Latest science news in Health & Medicine
'Missing link' between stem cells and the immune system
Researchers have discovered a type of cell that is the “missing link” between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, a finding that will...
Ad for herbal whooping cough remedy ordered retracted
A Vancouver-area health official has ordered the retraction of an advertisement that he says suggests oil of oregano is an option to prevent whooping cough instead of vaccination.
Viruses could be the key to healthy corals
Scientists have developed a treatment for the white plague disease that infects coral based on a medication developed to treat bacterial infections in humans. The therapy ceased the progression of...
Rosacea May Be Caused by Bacteria
Bacteria may play a role in the cause of the skin condition rosacea.
Can Hurricanes Make Pregnant Women Go into Labor?
Anecdotes and some scientific studies have suggested that women are more likely to go into labor when the air pressure drops. Obstetricians weigh in.
What babies eat after birth likely determines lifetime risk of metabolic mischief and obesity, rat studies suggest
Rats born to mothers fed high-fat diets but who get normal levels of fat in their diets right after birth avoid obesity and its related disorders as adults, according to...
Water pipe smoking has the same respiratory effects as smoking cigarettes
Water pipe smoking, such as hookah or bong smoking, affects lung function and respiratory symptoms as much as cigarette smoking, new research shows.
Protein impedes microcirculation of malaria-infected red blood cells
When the parasite responsible for malaria infects human red blood cells, it launches a 48-hour remodeling of the host cells. During the first 24 hours of this cycle, a protein called RESA...
Dog jawbones regrown with biomedicine technique
(Phys.org)—Whiskey, an 80-pound Munsterlander dog from San Francisco, still tugs on chew toys and snacks on doggie treats thanks to veterinary surgeons and biomedical engineers at the University of California,...
A whisker-inspired approach to tactile sensing
Inspired by the twitching whiskers of common rats and Etruscan shrews, researchers have developed rodent-like robots and an innovative tactile sensor system that could be used to help find people...
New diagnostic biomarkers offer ray of hope for Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common brain disorders, with an estimated 35 million people affected worldwide. In the last decade, research has advanced our understanding of how...
Calgary reseachers use virus to fight blood cancer
Researchers at the University of Calgary are looking at using a virus to treat a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma, which accounts for about 10 per cent of...
Mechanism leading from trichomoniasis to prostate cancer identified
Researchers have identified a way in which men can develop prostate cancer after contracting trichomoniasis, a curable but often overlooked sexually transmitted disease. Previous studies have teased out a casual,...
Medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements across states explored
In states where medical exemptions from vaccination requirements for kindergarten students are easier to get, exemption rates are higher, potentially compromising herd immunity and posing a threat to children and...
Mayo Clinic marks its first births from time-lapse incubator use for in vitro fertilization
Mayo Clinic recently marked its first births resulting from in vitro fertilization using a new time-lapse incubator that minimizes disturbances from human handling as embryos develop and helps fertility specialists...
Malaria nearly eliminated in Sri Lanka despite decades of conflict
Despite nearly three decades of conflict, Sri Lanka has succeeded in reducing malaria cases by 99.9 percent since 1999 and is on track to eliminate the disease entirely by 2014.
Chronic stress linked to high risk of stroke
Chronic stress, prompted by major life stressors and type A personality traits, is linked to a high risk of stroke, new research finds.
Smokers more than double their risk of burst aneurysm
Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day doubles the risk of a potentially fatal brain bleed as a result of a burst aneurysm, new research finds.
Aspirin-clopidogrel no better than aspirin alone for patients with lacunar stroke, study suggests
Aspirin combined with the antiplatelet drug clopidogrel is no better than aspirin alone for stroke prevention in people with a history of lacunar strokes, and the combination carries a greater...
Flu is transmitted before symptoms appear, study suggests
Research at Imperial College London examining influenza transmission in ferrets suggests that the virus can be passed on before the appearance of symptoms. If the finding applies to humans, it...
US performs worst on potentially preventable death rates compared to France, Germany, and UK
The United States lags three other industrialized nations -- France, Germany, and the United Kingdom -- in its potentially preventable death rate, and in the pace of improvement in preventing...
Scientist creates test, treatment for malaria-like sickness in horses
A therapy used in an outbreak of equine piroplasmosis at the storied King Ranch in Texas is now being evaluated as a standard US treatment protocol.
New cancer drug is ten times more potent
Chemists have taken an existing drug that is being developed for use in fighting certain types of cancer, added a special structure to it, and created a more potent, efficient...
Scaled-Down: New Nano Device Can Weigh Single Molecules
Dieters and exercise buffs might feel better about their progress if they tracked their weight loss in daltons. Even a short jog can help you shed a few...
Collagen-seeking synthetic protein could lead doctors to tumor locations
A new synthetic protein can pinpoint cancer and other diseases in the body by finding nearby damaged collagen.
Diabetes can be controlled in patients after pancreas removal
Removing the entire pancreas in patients with cancer or precancerous cysts in part of the organ does not result in unmanageable diabetes -- as many physicians previously believed, new research...
Malignant mesothelioma patients likely to benefit from drug pemetrexed identified, study suggests
Previous studies have hypothesized that low levels of the enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS) likely mark patients who will benefit from the drug pemetrexed – but results have been inconclusive at...
For diabetics, a steady job is good for your health
If you're diabetic or prone to diabetes, having a steady job appears to be good for your health, and not just because of the insurance coverage.