Health
Here's what scientists learn from studying pathogens in secure labs
There are about 1,400 known human pathogens – viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and helminths that can cause a person’s injury or death. But in a world with a trillion individual species of microorganisms, where scientists have counted only one one-thousandth of one percent, how likely is it researchers have discovered… Read
Pandemic shows risk of obesity, and challenge of weight loss
Jennifer Bergin was already obese and pre-diabetic before the pandemic, and learning she also had high blood pressure made her worry about how sick she might get with COVID-19. She began walking three hours a day, eventually losing 60 pounds. “I just knew I was a prime candidate for getting… Read
How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it's so tricky
Every time there is a major disease outbreak, one of the first questions scientists and the public ask is: “Where did this come from?” In order to predict and prevent future pandemics like COVID-19, researchers need to find the origin of the viruses that cause them. This is not a… Read
Novartis' nuclear therapy helps men with prostate cancer live longer: data
Men with a deadly form of advanced prostate cancer who failed other treatments survived four months longer after getting an experimental, tumor-targeting radiation therapy from Swiss drugmaker Novartis, according to new data. The company's Lu-PSMA-617 therapy boosted median overall survival (OS) to 15.3 months in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate… Read
Four decades on, where's the HIV vaccine?
In the four decades since the first cases of what would come to be known as AIDS were documented, scientists have made huge strides in HIV treatment, transforming what was once a death sentence to a manageable condition. What we still don't have is a vaccine that would train human… Read
The next pandemic is already happening – targeted disease surveillance can help prevent it
As more and more people around the world are getting vaccinated, one can almost hear the collective sigh of relief. But the next pandemic threat is likely already making its way through the population right now. My research as an infectious disease epidemiologist has found that there is a simple… Read
Vaccine protection may diminish need for yearly boosters
Scientists have found clues that the world’s leading COVID-19 vaccines offer lasting protection that could diminish the need for frequent booster shots, but they caution that more research is needed and that virus mutations are still a wild card. Critical studies are underway, and evidence is mounting that immunity from… Read
FDA approves much-debated Alzheimer’s drug panned by experts
Government health officials on Monday approved the first new drug for Alzheimer’s disease in nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings from independent advisers that the much-debated treatment hasn’t been shown to help slow the brain-destroying disease. The Food and Drug Administration said it approved the drug from Biogen based on results… Read
FDA approves obesity drug that helped people cut weight 15%
Regulators say a new version of a popular diabetes medicine could be sold as a weight-loss drug in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug semaglutide, for long-term weight management. In company-funded studies, participants taking Wegovy had average weight loss… Read
Pill shows benefit in certain hard-to-treat breast cancers
A pill has been shown to help keep certain early-stage, hard-to-treat breast cancers at bay after initial treatment in findings being reported early because they are so promising. Study results were released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology ahead of its annual meeting and published in the New England… Read
