https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us provides the latest news from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research WEHI researchers have led a major global effort to create the first authoritative atlas for a class of enzymes that regulate almost every cellular process in the human body. Published in Cell, the study establishes the first gold-standard reference for all human E3 ligases, resolving nearly two decades of inconsistencies within the field. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-enzyme-atlas-rewrites-decades-biology.html Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:00:03 EDT news693487614 Findings from two early clinical studies suggest a new dual-action antimalarial drug candidate is well tolerated in humans. The first-in-class clinical candidate, MK7602, is being developed by WEHI and global biopharmaceutical company MSD (tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., U.S.). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-early-clinical-results-milestone-malaria.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:40:02 EDT news693143821 A new study co-led by WEHI has found a simple blood test can help identify the early-stage testicular cancer patients who are most at-risk of cancer relapse. The CLIMATE study found a protein, which is released into the bloodstream by testicular cancer cells, could detect tiny amounts of remaining cancer after surgical removal of the testicle. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-early-blood-testicular-cancer-recurrence.html Tue, 03 Mar 2026 19:10:01 EST news691759294 Researchers have developed a new antimalarial drug candidate designed to address the growing challenge of drug resistance and potentially reduce malaria transmission. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-antimalarial-drug-candidate-potential-resistance.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:55:34 EST news685187706 Scientists have uncovered how a key type of immune cell adapts its behavior depending on the type of infection, paving the way for better vaccines and advancing research into immune-related diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-immune-manual-follicular-helper-cells.html Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:12:29 EDT news677931144 WEHI researchers have visualized a key protein complex in malaria parasites for the first time, uncovering a new target for next-generation vaccines that could help stop the disease from spreading. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-malaria-vaccine-parasite-fertilization-complex.html Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:52:53 EDT news673681966 Imagine having to eat something that makes you sick—just to see what's making you ill in the first place. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-celiac-disease-pain-diagnosis.html Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:49:05 EDT news668688541 Researchers have discovered how to block cells dying, in a finding that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The team at WEHI, including researchers from the Parkinson's Disease Research Center, have identified a small molecule that can selectively block cell death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-cell-death-discovery-gen-drugs.html Mon, 12 May 2025 09:08:08 EDT news666259683 A world-first clinical trial launched in Melbourne is being hailed as a "game-changer" for its potential to revolutionize the way people with bowel cancer are treated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-game-changer-clinical-trial-australia.html Wed, 30 Apr 2025 08:54:04 EDT news665222042 An experimental treatment for an aggressive and lethal brain cancer has been published in Nature Medicine, paving the way for a clinical trial to be conducted by researchers at The Brain Cancer Center. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-triple-immunotherapy-brain-cancer-paves.html Fri, 28 Feb 2025 11:40:10 EST news659964788 A new discovery in blood immune cells has put researchers one step closer to identifying a blood biomarker that would allow doctors to personalize treatments for Parkinson's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-blood-immune-cells-key-disease.html Thu, 09 Jan 2025 09:38:05 EST news655637881 Researchers at WEHI have identified a promising new two-in-one treatment that not only targets and destroys an aggressive form of brain cancer, but also helps the immune system develop a lasting defense against it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-09-treatment-incurable-brain-cancer-mouse.html Mon, 02 Sep 2024 11:55:04 EDT news644496901 Teams at two of Melbourne's leading research and medical institutes are developing high-tech solutions to rapidly test for drugs and better treat patients presenting to hospital. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-07-rapid-drug-patients.html Fri, 05 Jul 2024 11:40:04 EDT news639398402 A novel combination of two cancer drugs has shown great potential as a future treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), one of the most common types of blood cancers. A new study by WEHI researchers has revealed the combination of two existing drugs eradicated AML cancer cells in lab-based tests. