Humans

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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Humans

    Stress turns hair gray by triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response

    A study in mice finds stress responses deplete cells that give hair its pigment, making the strand white.

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  2. Genetics

    Ancient kids’ DNA reveals new insights into how Africa was populated

    Four long-dead youngsters from west-central Africa have opened a window on humankind’s far-flung African origins.

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  3. Health & Medicine

    The first U.S. case of a new coronavirus has been confirmed

    After confirmation that a new coronavirus is transmissible between humans, U.S. health officials report a first case in Seattle.

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  4. Health & Medicine

    Hairy cells in the nose called brush cells may be involved in causing allergies

    Some hairy cells in the nose may trigger sneezing and allergies to dust mites, mold and other substances, new work with mice suggests.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Exploding cancer cells can cause serious side effects in CAR-T cell therapies

    Blocking a protein caused cancer cells targeted with CAR-T cell immunotherapy to shrink rather than burst, which may help reduce inflammation.

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  6. Health & Medicine

    A new drug lowers levels of a protein related to ‘bad’ cholesterol

    The next clinical trial will determine if a drug targeting a protein that carries fat and cholesterol reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

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  7. Anthropology

    Neandertals dove and harvested clamshells for tools near Italy’s shores

    The discovery of sharpened shells broadens the reputation of Stone Age human relatives: Neandertals weren’t just one-trick mammoth hunters.

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  8. Microbes

    Microbes slowed by one drug can rapidly develop resistance to another

    Hunkering down in a dormant, tolerant state may make it easier for infectious bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics.

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  9. Archaeology

    After the Notre Dame fire, scientists get a glimpse of the cathedral’s origins

    Researchers will tackle the scientific questions behind rebuilding Notre Dame, and learn more about its history.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    What we know — and don’t know — about a new virus causing pneumonia in China

    A newfound coronavirus is behind a mysterious outbreak of pneumonia in central China. Experts urge vigilance but say there’s no cause for panic.

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  11. Humans

    Homo erectus arrived in Indonesia 300,000 years later than previously thought

    The extinct, humanlike hominid likely reached the island of Java by around 1.3 million years ago, a study finds.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    Global progress in combating child malnutrition masks problem spots

    Low-resource countries are tackling serious childhood malnutrition, national-level statistics show, but a closer look highlights disparities.

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