Health & Medicine

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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.

    By Damaris Christensen
  6. Health & Medicine

    Cooking Science

    The Exploratorium’s “Science of Cooking” Web pages offer all sorts of advice on how to improve your cooking–with a pinch of science. Information, recipes, and activities focus on spices, bread, meat, eggs, and more. Experience the thrill of pickle making and learn about a zesty dish called kimchi. Explore the science of cooking your holiday […]

    By Science News
  7. Health & Medicine

    Schizophrenia spurs imaging network

    Thanks to a federal grant, a team of researchers will establish a national database of brain images that will allow for expanded investigations of the neural basis of schizophrenia.

    By Bruce Bower
  8. Health & Medicine

    Old Drug, New Uses?

    A hormone called erythropoietin, long used to treat anemia, also seems to protect against nerve damage and holds promise as a new therapy for stroke and spinal cord injury.

    By Damaris Christensen
  9. Health & Medicine

    First Line of Defense: Hints of primitive antibodies

    After looking in primitive marine invertebrates that are considered to be close relatives to vertebrates, immunologists find families of genes that might provide clues as to how early immune systems evolved.

    By Carol Marzuola
  10. Health & Medicine

    Coconspirator? Genital herpes linked to cervical cancer

    Having a genital herpes infection doubles the risk of cervical cancer among women who have human papillomavirus.

    By Nathan Seppa
  11. Health & Medicine

    Young Women Don’t Bone Up on Soy

    Among the many reported nutritional benefits of diets rich in soy is a strengthening of bone in postmenopausal women. For these Golden Girls, who face an increasing risk of osteoporosis, soy-based foods can provide much-needed assistance in limiting the inevitable loss of bone. Although soybeans are best known for their oil, their protein is also […]

    By Janet Raloff
  12. Health & Medicine

    Federal Government Launches Organic Standards

    Though for decades some foods have carried the label “organic,” consumers never could be sure exactly what the term meant. Action by the Department of Agriculture last week should clarify things. USDA USDA On Oct. 21, USDA implemented regulations governing the production and labeling of organic foods. Until now, bodies from state governments to trade […]

    By John Pickrell