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-05-treatment-blood-cancer-knockout-drug.html Wed, 01 May 2024 09:47:44 EDT news633775649 Researchers have found a new way to potentially treat one of the most common forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-protein-discovery-treatment-aggressive-cancer.html Thu, 14 Mar 2024 09:39:05 EDT news629627941 Researchers have unraveled how mutations in a gene can lead to an incurable neurodevelopmental disorder that causes abnormal brain development in newborns and infants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-02-insight-gene-uncovers-link-incurable.html Thu, 22 Feb 2024 14:15:03 EST news627833701 A new study has found a molecule hailed as a potential drug candidate for Parkinson's disease is no longer an effective therapeutic option. The WEHI-led research has debunked over 10 years of research that suggested a specific 'activator molecule' could be used to enhance the activity of a protein linked to early-onset Parkinson's disease, PINK1. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-overturns-previous-potential-parkinson-disease.html Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:11:04 EST news625140661 The p53 protein is a tumor suppressor that plays a crucial role in preventing the formation of cancerous cells. But when it mutates and becomes defective in cells, the protein can significantly boost a person's risk of cancer development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-code-unravel-mutant-protein-cancer.html Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:29:06 EST news620411343 While mitochondria play a crucial role in producing the energy our cells need to carry out their various functions, when damaged, they can have profound effects on cellular function and contribute to the development of various diseases. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-06-mitochondrial-rewrites-parkinson-disease-pathway.html Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:00:30 EDT news607078824 Usually occurring in children aged 5 to 7 years old, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is an aggressive type of brain tumor that affects 20 children in Australia each year. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-advanced-immunotherapy-treatment-children-brain.html Mon, 08 May 2023 14:33:03 EDT news602775181 According to Australian guidelines, women with newly diagnosed breast cancer should be offered genetic testing when they meet certain strict criteria—such as being diagnosed at a very young age or if many family members have had breast cancer—amounting to a 10% or more risk of having a rare, hereditary gene mutation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-05-benefit-universal-genetic-breast-cancer.html Thu, 04 May 2023 10:38:02 EDT news602415478 The World Health Organization (WHO) currently recommends oral iron taken twice daily as the standard of care in developing nations, but adherence to this treatment is poor. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-landmark-malawi-trial-boosts-iron.html Mon, 24 Apr 2023 09:16:05 EDT news601546562 A new antimalarial drug candidate, discovered through a longstanding collaboration between WEHI and global biopharmaceutical company MSD has entered Phase 1 clinical testing in healthy participants. The candidate drug inhibits two essential enzymes required for the growth of malaria parasites and the spread of the disease through human-to-mosquito transmission. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-resistance-fighting-antimalarial-drug-candidate-clinic.html Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:58:04 EDT news600008281 A landmark discovery linking iron regulation to a rare blood cancer has led to clinical trials of a potential new treatment for patients with the incurable disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-04-iron-treatment-incurable-blood-cancer.html Tue, 04 Apr 2023 10:10:07 EDT news599821801 Researchers have shown that a blood test for early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes can stave off serious illness and hospitalization in children.  https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-11-home-screening-diabetes.html Wed, 02 Nov 2022 10:37:41 EDT news586604258 Researchers have identified a new way to treat young children with Kawasaki disease (KD) to prevent life-threatening coronary artery damage and heart attacks. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-heart-complications-children-kawasaki-disease.html Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:01:04 EDT news585219661 WEHI researchers have revealed that common liver diseases are not driven by inflammatory cell death as previously thought, resolving a long-standing controversy in gastroenterology and pointing to a new direction for treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-discovery-redirects-efforts-treatment-liver.html Thu, 06 Oct 2022 09:55:31 EDT news584268927 A new discovery about how cells make antibodies has revealed the surprisingly random way the body's immune system defends against infection and disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-10-cells-molecular-roulette-body-disease.html Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:50:48 EDT news584095844 A powerful new genome editing technique is enabling researchers to replicate human diseases with unprecedented accuracy, promising to revolutionize the drug discovery process for a range of cancers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-09-advance-crispr-technology-replicate-human.html Wed, 21 Sep 2022 08:54:04 EDT news582969240 New research published in Clinical & Translational Immunology has identified the child cancer patients at greatest risk of developing life-threatening infections, a crucial step towards the development of an early diagnostic test. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-07-kids-cancer-lethal-infections.html Tue, 12 Jul 2022 10:33:52 EDT news576840829