Evolution
My Testy Encounter with the Late, Great Gerald Edelman
Biologist Gerald Edelman–one of the truly great scientific characters I’ve encountered, whose work raised profound questions about the limits of science—has died.
Pharmaceuticals1129 articles archived since 1845
Health
How Bacteria in the Placenta Could Help Shape Human Health
The placenta is full of microbes, a new study finds, raising questions about how that ecosystem and mothers' oral health influence the risk of preterm birth
Health
Sorry, But So Far War on Cancer Has Been a Bust
I recently got into an argument, again, about cancer. The occasion was a talk by one of my colleagues at Stevens Institute, philosopher Gregory Morgan, on the fascinating history of research into cancer-causing viruses...
Health
Senators Sound Off on Electronic Cigarettes
Lawmakers spar over FDA Regulations
Health
Healthy Lung Microbes Keep Mice Breathing Easy
Like humans, mice start life with sterile lungs that soon get colonized by microbes, which appear to protect the lung tissue from an asthmalike reaction in the presence of dust mites. Cynthia Graber reports
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Health
Life Span Boosted in Worms via Dietary Supplement Compound
It's premature to call the compound, alpha-ketoglutarate, an antiaging drug, but it has been found to extend the longevity of C. elegans by 50 percent
Health
Drugs to Be Derived from Insights into Body-Dwelling Bacteria
Large pharmaceutical companies are eyeing the therapeutic potential that can result from microbiome research, beyond the use of fecal transplants
Parasitic Worms Wiggle Into Modern Medicine [Q&A]
In 2006, a man named Jasper Lawrence travelled to Africa to infect himself with hookworm by walking barefoot in a steaming mound of human excrement.
Environment
Drugs, Chemicals Seep Deep into Soil from Sewage Sludge
The widespread use of biosolids could contaminate groundwater near farms with a variety of chemicals, including anti-depressants such as Prozac and hormone-disrupting compounds in antibacterial soaps...
Science in the Abstract: Don't Judge a Study by its Cover
A competition for attention lies at the heart of the scientific enterprise. And the abstract is its “blurb.” A scientific abstract is a summary used to attract readers to an article and to get a piece of research accepted for a conference presentation...
Mind & Brain
Widely Used Autism Drug Carries Heavy Risks for Children
Risperidone, the first drug approved for children with autism and the most widely used, improves some behavior but can have severe side effects such as sleepiness and weight gain
Emerging Contaminants Taint Drinking Water Supply
This week is Drinking Water Week; a week where water professionals like myself and communities throughout the country recognize the vital role water plays.
Reflections of a Fourth Year Medical Student
"We pass through the present with our eyes blindfolded. We are permitted merely to sense and guess at what we are actually experiencing. Only later when the cloth is untied can we glance at the past and find out what we have experienced and what meaning it has." - Milan Kundera Two weeks ago, I [...]..
The Quest: My Two Favorite Tricks for Searching PubMed
The short item I wrote about cancer immunotherapy quickly went viral on Monday and became the most-read article on Scientific American's website.
Health
Who Knew? Cancer Has an Off Switch [Video]
A new drug combination jump-starts the body’s ability to fight cancer
The Quest: Get the Lowdown on the Pills You're Popping
Looking up information about prescription medications used to mean thumbing through the pages of the big blue Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR), or more recently, searching the PDR website...
Happy Birthday, Circle of Willis!
By 1664, the year he published his most famous book of neuroanatomy, Cerebri Anatome, Dr. Thomas Willis was already renowned in Britain for saving lives.
Mammography Evidence Ping-Pong: a Viewer's Guide
You could get a very sore neck watching all the claims and counter-claims about mammography zing back and forth. It’s like a lot of evidence ping-pong matches.
Biology
New Drug for Stomach Cancer Starves Tumors of Blood
The medication could offer a way to fight other cancers as well
26-Minute Execution Deemed "Humane" in Ohio Analysis
When Ohio executed convicted rapist and murderer Dennis McGuire in early 2014, it set off a maelstrom of controversy. Ohio used a drug cocktail that appeared to leave McGuire gasping for air for some 11 minutes until he was pronounced dead--26 minutes after the initial injection of his drugs...
