Inside Health

An experimental treatment to “reset” the immune systems of people with autoimmune disease is showing transformative results in early trials.
James visits the NIHR Clinical Research Facility in Manchester to meet Kathy. She was diagnosed with lupus just after the birth of her baby and in 2024 became the first person in the UK to try CAR-T therapy as part of a clinical trial. How is she feeling now?
We’ll also hear from Kathy’s rheumatologist Professor Ben Parker, who led the trial Kathy took part in and explains how the therapy works, the astonishing early results - and whether the effects on the immune system are long lasting.
Also this week, James visits the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to meet some lab-grown British mosquitoes and find out whether they’re out to get us for longer periods of the year and how worried we should be about the threat of disease, with medical entomologist Dr Mojca Kristan and virologist Professor Roger Hewson.
And we look at the latest online trend of “spermmaxxing” with urologist Professor Vaibhav Modgil. Why are men trying to optimise their sperm by dipping their testicles in iced water and abstaining from porn - and is there any evidence for these tactics?
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stu Laws
Sound engineer: Mary Stone

A new non-hormonal drug has been approved to treat menopausal hot flushes. It works by regulating the body's cooling signals and is now available on the NHS in England for those who cannot use hormone replacement therapy.
Before delving into the evidence with resident GP Dr Margaret McCartney, James finds out what it feels like to have a hot flush.
Also this week, James chats to Dr Manjula Meda, a microbiologist who is spearheading a radical new project. She has found that water systems in hospitals may be a breeding ground for antimicrobial resistance, and is tackling this by removing the sinks from wards. Is it effective and safe?
Finally, we all do it, but we don't like discussing it... Farting. James speaks to the University of Maryland's Professor Brantley Hall, who has developed a 'fart detector' that can measure emissions to get a better understanding of gut health. And James gets the chance to attach one to his pants for three days. For science, of course.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell and Gerry Holt
Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.

Little over a week on from the first meningitis cases in Canterbury, many crucial questions remain.
So this week we're taking an in-depth look at those questions and what we’ve learnt from this outbreak - and could it happen again?
James also hears from author Michael Rosen whose son Eddie died from meningitis aged 18 about just how quickly the disease struck and how he deals with his grief.
And would you trust health advice from an AI chatbot?
We hear from someone who regularly turns to ChatGPT and from GP Dr Margaret McCartney about her concerns.
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Content editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Studio engineer: Donald MacDonald
Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.

More than 30,000 people are being contacted in the Canterbury area regarding the outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Kent. Two people have died, and others are seriously ill. James Gallagher speaks with immunologist Sir Andrew Pollard about the disease, and finds out what could have caused the outbreak.
That’s the major headline from the UK. But more broadly, for the last few weeks the news has been dominated by the situation in the Middle East. James speaks with Dr Antoine Abou Fayad, a microbiologist and medicinal chemist based in Beirut, Lebanon. He reveals that war, just like the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, provides the perfect storm to accelerate the spread of multidrug-resistant infections. And nobody is safe.

And finally, James finds out about an ongoing trial at the University of Exeter, where interactive computer games are being used by stroke patients to improve their recovery. And, of course, James has a go himself!
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell
Researcher: Tom Hunt
Editor: Ilan Goodman

There have been nearly 200 cases of measles in the UK so far this year.
Measles can be prevented with vaccines - but the proportion of children being immunised is declining across the UK, particularly in parts of London.
James visits Hackney, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, to find out why and to see what is happening to tackle this issue.
And have you tried an adaptogenic drink? They claim to relax the mind, without giving you a boozy hangover.
James samples some in the lab and then gets behind the wheel of a simulator to see what it does to his driving skills…
Presenter: James Gallagher
Producer: Gerry Holt
Researcher: Thomas Hunt
Editor: Ilan Goodman
Production coordinator: Stuart Laws
Sound engineer: Giles Aspen
Inside Health was made by the BBC’s Audio Science Unit in collaboration with The Open University.