Nathan Seppa
Biomedical Writer (retired September 2015)
 
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All Stories by Nathan Seppa
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineAn Exploitable Mutation: Defect might make some lung cancers treatableNonsmokers who develop lung cancer are more likely than their smoking counterparts to have a mutation in the gene encoding epidermal growth factor receptor. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineAlzheimer’s Advance: Omega-3 fatty acid benefits miceA diet that includes a key omega-3 fatty acid found in fish prevents some memory loss in mice that develop a disease resembling Alzheimer's. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineMexican Americans face stroke riskMiddle-aged Mexican Americans face twice the stroke risk that non-Hispanic whites do. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineVitamin E may curb colds in old folksVitamin E seems to help elderly people fend off colds. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineKeeping Cells under Control: Enzyme suppression inhibits cancer spreadShutting down an enzyme can slow the spread of cancer in mice. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineUnorthodox Strategy: New cancer vaccine may thwart melanomaIn experiments on mice, destroying good skin cells can induce the immune system to kill cancerous versions of these cells. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineDemanding careers may thwart Alzheimer’sPeople who spend many years in mentally taxing jobs are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than are people who do more-routine work. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineCurbing Allergy to Insect Venom: Therapy stops reactions to stings years laterSome children don't outgrow an allergy to insect stings, but immunizations against such allergies can protect them into adulthood. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineSputum Test May Predict Lung CancerBy zeroing in on aberrations in two cancer-fighting genes, researchers have found a marker for cancer risk that could help doctors screen people for signs of lung cancer early enough for treatment to be effective. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineHIV drugs may stop cervical diseaseA drug combination given to people with HIV, the AIDS virus, helps knock out precancerous cervical lesions in some women. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicineStopping Alzheimer’s: Antibody thwarts disease in miceAntibodies against amyloid protein, which gums up the brains of Alzheimer's patients, reverse a form of the disease in mice. 
- 			 Health & Medicine Health & MedicinePrion Proof? Evidence grows for mad cow proteinMisfolded proteins known as prions can cause disease when injected into the brains of genetically engineered mice.