Nathan Seppa

Biomedical Writer (retired September 2015)

All Stories by Nathan Seppa

  1. Health & Medicine

    MRI detects missed breast cancers

    Magnetic resonance imaging detects breast cancer better than does mammography and might be preferable for certain women at high risk.

  2. Health & Medicine

    Cancer vaccine gets first test in patients

    The first clinical test of a cancer vaccine that targets a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen shows promise.

  3. Health & Medicine

    Early cancer therapy and heart problems

    Pediatric cancer treatment with chest radiation or anthracyclines can cause a heightened risk of heart disease at an earlier age than previously believed.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Gene profiles might guide chemotherapy

    Profiles of genetic variations in cancer patients could help oncologists predict the outcome of chemotherapy.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Full-Length Pregnancy: Progesterone product may reduce premature births

    A drug related to the female hormone progesterone helps some pregnant women who are prone to premature birth extend their pregnancies.

  6. Health & Medicine

    Cancer Advance: Treatment combinations stall colorectal cancer

    Two experimental drugs can induce remission in colorectal cancer patients and extend their survival.

  7. Health & Medicine

    Gene therapy thwarts hepatitis C in mice

    Gene therapy that induces infected liver cells to self-destruct slows hepatitis C dramatically in mice.

  8. Health & Medicine

    Flawed Therapy: Hormone replacement takes more hits

    Elderly women taking estrogen and progestin are more likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and stroke than are women not taking the hormones.

  9. Health & Medicine

    Breathe Easier: Lung surgery aids some emphysema patients

    Surgery to remove diseased portions of the upper lungs can help emphysema patients breathe more efficiently, depending on the patient's health and where the damaged tissues are.

  10. Health & Medicine

    Novel tack against diabetes

    Thwarting the production of immune proteins that induce inflammation prevents diabetes-prone mice from developing the disease.

  11. Health & Medicine

    Bone Builder: New drug could heal hard-to-mend fractures

    A synthetic compound can heal broken bones that are so damaged they don't knit on their own, a study in rats and dogs shows.

  12. Health & Medicine

    Boosting the TB vaccine

    A new vaccine for tuberculosis outperforms the current one in tests on animals.