Nathan Seppa
Biomedical Writer (retired September 2015)
 
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All Stories by Nathan Seppa
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineChikungunya is on the moveThe chikungunya virus, which wreaks havoc on joints, has spread via mosquitoes in tropical regions. Now it has found a way to hijack a second mosquito, posing a threat to people in Europe, North America and China. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineSnagging blood clots upgrades stroke careA new device threaded up to the brain via catheter can unblock vessels in cerebral arteries, studies show. 
- 			 Plants PlantsThe art and science of the hedgerowSpiky hawthorn trees have found many uses despite their unforgiving nature, Bill Vaughn writes in ‘Hawthorn.’ 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineSame mutations can show up in tumors, healthy tissuesAnalyzing samples of healthy and tumor tissues could pinpoint which mutations are driving cancer and help develop better-targeted treatments. 
- 			 Neuroscience NeuroscienceMarijuana component fights epilepsyA buzz-free extract of marijuana could help epilepsy patients whose seizures resist other treatments. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineMutation regions mapped on genes that cause breast and ovarian cancerAn analysis of mutated BRCA genes could someday be used for personalized medicine in the fight against breast and ovarian cancer. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineInjured baby hearts may be coaxed to regenerateShots of a growth factor protein reduce cell death in infant mice with heart damage. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineOlder moms may have options to reduce newborns’ risksAlthough babies born to older mothers face a higher danger of congenital heart defects, exercising moms may offset this added risk, a study in mice shows. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicinePerformance gains from Tommy John surgery still up for debateMajor league baseball pitchers who undergo two Tommy John surgeries have shorter careers than peers who don’t have the surgery, a new study finds. 
- 			 Science & Society Science & SocietyWhite House unveils strategy against antibiotic resistanceThe Obama Administration has launched a long-term plan to curb antibiotic resistance, unveiling incentives and requirements designed to boost surveillance and diagnosis of resistant microbes. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineProspective Crohn’s drug yields high rate of remissionAn experimental Crohn’s disease drug triggers a high remission rate in patients. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineAspirin, other painkillers may not reduce colorectal cancer risk for everybodyAspirin and NSAIDs appear widely protective against colorectal cancer, but not for everyone.