Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Study exonerates childhood vaccine
A nationwide study in Denmark provides strong evidence that a childhood vaccine once blamed for some cases of autism plays no role in the development of that neurological disorder.
By Ben Harder - Health & Medicine
Predisposed to Trouble: Gene variants implicated in stomach cancer
A person's risk of stomach cancer can depend on the genetics of both the individual and the bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
By Nathan Seppa -
- Health & Medicine
Virus Stopper: Vaccine could prevent most cervical cancers
A vaccine fashioned from a protein found on human papillomavirus-16 protects women from long-term viral infections that can lead to cervical cancer.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Gene change linked to poor memory
A subtle change in a gene encoding a brain chemical may give some people better memory skills than others.
By John Travis - Health & Medicine
Slow brain repair seen in Huntington’s
In people with Huntington's disease, the brain tries to replace dying nerve cells.
By John Travis - Health & Medicine
Gene may keep breast cancer at bay
Scientists have identified a gene that seems to protect against some common breast cancers.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
New inner ear hair cells grow in rat tissue
Using a gene known to control hair-cell growth, researchers have grown hair cells in tissue taken from newborn rats' cochleas, raising hopes that inner ear damage may someday be reversible.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Salt trial provokes DASH of skepticism
Though a new study finds that dramatic salt restriction can lower blood pressure, even among people without hypertension, some critics challenge its value in setting new dietary guidelines for all adults.
By Janet Raloff - Health & Medicine
Attack of the Clones: Immune cells single out melanoma tumors
Scientists can extract immune system cells that recognize tumor cells from people with melanoma, culture the rare cells to greatly increase their number, and inject them into the patients, sometimes putting the brakes on cancer.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Immune protein may stall HIV
People who have HIV but don't progress to AIDS make extra perforin, a protein that helps kill infected cells.
By Nathan Seppa - Health & Medicine
Duct tape sticks it to warts
Treating a wart with a covering of duct tape seems to be more effective—and less painful—than removing the wart by freezing it with liquid nitrogen.