Cancer immunotherapy is generating a level of excitement in the medical and scientific community, the likes of which are unprecedented. One scientist's HIV research led him to consider using the HIV virus to kill cancer cells. Cancer immunotherapy could very possibly turn out to be the cure for cancer.
Disease
The scourge of mosquito-borne illnesses — from malaria to Zika — has plagued mankind from time immemorial. Using DDT to GMOs we've been searching for the best, or at least most effective, method to eliminate the pests. Now some innovative scientists have come up with a way to use the mosquitoes' own attraction to nectar to do them in.
Platelets, minuscule white blood cells that are crucial for normal blood clotting, may be useful as an early screening test for lung cancer — thus possibly avoiding the necessity of extensive surgery and long-term treatments. An innovative use of so-called Tumor-Educated Platelets seems potentially valuable for the early detection of lung cancer, and maybe for other cancers as well.
Copper isn't just a pretty metal. It plays a part in minting coins (although in ways you wouldn't expect), can substitute for iron in the blood of some creatures, and is responsible for the changing color of the Statue of Liberty. And some artists pee on it. Seriously.
Vaccines against the bacteria that cause middle ear infections in young children have been very effective in preventing some of them. A new report found that decreasing the probability that one type of bacteria will grow, can provide an opportunity for others. To keep up with this change (to say nothing of evolving bacterial resistance), it's important to track what happens when a vaccine has an impact on one type of infection.
A phylogenetic and epidemiological analysis suggests that people who died from Ebola possibly spread the virus to more people than those who survived.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is being more widely discussed following a high-profile research study on the brains of deceased football players, including 111 from the NFL. But what is CTE and how does it differ from other brain diseases?
Sometimes health advice is just too good to be true, like these beauties: "Eat pomegranates to prevent cancer" ... and "Organic food will make your kids smarter." But as for "Use sunscreen to treat an autoimmune disease" ... what? That's not possible, right? Well, the truth is that last one, as crazy as it sounds, just might be real.
Here's some advice for you ambitious urban cowboys out there: Wash your hands after you touch your chickens. Cook your eggs thoroughly. And be on the lookout for predators.
The headlines all imply that nearly all football players who make it to the NFL will develop CTE. That couldn't be further from the truth. Here are four major reasons why.
Does your blood type – specifically, your Rh factor (positive or negative) – matter in your daily life? Not in the slightest. But when pregnant your Rh status can matter, especially if it's negative.
Conventional wisdom suggests that occupations associated with low socioeconomic status – such as construction, extraction and maintenance jobs – would be linked to the greatest number of ALS and Parkinson's deaths because of workers' environmental exposures to chemicals. But the CDC found the opposite to be true.