Tag Archives: medicine

The story behind the world’s first cancer vaccine [Public Science Triumphs]

The world’s first vaccine designed to prevent cancer was not developed by a pharmaceutical company. Instead, its development was funded by public institutions on two continents, including three universities, and the U.S. National Cancer Institute. The … Continue reading

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The story behind the world’s first cancer vaccine [Public Science Triumphs]

The world’s first vaccine designed to prevent cancer was not developed by a pharmaceutical company. Instead, its development was funded by public institutions on two continents, including three universities, and the U.S. National Cancer Institute. The … Continue reading

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Did hot dogs save us from colon cancer? [Food Science]

After 1978, two strangely related things happened: a new set of regulations for processed meat limited the amount of nitrite used in hot dogs, forcing manufacturers to add ascorbate or erythorbate instead. And the following that year, there was a majo… Continue reading

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Did hot dogs save us from colon cancer? [Food Science]

After 1978, two strangely related things happened: a new set of regulations for processed meat limited the amount of nitrite used in hot dogs, forcing manufacturers to add ascorbate or erythorbate instead. And the following that year, there was a majo… Continue reading

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Why Economic Inequality is Killing Us [Afternoon Reading]

Even in decidedly “wealthy” countries, human health is not always guaranteed. In fact, studies show that the best indicator of a country’s health is not its overall wealth, but how that wealth is distributed. Time Magazine’s Maia Szalavitz reports:

Im… Continue reading

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Massive 15-year study finds no link between cell phones, cancer

Despite numerous studies indicating that cell phones pose no health risk to their users, a few studies have been released that suggest prolonged use might contribute to brain cancer. For the World Health Organization, th… Continue reading

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10 Stubborn Food Myths That Just Won’t Die, Debunked by Science [Nutrition]

Every other week, new research claims one food is better than another, or that some ingredient yields incredible new health benefits. Couple that with a few old wives’ tales passed down from your pare… Continue reading

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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded posthumously for the first time in history [Medicine]

Earlier today, the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Bruce A. Beutler and Jules A. Hoffmann (pictured left and center, respectively) “for their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity;” and to Ralph M. Steinman … Continue reading

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MRI Magnets Cause Nystagmus

Hitting the main page for the first time, tibit writes "In an interesting twist on 'it's so old it's new again,' Johns Hopkins researchers led by Dale Roberts found what must have been causing much confusion for doctors the world o… Continue reading

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What’s so bad about sugar? [Debunkery]

We blame sugar for adding extra calories to almost anything we purchase in the grocery store, and call sugary snacks “junk food.” But is sugar really junk? Let’s take a look at some common myths about sugar, and find out why there are good reasons for… Continue reading

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The Shark Immunity Factor that Could Save Your Life [Medicine]

Scientists have known for some time that dogfish sharks, like the one pictured up top, naturally produce a broad-spectrum antibiotic called squalamine in their livers. Now, new research into the cellular function of squalamine reveals how it also confe… Continue reading

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Yet another contender for the most cringeworthy medical paper ever published [Medicine]

From the British Medical Journal, Aug 27, 1949, where Dr. B.B. Rapackl describes a case he encountered in Poland in 1936.

“The patient was admitted to hospital with acute cystitis. Cystoscopy confirmed this diagnosis, and to my great surprise reveale… Continue reading

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The first cancer vaccine that works [Medical Breakthrough]

Cancer vaccines may come sooner than you think. And each vaccine will be tailor-made for a specific kind of cancer. This isn’t just a theory anymore. It’s been done.
A group of medical researchers in the U.K. and the U.S. have successfully cured prost… Continue reading

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Quackwatch

“Your Guide to Quackery, Health Fraud, and Intelligent Decisions” Continue reading

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Medical science proves that fearing illness makes your illness worse [Terror]

When in a cardiac emergency, your body turns your own worst fears against you. The more acutely you feel fear, the worse your heart problem gets. It’s like the plot of IT, but without the bad special effects.
One of first books to really scare me was … Continue reading

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The Man Who Had HIV and Now Does Not

Tina Rosenberg |
NY Mag |
May 2011
Timothy Brown was diagnosed with HIV in the ’90s. In 2006, he found that a new, unrelated disease threatened his life: leukemia. After chemo failed, doctors resorted to a bone marrow transplant. That transplant eras… Continue reading

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Wearing sunglasses can save you from migraines [Optics]

If you suffer frequent migraines, you probably already know that tinted lenses are your friend - but now we have scientific proof. Precision tinted lenses have been known for years to provide relief for migraine sufferers and people hit with certain … Continue reading

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Which "gut type" do you have, and what does it say about you? [Bacterial Overlords]

We all have flourishing bacterial ecosystems in our intestines filled with thousands of microbes. But these gut ecosystems only come in three types. And the type you have may influence the kind of life you lead.

Bacteria are a crucial part of human d… Continue reading

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This is what schizophrenia looks like at the molecular level [Neuroscience]

What you’re looking at are neurons grown from a schizophrenic person. An incredible study, published today in Nature, reveals how scientists grew schizophrenic brain cells to understand the inner workings of this still-mysterious neurological disorder… Continue reading

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How copper kills flesh-eating bacteria [Mad Science]

Recently scientists staged a demonstration in which flesh-eating bacteria died off in droves when placed on a copper surface. Find out why copper engages in bactericide.

Hospitals are necessary and efficient institutions meant to gather and train a va… Continue reading

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