Research News

Shaorong Deng gets an experimental treatment for cancer of the esophagus that uses his own immune system cells. They have been genetically modified with the gene-editing technique known as CRISPR.

Doctors In China Lead Race To Treat Cancer By Editing Genes

11:58am February 21, 2018

by Rob Stein

More than a third of patients with cancer of the esophagus responded to experimental treatment in China with the gene-editing technique CRISPR. Several CRISPR studies are underway there.

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Hidden Brain: A Study Of Airline Delays

6:47am February 20, 2018

by Shankar Vedantam

Flight delays and late arrivals have gone down since 1990. At the same time, airlines have increased scheduled flight times because flights are taking longer, and more time is spent taxiing.

The image of a normal upper arm (top) shows the delicate network of healthy lymph vessels. In the lower image of a patient with lymphedema, a collection of lymph fluid, in white, has made the arm swell.

She Survived Breast Cancer, But Says A Treatment Side Effect 'Almost Killed' Her

12:19pm February 19, 2018

by Patti Neighmond

When many lymph nodes are removed along with a tumor, some patients develop painful and debilitating swelling — lymphedema. More doctors should recognize and help prevent the problem, surgeons say.

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Abraham Vidaurre, 12, checks his arm after receiving an HPV vaccination at Amistad Community Health Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 2016. Though gender differences in vaccine rates have narrowed, more girls than boys tend to get immunized against HPV.

This Vaccine Can Prevent Cancer, But Many Teenagers Still Don't Get It

9:33am February 19, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

The HPV vaccine can prevent cervical cancer in women and some cancers in men. It's most effective when given early in adolescence. But a new analysis finds only 29 percent of teens get it by age 13.

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This light micrograph of a part of a brain affected by Alzheimer's disease shows an accumulation of darkened plaques, which have molecules called amyloid-beta at their core. Once dismissed as all bad, amyloid-beta might actually be a useful part of the im

Scientists Explore Ties Between Alzheimer's And Brain's Ancient Immune System

5:00am February 18, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

Their first epiphanies came during musings over beer, and evolved into a decade of teamwork. Two Harvard researchers explain why they think Alzheimer's disease may be traced to an immunity glitch.

Smallpox virus, colorized and magnified in this micrograph 42,000 times, is the real concern for biologists working on a cousin virus — horsepox. They're hoping to develop a better vaccine against smallpox, should that human scourge ever be used as a bi

Did Pox Virus Research Put Potential Profits Ahead of Public Safety?

1:05pm February 17, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Privately funded scientists made a virus related to smallpox from scratch, hoping their version might lead to a better smallpox vaccine. But critics question the need — and worry about repercussions.

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Simone Groper got her flu shot in January at a Walgreens pharmacy in San Francisco. Flu season will likely last a few more weeks, health officials say, and immunization can still minimize your chances of getting seriously sick.

Young Kids Are Getting The Best Protection From Current Flu Vaccine

2:34pm February 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

Overall, this season's vaccine is about 36 percent effective in blunting or preventing flu, health officials say. That's better than earlier predictions, and good enough to prevent flu in thousands.

Borneo has lost more than 100,000 orangutans in the last 16 years – about half of the critically endangered species native to the island.

Borneo Has Lost 100,000 Orangutans Since 1999

12:05pm February 15, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

That's more than the number of the critically endangered species remaining. The orangutans have been hit hard by deforestation and hunting. The animals are native to the island.

A Matabele ant treats the wounds of a mate whose limbs were bitten off during a fight with termite soldiers.

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WATCH: Ants Act As Medics, Treat Wounds Of Injured Nest-Mates

3:11pm February 14, 2018

by Camila Domonoske

A new study, published on Wednesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, describes how specific individuals in Matabele ant colonies will clean the wounds of injured ants.

This is a sample photo taken with the 1-megapixel Quanta Image Sensor. Instead of pixels, QIS chips have what researchers call "jots." Each jot can detect a single particle of light.

Science

Super Sensitive Sensor Sees What You Can't

4:35pm February 13, 2018

by Joe Palca

Engineers at Dartmouth College have developed a computer chip that can detect a single particle of light. Cameras with the chip would have visual abilities even a superhero would envy.

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