Happy to see you back! I’ve gathered some fresh picks for this week’s Feel Good News — let’s spread some smiles together.
1. One of the cruellest and most devastating disease, Huntington’s, successfully treated for first time
Researchers have successfully treated Huntington’s disease, a devastating genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. The results of a clinical trial show that a new gene therapy was able to slow the progression of the disease by 75% over a three-year period. The treatment involves a virus delivering a genetic sequence that reduces the production of the mutant protein that causes Huntington’s. This was delivered directly into the brain during a complex 12-18 hour surgical procedure. The treatment appears to be effective in saving brain cells and improving patients’ cognitive, motor, and daily functioning abilities. While the therapy is likely to be very expensive, this breakthrough represents a major milestone in the fight against Huntington’s, which is a fatal disease that typically strikes people in their prime years. Researchers are now working to offer the treatment to patients in the earliest stages of the disease, with the goal of potentially preventing the emergence of symptoms altogether.
2. ‘We can end HIV’: Groundbreaking preventative drug to be rolled out for $40 a year from 2027
Generic versions of the groundbreaking injectable HIV-prevention drug lenacapavir will be available for around $40 per year in over 100 countries starting in 2027, according to agreements between Unitaid, the Gates Foundation, and Indian pharmaceutical companies. The drug, currently costing $28,000 per year in the U.S., has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by over 99.9%. This significant cost reduction for generic versions is expected to greatly expand access to this highly effective HIV prevention tool, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and help advance efforts to end the HIV epidemic globally. The agreements also aim to establish regional production of the drug in the future.
3. Planned shooting stopped at Bay Area high school via Sandy Hook Promise tip line
A single student’s report of a concerning social media post helped prevent a potential school attack within the Sequoia Union High School District in Redwood City, California. The post included images of ammunition, and the district confirmed it was related to Menlo-Atherton High School. Thanks to the anonymous reporting system provided by the nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise, created after the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, law enforcement was able to quickly detain the student and continue investigating the threat. This incident is an example of how prevention measures and community vigilance can make a significant difference in keeping schools safe, as the organization has helped stop at least 19 credible planned school attacks nationwide since 2018.
4. London’s infamous ‘Wet Wipe Island’ finally cleared of 5 million wipes
The removal of approximately 5 million wet wipes from the “Wet Wipe Island” on the River Thames is a significant environmental achievement. The three-week project, the first of its kind in the country, involved the Port of London Authority, Thames Water, and Thames21 working together to remove 114 tonnes of waste that had congealed into a 250-meter island on the river’s foreshore near Hammersmith Bridge. The project used an efficient “rake and shake” method with two eight-tonne excavators to separate the wet wipes and other waste from the natural sediment and riverbed, minimizing the environmental impact. In total, almost 200 cubic meters of wet wipes containing plastic were taken away in 15 skips and disposed of responsibly. The removal of this harmful waste is a significant step in addressing the problem of wet wipes and other non-biodegradable items polluting rivers, harming wildlife, and leaving unsightly messes. The project has received positive reactions from local communities and beyond, raising awareness of the need to address this issue. Organisations like Thames Water and Thames21 are also calling for producers to provide alternatives to wet wipes and for water companies to increase their investment in screening plastics entering the environment.
5. California’s first solar-covered canal is now fully online
A novel solar power project called Project Nexus has gone online in California’s Central Valley, with panels spanning across canals in the agricultural region. The $20 million state-funded pilot is only the second canal-based solar array to operate in the United States, after a project started producing power in 2024 for the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. Proponents say solar canals can provide multiple benefits, including generating clean electricity in land-constrained areas, improving panel efficiency by keeping them cool, and reducing water evaporation. While more expensive and technically complex than ground-mounted solar, solar canals can be a faster path to clean energy development in rural areas. The Gila River Indian Community is building multiple solar-canal projects as part of its mission to offset its electrical use, demonstrating the potential of this emerging approach even without federal grant funding.
6. MacKenzie Scott gives $70 million to UNCF to financially strengthen HBCUs
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $70 million to the UNCF, the largest private provider of scholarships to minority students, to help strengthen all 37 of its historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This is one of Scott’s largest single donations ever and is part of a broader $1 billion fundraising effort by the UNCF to address the funding disparity faced by HBCUs compared to other colleges and universities. Scott’s donation will be used to establish a $370 million endowment fund, which will provide annual payouts to the UNCF member HBCUs to help stabilize their budgets. The gift is seen as a “powerful vote of confidence” in HBCUs and their work, and it is hoped that it will inspire other funders to follow Scott’s example in supporting these important institutions.
That’s it for last week :)
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