Latest science news in Health & Medicine
Both old and new drugs may offer fresh ways to fight heart disease
Novel drugs — some old, some new — may offer fresh ways to reduce heart risks beyond the usual medicines to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Louisiana tried to help prisoners fight opioid addiction. Here's why doctors objected
A California company has come under fire for its aborted plan to recruit inmates to test a novel program to battle opioid addiction.
Some states allow opioid addicts to try medical marijuana. The federal government isn't pleased
The U.S. government says states can't use federal dollars to fund medical marijuana treatments for patients with opioid addiction.
Suicides and overdoses among factors fueling drop in U.S. life expectancy
New health data confirm a 3-year drop in Americans' life expectancy, bucking a trend of rising longevity in other wealthy nations.
Paul Barreira’s tenure as HUHS director comes to a close
After 15 years of service dedicated to improving health and wellness at Harvard, Paul Barreira will step down as director of Harvard University Health Services (HUHS), effective Nov. 18. During his tenure, Barreira...
Better delivery system for sending chemo to cancerous lung tissue
Chemotherapy has been the backbone of cancer treatment for decades, but it is notorious for its toxicity to healthy cells, severe side effects, and poor targeting of the intended tumors. Efforts to improve...
Harvard Chan School, Apple, and NIH launch women’s health study
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Apple, and the National Institutes of Health today launched the Apple Women’s Health Study. The large-scale longitudinal study, led by a team of researchers at Harvard...
Preventing sudden cardiac death through gene sequencing
Each year, sudden cardiac death affects 220,000 U.S. adults, most of whom have no prior symptoms of a heart issue. By identifying rare DNA variants that substantially increase risk of sudden cardiac death,...
Diet pills linked with eating disorder diagnosis
Among young women without eating-disorder diagnoses, those who used diet pills and laxatives for weight control had higher odds of having a having a first such diagnosis within one to three years than...
Liquid salt can reduce fat absorption and weight in rats
A new, orally administered liquid reduces weight in rats fed high-fat diets without causing side effects, pointing to a possible therapy for obesity, according to a new study from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for...
FDA-approved drug shows promise against ALS in mice
The cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — a disabling neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and leads to weakened muscles and early death — is...
Serotonin helps gut microbes thrive
The antidepressant Prozac may interrupt this gut-microbe communication
Water treatment failures drove Newark's lead crisis
Insufficient corrosion control methods resulted in the neurotoxic metal leaching from the city's pipes
Mary Beth Mulcahy named editor-in-chief of ACS Chemical Health & Safety
Society acquires journal from the ACS Division of Chemical Health & Safety
Naproxen's byproducts could pose threat to aquatic creatures
Common pain relief drug breaks down to more toxic, more long-lasting chemical in sunlight
Microtubule protein level predicts drugs' effectiveness against brain cancer cells
Lab study shows that drugs like paclitaxel are more effective against glioblastoma cells with higher levels of tubulin
CAR-T reverses heart damage in mice
The cell engineering technique, popular in treating cancer, could address diseases that involve fibrosis
Synthesis of hindered dialkyl ethers shocked into new life
Rethinking an old electrochemical method boosts yields of the bulky compounds and lowers reaction times
Microtubule protein level predicts drugs' effectiveness against brain cancer cells
Lab study shows that drugs like paclitaxel are more effective against glioblastoma cells with higher levels of tubulin
Hospital bacteria can colonize the guts of babies born by C-section
UK-based Baby Biome Study shows that babies born by cesarean section have different microbiomes from those of their mothers and can pick up drug-resistant bugs from hospitals
US EPA proposes to waive pesticide toxicity test on birds
Agency claims other required tests are sufficient to evaluate avian risks
Wetland microbe detoxifies PFAS contaminants
Scientists discover a microbe that snips off fluorine atoms from toxic perfluoroalkyl substances
Notorious KRAS: Taking down cancer researchers' biggest foe
After decades of failures, the first wave of KRAS G12C inhibitors has reached the clinic. Can the feat be repeated with other RAS proteins?
Revived compound targets drug-resistant malaria
The team is developing pantothenamides to block the parasitic infection
Prehistoric parents weaned babies with animal milk
Chemical analysis of 3,000-year-old ceramic bottles suggests that ancient European parents used the vessels to wean their children
Wetland microbe detoxifies PFAS contaminants
Scientists discover a microbe that snips off fluorine atoms from toxic perfluoroalkyl substances
Revived compound targets drug-resistant malaria
The team is developing pantothenamides to block the parasitic infection
Chikungunya vaccine candidate is shelf-stable
The multi-functional synthetic vaccine candidate doesn't require refrigeration