All Stories by John Travis
- Health & Medicine
Cloning’s ups and downs
Dolly, the world's first cloned mammal, has developed arthritis, and two biotech firms have turned to cloning in their attempt to create pigs with organs that human bodies won't reject when transplanted.
- Health & Medicine
Cancer fighter reveals a dark side
Overactivity of a tumor-suppressing gene shortens the lifespan of mice.
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Biological Dark Matter
The discovery that some genes encode RNA strands instead of proteins has surprised biologists.
- Health & Medicine
Viruses stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Bacteriophages, viruses that destroy bacteria, can protect mice from bacteria that are impervious to antibiotics.
- Health & Medicine
Mice reveal the off switch for inflammation
Working with genetically engineered mice, scientists have identified a crucial natural mechanism that rodents use to shut down inflammation before it does harm.
- Health & Medicine
Boost in protein repair extends fly lives
In warmer-than-normal conditions, fruit flies that overproduce a protein-repair enzyme live about one-third longer than typical flies.
- Health & Medicine
Thinking the way to stronger muscles
Thinking about exercising a muscle can make it stronger.
- Health & Medicine
New epilepsy drug is possible
A drug mimicking a natural substance in the brain may offer a new therapy for epilepsy.
- Health & Medicine
Antibiotic now tackles Parkinson’s
A well-known antibiotic may slow the brain-cell death that causes Parkinson's disease.
- Health & Medicine
A spice takes on Alzheimer’s disease
Curcumin, a spice used in yellow curry, may thwart Alzheimer's disease.
- Health & Medicine
Drugs tested for Lou Gehrig’s disease
Two drugs, one for cancer and one for arthritis, may be effective treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- Health & Medicine
Human-cloning claim creates controversy
A biotech company has begun cloning human embryos.
