Ebola spreads in Congo; FDA approves a new class of hypertension drug

A roundup of health and medicine for 18–21 May 2026 — from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a first-in-class approval for high blood pressure, to early-stage advances in senolytics, glycan biology, and immunotherapy for depression.

Thursday, 21 May: Ebola outbreak continues to grow — more than 500 suspected cases, over 139 deaths

Four days after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the situation in Ituri and North Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to expand. According to the US CDC's 20 May update, cases are being reported across ten health zones in Ituri as well as in North Kivu. Most patients are between the ages of 20 and 39, and two-thirds are women. As of WHO's 20 May update, more than 500 suspected cases and over 139 deaths had been recorded. Among those infected is an American doctor, Dr. Peter Stafford, a missionary working in the Congo who was medevac'd to Germany for treatment; his wife and four children are under observation but remain symptom-free. Authorities in Uganda have postponed annual Saints' Day celebrations that normally draw some two million attendees. The CDC has imposed enhanced screening and monitoring for all arrivals from the affected region, and the US State Department has issued a travel advisory against the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. Public risk in the US and Europe remains low according to the CDC's assessment.

Thursday, 21 May: The IDOL enzyme — a possible new drug target for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers published a study on 20 May identifying an enzyme called IDOL as a potentially important therapeutic target in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. In experiments conducted largely in animal models, removing the enzyme from neurons led to a sharp drop in the accumulation of toxic amyloid protein — a hallmark of the disease — and to improvements in brain processes associated with cognitive resilience. The researchers suggest that IDOL is not only a future therapeutic target but also a feature that may help explain why some people develop Alzheimer's while others remain protected. The conclusions require confirmation in further studies and ultimately in human trials. This is early-stage research, but it joins a research direction that has grown in recent years toward drugs that intervene in the disease's deep biological mechanisms.

Wednesday, 20 May: Pollen allergy can be cured with specific immunotherapy

Dr. Nadezhda Logina, a senior Russian immunologist, gave a wide-ranging interview to AIF on 20 May in which she argued that pollen allergy (pollinosis) — a condition affecting millions across the eastern Mediterranean, Europe and Russia this spring — can today be treated to the point of cure. The treatment, known as allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), works by systematically exposing the body to the allergen in gradually increasing amounts over several years, training the immune system not to respond allergically. It is not a drug treatment in the classical sense, but requires receiving injections or tablets on a structured schedule over three to five years. Success depends on accurate diagnosis and on matching the treatment to the specific allergen. The medical recommendation: consult a certified allergologist, run laboratory diagnostics, and don't settle for symptomatic treatment that masks the problem without resolving it.

Wednesday, 20 May: Magnesium helps with fatigue and anxiety only when there is a real deficiency

Dr. Olga Butenko, a Russian neurologist, warned in a 20 May AIF interview that magnesium supplements — heavily marketed in recent years as a "miracle cure" for fatigue, anxiety and sleep problems — are in fact effective only when the body truly is deficient in magnesium. With normal levels, taking a supplement produces no meaningful improvement — and at high doses it can even cause problems. Butenko explains that populations at risk of magnesium deficiency include people on restricted diets, people with gastrointestinal diseases that impair absorption, alcoholics, and pregnant women. She recommends a simple blood test to measure levels before starting any nutritional supplement, rather than starting on the basis of advertising alone. High-quality natural sources of magnesium include beans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

Tuesday, 19 May: FDA approves Baxfendy — the first drug in a new class for high blood pressure

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 18 May approved Baxfendy (generic name: baxdrostat) for adults with high blood pressure. This is the first drug in a new class of aldosterone synthase inhibitors (ASIs), aimed at patients whose hypertension is not controlled by standard medications. The drug works by blocking production of the hormone aldosterone, which raises blood pressure by affecting the body's fluid and salt balance. The approval comes days after International Hypertension Day, marked on 17 May, on which the WHO noted that about 1.4 billion people worldwide live with high blood pressure but only about one in four have it under control. The market launch timeline for Baxfendy will be set by the manufacturer. The recommendation for patients interested in the treatment: consult the treating physician before any change to existing therapy.

