Latest science news in Health & Medicine
WHO'S TB care advice violated standards, researchers say
The World Health Organization (WHO) violated sound standards of medical care and human rights by nudging poorer countries to follow less expensive, untested and largely ineffective treatment protocols for tuberculosis...
Index could help identify women at risk for rapid bone loss
Researchers have developed an index to better predict which women may experience faster bone loss across the menopause transition, according to a new study.
Novel study in Nairobi infants may accelerate path to HIV vaccine
The first and only study to look at isolate HIV-neutralizing antibodies from infants has found that novel antibodies that could protect against many variants of HIV can be produced relatively...
Discovery of an epigenetic regulator of tumorigenesis suggests new strategies against lethal forms of breast cancer
Scientists have identified a previously unknown mechanism by which a protein called CBX8 promotes tumor growth in the most lethal forms of breast cancer. The study underscores the need for...
Wandering around a park may benefit health, study says
Stephen FellerBRISBANE, Australia, June 23 (UPI) -- Researchers in Australia found about 30 minutes per week at a park or nature area can improve mental and physical health, including lowering...
An effective but painful treatment
Photodynamic therapy is an effective treatment for early-stage skin cancer. However, this therapy can cause patients severe pain. The reason for this was previous a mystery to researchers. Physiologists have...
[Research Article] A sentinel goblet cell guards the colonic crypt by triggering Nlrp6-dependent Muc2 secretion
Innate immune signaling pathways contribute to the protection of host tissue when bacterially challenged. Colonic goblet cells are responsible for generating the two mucus layers that physically separate the luminal microbiota from the...
[Review] Childhood undernutrition, the gut microbiota, and microbiota-directed therapeutics
Childhood undernutrition is a major global health challenge. Although current therapeutic approaches have reduced mortality in individuals with severe disease, they have had limited efficacy in ameliorating long-term sequelae, notably...
[Book Review] The best-studied people on the planet
Cohort studies, the empirical longitudinal research of people with a common characteristic, have played a crucial role in enhancing medical care and have dramatically reduced the risk of early death...
[Perspective] Converting to adapt
Effective immune responses rely on balancing lymphocyte stability and plasticity. Lymphocytes have regulatory circuits that control phenotypic and functional identity. Stable circuits maintain homeostasis and prevent autoimmunity. But plasticity is...
[In Depth] Beleaguered phage therapy trial presses on
In the face of rising antibiotic resistance, many researchers hope that bacteria-killing viruses known as phages—long available to patients in Eastern Europe—will offer patients in the West with dangerous infections...
Crisis in the treatment of osteoporosis
The remarkable progress made over the past 30 years to reduce fractures and dramatically improve the quality of life for millions of osteoporosis patients is rapidly being reversed, say two...
How molecules can do statistics
Researchers have shown how noise filters can be realized using biochemical reactions. This could help improve the reliability of synthetic biological circuits and play an important role in the development...
A better way to predict diabetes
An international team of researchers has discovered a simple, accurate new way to predict which women with gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes after delivery. The discovery would allow...
Not only trauma but also the reversal of trauma is inherited
Behaviors caused by traumatic experiences in early life are reversible. Researchers could demonstrate that environmental enrichment allows trauma-related symptoms in mice to be reversed. This is the first evidence that...
Method to reroute lymphatic system may help lymphedema treatment
Stephen FellerSTANFORD, Calif., June 23 (UPI) -- A nanofiber scaffold made of collagen helped new lymph vessels grow around blockages in pigs, easing lymphedema symptoms, researchers at Stanford report.
Preface to ‘Cracking the Aging Code’ by Josh Mitteldorf and Dorion Sagan
Enjoy the preface to ScienceBlog.com blogger Josh Mitteldorf and Dorion Sagan’s important new book, Cracking the Aging Code. During the twentieth century, medical technology took enormous strides toward the conquest...
Scientists streamline synthesis of potential cancer drug
A team of scientists has simplified the design and manufacture of a potent anti-tumor antibiotic known as uncialamycin. Uncialamycin is an enediyne, compounds defined by the presence of nine- and...
'Smoke alarm' one of 36 genes newly found to play role in pain sensation
Indiana University researchers have that found a suite of genes in both fruit flies and humans—including one dubbed "smoke alarm"—plays a role in nerve sensitivity. The study could help lead...
Canada's first hand transplant patient says surgery has made her 'whole' again
Maryam Zolfi, who underwent Canada's first hand and forearm transplant last January, says she has sensation and movement in her new forearm, and she's starting to get both in her...
Broccoli sprout extract may protect against oral cancer recurrence
Potent doses of broccoli sprout extract activate a 'detoxification' gene and may help prevent cancer recurrence in survivors of head and neck cancer, according to a 'green chemoprevention' trial. It...
Could wearable biosensors become part of drug rehab programs?
There is merit in looking at the use of wearable biosensors to detect whether opioid users stay focused on their rehabilitation programs. This follows a preliminary study. Scientists tested the...
Mycobacterium in olive oil for cancer treatment
Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) with the collaboration of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), led by the professor of the UAB Department of Genetics and...
World map of resistance to artemesinin anti-malarial medicines
Practically all currently available treatments for malaria are based in some form or other on a derivative of artemisinin, a plant substance that is found in the leaves and flowers...
3D Brain-on-a-chip
To study brain cell’s operation and test the effect of medication on individual cells, the conventional Petri dish with flat electrodes is not sufficient. For truly realistic studies, cells have...
Maggie Geha to play adult Poison Ivy on 'Gotham'
Annie MartinLOS ANGELES, June 23 (UPI) -- "All My Children" alum Maggie Geha will replace Clare Foley as Poison Ivy in "Gotham" Season 3.
CDC: FluMist inhaled flu vaccine not effective against influenza
Stephen FellerATLANTA, June 23 (UPI) -- A CDC panel says the FluMist vaccine should not be used this year because of an expectation it will not protect patients who receive...
U.S. Navy: Sailor dies of non-combat-related injury in Djibouti
Shawn PriceWASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- A 38-year-old sailor in the U.S. Navy died from a non-combat-related injury in Djibouti, the Department of Defense announced.