Experts Warn of New Dangers from Self-Injecting Culture
Concerns rise over hospitalizations and strain on support services due to unsafe self-injection practices and novel drugs.
Health experts are raising alarms about a growing culture of self-injecting that is leading to an increase in hospitalizations and creating new challenges for support services. The phenomenon is linked to a combination of poor at-home injecting techniques and the emergence of new drugs, according to Inside Health.
Dr. Bonnie Grant, an NHS endocrinologist, Dr. Luke Turnock, a criminologist at the University of Lincoln, and Jon Findlay, Harm Reduction Lead at Waythrough, discussed the concerning trends observed on hospital wards and at needle exchange sites. Their insights, featured in the BBC's 'Inside Health' program, highlight a rise in problems associated with self-injection practices documented in online discussions.
Separately, scientists have identified a protein that may offer significant clues into why conditions causing stillbirth and severe health risks for pregnant mothers occur. Dr. Gordon Smith, head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Cambridge University, explained how the identification of a little-known protein could lead to breakthroughs in predicting pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction, potentially aiding millions of women annually.
In parallel, the prospect of manufacturing medicines in space to enhance cancer treatment is gaining attention. A British company, BioOrbit, recently returned from the International Space Station where it produced crystals for cancer antibody treatments. This development raises questions about whether space-based drug manufacturing could become a routine aspect of future medicine.