Latest science news in Health & Medicine
FDA approves new multiple sclerosis capsules
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it approved a new drug from Biogen Idec to control multiple sclerosis in adults with hard-to-treat...
Pinning down the pain: Schwann cell protein plays major role in neuropathic pain
Scientists say a key protein in Schwann cells performs a critical, perhaps overarching, role in regulating the recovery of peripheral nerves after injury. The discovery has implications for improving the...
Researchers attach Lyme disease antibodies to nanotubes, paving way for diagnostic device
Existing Lyme disease tests assess the presence of antibodies, which take weeks to form after the initial infection and persist after the infection is gone. Now, a nanotechnology-inspired technique may...
New approach for stopping herpes infections
Researchers have discovered a novel strategy for preventing infections due to the highly common herpes simplex viruses, the microbes responsible for causing genital herpes (herpes simplex virus 2) and cold...
Babies fed solids too soon at risk of disease
Many new mothers are starting to feed their babies solid food too early, putting them at risk of chronic diseases, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Detecting circulating tumor cells
About 1 in 4 deaths in the United States are due to cancer, but primary tumors are rarely fatal. Instead, it's when tumors metastasize that cancer becomes so deadly. To...
Probing how pancreatic cancers metastasize
Researchers have discovered that a protein found in the cells surrounding pancreatic cancers play a role in the spread of the disease to other parts of the body.
How common is ‘The John Next Door’?
While the media is replete with examples of “normal” men who seek out prostitutes regularly, how common are prostitute-seeking men and how much do they differ from men in the...
Compulsory flu shots for health workers called 'premature'
A better flu vaccine is needed before mandating the shots for health care workers, two Canadian infection disease experts argue.
Leading experts disagree on evidence behind prostate cancer screening recommendations
Do the results of recent randomized trials justify the recent U.S. recommendation against yearly measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a screening test for prostate cancer?
Researchers Developing Antiviral Drug to Combat Contagious Norovirus
A Kansas State University-led team is researching ways to stop the spread of norovirus, a contagious stomach illness that infects one in 15 Americans each year.
Making the blood of old people young again
The blood of young and old people differs. In an article published recently in the scientific journal Blood, a research group at Lund University in Sweden explain how they have...
Women over 40 still need effective contraception
Women reaching the age of 40 tend to be less vigilant about birth control because they think the risk of pregnancy is low – or that birth control can cause...
Genetic alterations linked with bladder cancer risk, recurrence, progression, and patient survival
A new analysis has found that genetic alterations in a particular cellular pathway are linked with bladder cancer risk, recurrence, disease progression, and patient survival. The findings could help improve...
New urgency in battle against 'bound legs' disease
The harm done by konzo -- a disease overshadowed by the war and drought it tends to accompany -- goes beyond its devastating physical effects to impair children's memory, problem...
Nerve regeneration research and therapy may get boost from new discovery
A new mechanism for guiding the growth of nerves that involves cell-death machinery may bring advances in neurological medicine and research.
Indian drought risk, as Himalayan glaciers retreat
Studying the retreat of glaciers in the Himalayas and its effect on monsoon, may lead to scientific recommendations. But the cultural barrier to change may be too high for local...
Sporting groups face struggle for coaches, study finds
Australian sport faces a looming shortfall in experienced coaches as the workforce ages and less people are entering the system, a Deakin University study has found.
Parkinson’s drug helps older people to make decisions
A drug widely used to treat Parkinson’s Disease can help to reverse age-related impairments in decision making in some older people, a study from researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre...
N.S. officials waited 5 days to announce E. coli outbreak
Public health officials in Nova Scotia knew they were dealing with an outbreak of E. coli five days before they informed the public about it in early January, documents obtained...
Amniotic fluid 'may heal babies'
Doctors believe amniotic fluid may hold the key to healing a gut disease which can be fatal in premature babies.
Well: What Causes Hearing Loss
Tens of millions of Americans, including 12 percent to 15 percent of schoolchildren, have permanent hearing damage caused by everyday noise.
Instrument Executives At Pittcon See A Spotty Outlook
Caution is the watchword among scientific toolmakers at the Philadelphia meeting
In Tennessee, a Telephone Race for Medicaid
The state opens a health care hot line for a few hours each year for patients who do not qualify for Medicaid. Thousands try, but not many qualify for the...
Video: Track chair helps wounded best friends
One veteran lost his legs, his friend paralyzed in a traffic accident. Dean Reynolds meets two young men whose friendship -- and one remarkable device -- has given them their...
Rare bird gets peg leg after losing limb in golf accident
A rare sandhill crane has been fitted with a prosthesis after losing a leg in an accident at a Richmond, B.C., golf course.
Brain Activity Linked to DNA Damage
Further research into preventing this damage might help treat brain disorders like Alzheimer's.
Interest fading for contested MS treatment funding
Two years after New Brunswick decided to help multiple sclerosis patients pay for an unproven treatment that's only offered outside the country, the number of patients who have sought the...