Health & Medicine

  1. Health & Medicine

    Newborn head size linked to cancer risk

    Healthy newborns with big heads face an increased risk of brain cancer.

    By Nathan Seppa
  2. Health & Medicine

    Protecting People from a Terrifying Toxin: Vaccine stimulates immune response against ricin

    In its first test in people, a vaccine against the toxin ricin appears safe and generates antibodies that are expected to be protective against the potential bioterrorism agent.

    By Ben Harder
  3. Health & Medicine

    Self Help: Stem cells rescue lupus patients

    By rebuilding a patient's immune system using his or her own stem cells, doctors can reverse of the course of lupus in severely ill patients.

    By Nathan Seppa
  4. Health & Medicine

    Rotavirus vaccines pass big safety tests

    The largest industry-funded medical trials in history have found that two new vaccines are both safe and effective against life-threatening childhood diarrhea caused by rotavirus.

    By Ben Harder
  5. Health & Medicine

    Tumor’s border cells told to leave

    Cells on a tumor's outer layer that touch healthy tissue receive a chemical signal that sends them wandering away.

    By Christen Brownlee
  6. Health & Medicine

    Diabetes most often begins in March

    A person's likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes varies seasonally and is about 50 percent higher in March than in August.

    By Ben Harder
  7. Health & Medicine

    Born to Love Salt

    A growing body of research hints that some type of biological programming may occur in the womb to foster a preference for salty foods.

    By Janet Raloff
  8. Health & Medicine

    Double Dose: Two ways to boost kidney-transplant viability

    By evaluating kidneys obtained for transplant from older people—then culling the worn-out organs—scientists can identify kidneys likely to last longer in their new hosts, especially when implanted in pairs.

    By Nathan Seppa
  9. Health & Medicine

    Old idea fights ovarian cancer

    Delivering chemotherapy directly into the abdomen improves survival in women with advanced ovarian cancer.

    By Nathan Seppa
  10. Health & Medicine

    Defenses Down: Mutation boosts West Nile risk

    A genetic mutation has been identified that increases a person's susceptibility to West Nile virus.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Caffeinated Liver Defense

    Caffeinated beverages appear to protect beleaguered livers.

    By Janet Raloff
  12. Health & Medicine

    In Pixels and in Health

    By simulating individual cells and their behavior inside the human body using a computer technique called agent-based modeling, scientists are gaining new insight into disease progression.

    By Naila Moreira