Becker’s followed up on a CNN story that reports that health care experts are calling for the end of routine use of diphenhydramine citing safety concerns that outweigh benefits. UTMB’s Dr. Manuel Murray said the medication should not be used lightly and “should always be used under the guidance of a medical professional, and it is only indicated to treat allergic reactions and motion sickness.”

Drs. Megan Berman and Ricard Rupp write about a new and improved pneumococcal vaccine for their Vaccine Smarts column. Capvaxive covers up to 85 percent of the strains that cause the most severe forms of pneumococcal disease in adults, they write.

Certain mushrooms with psychoactive compounds as such as psilocybin offer documented benefits in difficult psychiatric conditions, writes Dr. Victor S. Sierpina. Future studies, including those at the VA and Hopkins will hopefully provide better clarity, decriminalization, and protocols for psychedelic assisted therapy, he writes.

The Daily News reported on Blue Zones Ignites interest in partnering with UTMB to work on increasing lifespans through healthier environments, new policy and strong social connections. UTMB’s Dr. Jochen Reiser joined Blue Zones representatives to discuss the potential partnership at a recent community meeting.

Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that helps heal damaged tissues and fight infections, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their latest Medical Discover News column. New results have found that they have another skill: they can form a “Band-Aid” around a wound to protect it from invading microbes and foreign molecules.

“Starting at 45 to 50, you could gain as much as 10 years of healthy life and this study just shows the truth of that at a cellular level,” UTMB’s Dr. Thomas Blackwell tells USA Today in his comments about a Chinese Academy of Sciences study on proteins taken from about 70 people ages 14 to 68.

“It should always be used under the guidance of a Medical Professional, and it is only indicated to treat allergic reactions and motion sickness,” UTMB’s Dr. Manuela Murry tells CNN for a story on dangerous misuse of the allergy medication diphenhydramine.

In low-resource settings, infants born with gastroschisis face life-threatening challenges but researchers and medical experts at UTMB, Rice University and UTHealth Houston have come up with a low-cost solution. “Our goal was to replicate the functionality of commercial silo bags using inexpensive, easy-to-source materials,” said UTMB’s Dr. Bindi Naik-Mathuria.

“Biohacking is essentially DIY biology—making intentional changes to your lifestyle, diet, or environment to optimize health and performance,” Dr. Salim Hayek tells Prevention. Hayek recommends looking for scientifically-proven changes and not just trying whatever crosses your social media feed.

UTMB’s Dr. Brent Masel spoke to ESPN about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can be diagnosed only after someone has died. Masel told ESPN it can take weeks to do the appropriate testing. “So there will not be an instant answer to that,” he said.