Tuesday, 19 May: New study — a topical drug reverses skin aging and accelerates wound healing

A study reported on 19 May in the scientific outlet ScienceDaily shows that a topical anti-aging drug called ABT-263 significantly improved wound healing in aged skin. The drug works by clearing out senescent "zombie" cells that accumulate with age and slow the body's natural repair processes — the same cells that were the subject of a Mayo Clinic study covered in the previous issue. In the researchers' work, the treatment produced a significant improvement in wound healing, and human trials are planned. This is early-stage research and not yet a treatment approved for clinical use — but it points to a promising direction for drugs that could accelerate healing in older adults, people with diabetes, and patients with chronic, non-healing wounds. This research field, known as senolytics, is currently considered one of the most interesting directions in aging medicine.

Tuesday, 19 May: New blood test for a "metabolic aging clock" — may help predict dementia

A study reported on 19 May by Medical News Today presents a new blood test, dubbed a "metabolic aging clock," that may help predict the onset of dementia years before the appearance of clinical symptoms. The test measures small compounds in the circulation — metabolites — whose composition changes with age and reflects the body's "biological age" as distinct from chronological age. Combining the test data with genetic information markedly improved predictive power. If the technology is validated in larger patient groups, it could become a routine tool in future clinics for identifying people at elevated risk of dementia. It is currently a research technology rather than a test available to the general public, but it joins a wave of "biological age" tests that may in the future supplement or replace clinical medicine's reliance on chronological age alone.

Monday, 18 May: Max Planck Institute — the "sugar code" on body cells may reveal cancer at an early stage

Researchers at Germany's Max Planck Institute published a striking finding on 18 May: every cell in the body carries a unique "sugar code" on its surface — a pattern of tiny sugar molecules called glycans. Using a new imaging technique they call Glycan Atlasing, the researchers mapped this code for the first time and arrived at a significant insight: the sugar patterns shift according to what the cell is doing. Cancer cells, for example, display a different sugar code than healthy cells, and immune cells alter their pattern according to their activity. The discovery may open a path to early cancer diagnosis via non-invasive tests, to the diagnosis of other pathological processes, and to the development of more precise drugs that target only the diseased cells. That said, this is basic research at an early stage, and it will take years before it translates into tests available in the clinic.

Monday, 18 May: New warning — microplastic particles accumulating in the liver worsen existing liver disease

A study reported on 18 May warned for the first time that microplastics — tiny fragments of plastic from the environment — that accumulate in the human liver may worsen existing liver disease. The team found high levels of plastic particles in liver biopsies from patients with various liver diseases and linked them to increased inflammation and impaired liver function. The particles reach the body via polluted air, water from plastic bottles, packaged food and other environmental sources. Recommendations for the public: reduce use of single-use plastic bottles; prefer glass or stainless-steel packaging; and heat food in ceramic or glass — not in plastic in the microwave. The researchers note that this is initial research requiring further confirmation, but the signal is clear enough to recommend consistent caution.

Monday, 18 May: Immunotherapy — a new direction for patients with treatment-resistant depression

A pilot clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Bristol, published in the journal JAMA on 18 May, suggests that immunotherapy may be a promising treatment option for patients with depression who do not respond to conventional pharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatment. The study found that patients who received an immune-acting drug showed marked mood improvement, more than control-group patients who received a placebo. The researchers believe chronic inflammation in the body may be a significant contributing factor to depression in some patients, and that direct action on the immune system could open a new therapeutic avenue that was not available until now. This is early-stage and limited research, not yet a treatment that can be recommended in clinical practice. Conventional treatment — antidepressant medications, psychotherapy, and in severe cases brain stimulation — remains the accepted standard for depression, and any change in treatment should be discussed with a psychiatrist.

---

Important: The content in this publication is journalistic and scientific in nature and does not constitute medical advice. It is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified physician or healthcare professional.