientist.com/article/2485...
To understand sunburn, you need to know how UV provokes inflammation
We’ve known for nearly a century that UV radiation is linked to skin cancer, but modern advice about sunburn can be confusing. To understand what works, you need to know what UV really does to your sk...
www.newscientist.com
carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 20
It's costly and laborious to make the cells used in CAR T-cell therapy, a transformative treatment for some blood cancers. But a way of generating the therapy inside, rather than outside, the body could cut costs and make the treatment more accessible.

www.newscientist.com/article/2485...
CAR T-cell therapy could be made in the body of someone with cancer
Treating types of cancer with CAR T-cell therapy is expensive and inconvenient, but a streamlined approach that creates the therapy within the body could make the intervention cheaper and easier
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 19
The herpes virus that causes cold sores starts reshaping our genome within an hour of infecting cells - targeting this process could help treat severe cases, or even lead to treatments against other viruses.

Read @newscientist.com.

www.newscientist.com/article/2484...
Cold sore virus immediately reshapes our genome to boost its growth
The herpes virus that commonly causes cold sores affects how tightly coiled our DNA is and makes it shrink, all to help itself grow
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 13
Tiny balls of lab-grown blood vessels restored blood flow to injured tissue in mice, suggesting the approach could help to minimise tissue damage that occurs after accidents or blood clots.

www.newscientist.com/article/2484...
Blood vessel organoids quickly minimise damage to injured tissue
Blood vessels grown in the lab in just five days could quickly prevent the tissue damage that can occur after an accident
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 12
In my cover story for @newscientist.com this week, I dug into the fascinating new field of "cancer neuroscience".

Scientists have found that tumours hack the nervous system to fuel their own growth - and disrupting this interplay could bring new treatments.

www.newscientist.com/article/2482...
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 6
Gently massaging the face and neck with a device boosted the brain’s waste disposal system in mice, suggesting it could reduce the severity of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

Read @newscientist.com.

www.newscientist.com/article/2483...
Massaging the neck and face may help flush waste out of the brain
Scientists have found a way to boost the brain's system to clear waste from the organ in mice, which could open treatment possibilities for neurodegenerative diseases
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 6
A retinal implant partly restored vision in mice and could one day benefit people with some forms of blindness.

Read @newscientist.com.

www.newscientist.com/article/2483...
Retinal implant restores sight for blind mice
Metallic nanoparticles injected into the retina partly restored vision in blind mice and could work as a treatment for conditions that damage light-sensitive cells in the eye
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · Jun 6
How do you tell if something is real or just a figment of your imagination? We've now pinpointed a brain pathway that seems to help - and the discovery could help to treat conditions like Parkinson's disease.

Read @newscientist.com.

www.newscientist.com/article/2483...
We've figured out how our brains sort imagination from reality
Two brain regions seem to work together to determine whether we are seeing something real, or merely a product of our imaginations - and understanding them further may help treat visual hallucinations
www.newscientist.com
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carissacwwong.bsky.social
Carissa Wong @carissacwwong.bsky.social · May 23
Do ultra-processed foods contain especially high levels of microplastics that worsen mental health? That's the bold question being put forward by @ntfabiano.bsky.social and colleagues.

So how plausible is the idea, and is it testable? Read @newscientist.com.

www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Are microplastics in ultra-processed food harming your mental health?
Many people are worried about the health effects of ultra-processed foods and microplastics, but could these two issues actually be linked?
www.newscientist.com
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Reposted by Carissa Wong
jjaron.bsky.social
Jacob Aron @jjaron.bsky.social · May 23
Microplastics, UPFs and mental health! A triple-whammy in this great analysis from @carissacwwong.bsky.social

Given we don't actually know microplastics or UPFs are harmful, there is still a lot more work to do, but I find linking them intriguing

www.newscientist.com/article/2481...
Are microplastics in ultra-processed food harming your mental health?
Many people are worried about the health effects of ultra-processed foods and microplastics, but could these two issues actually be linked?
www.newscientist.com
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