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A low-cost drug long used in cancer care is showing promise in helping some children with autism improve their speech and behavior.

The medication, called leucovorin, is a form of folate, a B vitamin important for brain development. It costs only a few dollars per pill and is already approved by the FDA for other medical uses. Some doctors are now prescribing it “off-label” for children with autism.

Research suggests many autistic children may have trouble getting enough folate into the brain. In some cases, antibodies block the transport of folate where it is needed. Leucovorin appears to bypass this blockage and improve communication skills.

In small studies, children who took leucovorin for several months showed gains in verbal communication and understanding language. Some previously nonverbal children began speaking words and short sentences.

However, experts caution that the treatment is still considered experimental for autism. Larger clinical trials are needed before it can receive full FDA approval for this use. Doctors also stress that leucovorin is not a cure and does not replace therapies such as speech or behavioral treatment.

Researchers are continuing studies to confirm who may benefit most. While early results are encouraging, specialists advise parents to see this as a hopeful development, not a guaranteed solution.

Doctors have reported an extremely rare pregnancy case involving a 15-year-old girl with a birth defect that normally makes natural conception impossible.

The teenager went to hospital with severe stomach pain. Doctors were shocked to learn she was nine months pregnant. She was born without a vaginal opening, a rare condition that usually prevents pregnancy.

Months earlier, she had been treated for a stab wound to her abdomen after an assault. After reviewing her medical history, doctors concluded that sperm may have entered her abdominal cavity through that injury and eventually reached her reproductive organs.

Normally, stomach acid destroys sperm. However, doctors believe severe malnutrition may have reduced her stomach acid at the time, allowing sperm to survive longer than usual. This created an extremely rare medical situation.

Because of her condition, the baby was delivered by cesarean section.

Medical experts stress that this case is highly unusual. It does not reflect normal biological processes. The report was published in a medical journal due to its rarity and unique medical circumstances.

Scientists at Yale have identified signs of a condition they believe may follow mRNA Covid vaccination.

Earlier this week, Ivy League researchers described post-vaccination syndrome, or PVS. They said symptoms can last years after shots from Pfizer or Moderna. Reported signs include brain fog, exercise intolerance, insomnia, and heart palpitations.

Also reported were numbness, tinnitus, headaches, dizziness, and a burning sensation. The Yale team said some patients show immune cell changes. Some also had a dormant virus reactivate, causing flu-like symptoms. The researchers stressed the study was small and ongoing.

However, the scientists said there is no proof vaccines cause these symptoms. Many symptoms existed before the pandemic. Lead researcher Dr Akiko Iwasaki said the findings came from early work. The paper was not peer-reviewed and appeared on MedRxiv.

Meanwhile, the study reviewed blood samples from 42 Americans with PVS and 22 without it. Samples were collected from December 2022 to November 2023. Most patients reported symptoms after a first or second vaccine dose. Some reported onset after a third or fourth dose.

Finally, outside experts urged caution. Dr John Wherry told The New York Times,
“I would like to see more data on this topic.”
Dr Adam Gaffney wrote on X,
“There’s nothing wrong with studying vaccine side effects. There is a problem with this study.”
He added,
“And to coin this novel syndrome without even proving that it’s caused by the vaccine is very worrisome to me.”

Brittany Burnette, a 34-year-old mom of two, says her health collapsed after taking the COVID vaccine. “I’ve never felt so helpless,” she told DailyMail.com. Once a nursing home director, she received Pfizer’s shot in early 2021 to protect patients. Months later, she felt unbearable hip pain and soon needed two hip replacements.

Her nightmare didn’t end there. Over the next four years, Brittany had surgeries on both knees, both shoulders, her elbow three times, and even her foot. Doctors diagnosed her with multifocal avascular necrosis — a rare condition where bones die from lack of blood. Some specialists believe a mix of her COVID infection and vaccine triggered the damage.

The pain forced Brittany to leave her job and rely on a wheelchair. “I can’t even drive my kids to school anymore… it’s devastating,” she said. Still, she calls her husband and sons her biggest reason to keep fighting.

Her story highlights questions about post-vaccine complications and the need for more research. What do you think — should newer vaccines face tougher testing before approval?

A newly identified coronavirus found in bats in China has raised concern among scientists because of its potential ability to infect humans.

Researchers detected a virus known as HKU5-CoV-2 during routine monitoring of bat populations. The work focused on identifying animal viruses that could pose future risks to people.

Laboratory tests suggest the virus can enter human cells in a similar way to the virus that caused Covid-19. Scientists say this means there is a possibility it could pass from animals to humans, either directly or through another animal species.

The virus is closely related to the same family of coronaviruses as MERS, a rare but serious respiratory illness that has spread from animals to humans in the past. Although MERS cases are uncommon, its severity has made researchers cautious about related viruses.

The study, led by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, notes that similar viruses have previously crossed between bats and other animals. This pattern increases concern about future spillover events.

Researchers stress there is no evidence the virus is currently spreading among humans. They say further research is needed to understand whether it could pose a real threat and how such risks can be reduced.

A new study from Yale University suggests that some people may experience a condition called “post-vaccination syndrome” after receiving mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.

For years, individuals who reported lasting symptoms after vaccination said they felt dismissed. Many were told there was no clear evidence linking their health issues to the vaccine. The Yale research team now says some patients show patterns of symptoms that deserve further investigation.

Reported symptoms include brain fog, dizziness, tinnitus, extreme fatigue, and changes in the immune system. Researchers stress that their findings are still early and that more large-scale studies are needed to understand how common the condition may be.

Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, who leads the research, said the goal is not to discourage vaccination but to better recognize and study patients who believe they were affected. She emphasized the need for transparency, improved diagnosis, and safer vaccines in the future.

Health authorities, including the CDC, continue to recommend Covid vaccines, especially for older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Covid-19 still causes deaths each week in the United States.

The study has given some patients hope that their experiences will be taken seriously. Researchers say continued scientific work will help clarify risks while maintaining the broader public health benefits of vaccination.