John Travis

All Stories by John Travis

  1. Clones face uncertain future

    Scientists have cloned a cat, but new studies suggest that cloned animals have shortened lifespans.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Stem Cell Success: Mice fuel debate on embryo cloning

    In mouse studies, scientists have used a technique called therapeutic cloning to create personalized replacement tissue.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Alzheimer’s disease vaccine abandoned

    Safety concerns forced the shelving of tests of an experimental vaccine for Alzheimer's disease.

  4. A bitter taste in your . . . stomach

    The stomach may be able to "taste" bitter substances.

  5. Channel Surfing

    The newly revealed three-dimensional structures of proteins called ion channels reveal the secrets of their crucial function.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Broken Weapon: Mutation disarms HIV-fighting gene

    A gene that once produced a small protein able to prevent HIV from infecting cells now lies unusable in the human genome.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Alzheimer’s vaccine trial is suspended

    A drug company in Ireland has halted tests of an experimental vaccine for Alzheimer's disease.

  8. Cool Discovery: Menthol triggers cold-sensing protein

    A cell-surface protein that lets ions flow into cells responds to menthol and cool temperatures.

  9. Health & Medicine

    The Hunger Hormone?

    Scientists may have finally found the body’s dinner bell.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Taking a toll: Antiviral drugs activate immune system

    Promising antiviral drugs activate a key immune-system protein.

  11. Unfertilized monkey eggs make stem cells

    Scientists have for the first time obtained long-lived stem cells from monkey eggs stimulated to undergo parthenogenesis.

  12. Health & Medicine

    DREAMing away pain

    Mutant mice lacking a certain regulatory protein overproduce a natural opioid and are less sensitive to pain than are other mice.