Field: Medicine
Chinese coronavirus vaccine advances to next trial phase
CanSino Bio’s Ad5-nCoV was the first Chinese coronavirus vaccine to be tested in humans. Now it’s the first in the world to enter Phase II trials.
Modifying the measles vaccine could stop the coronavirus faster
To stop the coronavirus from spreading, researchers are working on a vaccine that would use the measles vaccine as its delivery vehicle.
Contact-tracing tech advances, the new saliva test, and more COVID-19 updates
In our weekly news roundup, we take you inside the fight against COVID-19 to explore the solutions on the frontlines of an unprecedented global response.
Major drugmakers team up on potential coronavirus vaccine
Major vaccine developers GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi are collaborating on a potential coronavirus vaccine to help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctors use AI to test new coronavirus treatments on patients
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center launched a new trial that uses artificial intelligence to test promising coronavirus treatments as quickly as possible.
Antiviral pill shows promise as treatment for coronavirus
The oral antiviral drug EIDD-2801 has emerged as a promising treatment for coronavirus, performing well in the lab and in mouse studies.
Bill Gates is spending billions to produce 7 coronavirus vaccines
The Gates Foundation is building factories to manufacture seven promising coronavirus vaccines to prepare for mass production if any prove effective.
Big tobacco announces "breakthrough" in plant-based coronavirus vaccine
A plant-based coronavirus vaccine developed by a subsidiary of British American Tobacco is now undergoing pre-clinical testing.
A promising vaccine candidate, new mutual-aid networks, and more COVID-19 updates
In our weekly news roundup, we take you inside the fight against COVID-19 to explore the solutions on the frontlines of an unprecedented global response.
New coronavirus vaccine candidate creates antibodies in mice
A new coronavirus vaccine candidate that delivers inoculation via a microneedle patch has shown promise in a peer-reviewed mouse study.
Forget needles – this thin strip may improve access to vaccinations
Temperature stable vaccinations could change how we store and transport life-saving medicine to the places that need it most.
The daily coronavirus news roundup – tuesday, march 24th
A hospital ship off the coast of Los Angeles, the potential new coronavirus treatment, and other fresh coronavirus news updates.
Flu drug may be an effective new coronavirus treatment
The Japanese flu drug favipiravir is an effective and safe new coronavirus treatment, Chinese officials claim after testing it on 340 patients.
The daily coronavirus news roundup – monday, march 23rd
Solutions to the mask shortage, a massive vaccine and treatment list, and other fresh coronavirus news updates.
Here is every potential coronavirus treatment and vaccine
Across the globe, researchers are scrambling to find a coronavirus treatment or vaccine that could bring the COVID-19 outbreak to a swift end.
Crowdsourcing the seed for coronavirus antiviral medications
Foldit players are solving a protein structure puzzle that could help kickstart coronavirus antiviral medications.
FDA to begin testing chloroquine as coronavirus treatment
The FDA has announced plans to begin testing chloroquine, an anti-malaria drug, as a potential treatment for the novel coronavirus behind COVID-19.
First coronavirus vaccine is ready for human testing
The experimental coronavirus vaccine, mRNA-1273, began human testing on March 16, several weeks ahead of expectations.
“Electronic nose” can detect a cancer precursor on patients’ breath
A new study found that an electronic nose could be an improved screening tool for Barrett’s esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer.
How to make 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine in a year
Creating a new vaccine is slow and expensive. One biotech firm thinks a “plug-and-play” vaccine could change that.
Medical cannabis explained
Medical cannabis is everywhere. We're answering your basic questions and unpacking the promises and pitfalls, based on the latest research.
THC could help women with endometriosis
Hundreds of thousands of women suffer with endometriosis, a disorder that causes painful tissue growth outside of the uterus. Pending clinical trials around THC may finally spell relief.
CRISPR may unlock targeted cannabis therapy
New medicinal cannabis research shows potential for personalized drug therapy, without the side effects.
Scientists are using AI to improve breast cancer screening
Computer scientists at MIT created a new algorithm for breast cancer screening to predict whether a patient will develop the disease in the next 5 years.
Could another measles outbreak open up Pandora’s Box?
The global resurgence of measles has sparked renewed scientific interest in this old foe. If the theory — which is contested — turns out to be true, a measles infection could be less an isolated bout of illness and more a Pandora’s box.
mRNA vaccines could change everything in the fight against disease
Traditional methods of vaccination have come up against difficult challenges. They can also be expensive and time-consuming to produce. New RNA vaccines are faster, cheaper, and safer, and show great potential to meet evolving threats.
Uganda begins massive new Ebola vaccine study
The Ebola outbreak in the Congo is now the second deadliest on record. How can we stop the devastation? A study in Uganda could hold the key for a new vaccine.
Hope grows for patients with spinal cord injuries
Severe spinal cord injuries resulting in total paralysis are usually considered permanent, with no hope of recovery. And yet, in a handful of patients spanning multiple levels of severity, movement is being regained.
A dangerous job: Snake milkers risk their lives to save others
A very small number of very daring people are responsible for all of the world’s antivenom.
The snake milk king
Enter the Kentucky Reptile Zoo—one of the largest collections of venomous reptiles in the world—and meet Jim Harrison, the man that spent his 42-year career milking King Cobras for anti-venom and saving lives across the globe. What drives a man like this to risk his life each and every day?
Why did measles explode in 2019?
Humanity is locked in an arms race with diseases: we update our vaccines, and diseases evolve new ways to try to...
The future of healthcare could look a lot like the 1900s
For many cancer patients, being treated at home is just as safe, more affordable, and more convenient than being...
Macgyver medicine can save lives
The package is simple and dirt-cheap—a plastic bag with a condom, a syringe, a rubber tube, and a card with...
Giving animals new legs
Derrick Campana is a prosthetics engineer helping animals walk again with artificial limbs.
Science funding is wasting young careers. Here's how to fix it.
Basic science funding is a mess. Fixing it could radically improve the pace of innovation.
Finding a new drug in one-third the time and one-thousandth the cost
How a pediatric cancer drug went from discovery to clinical trials in five years and just $500,000.
A hidden benefit of banned antimicrobial soap: Treating cystic fibrosis infections
The FDA banned triclosan from hand soap, but new research shows that it can supercharge old antibiotics.
Why we need a universal flu vaccine
Two scientists explain why the flu is still such a problem, a century after it killed 50 million people — and what...
To eradicate TB, we need old-fashioned ambition
The Ebola outbreak sparked more medical innovation in two years than TB has in decades, even though TB is killing...
The 2018 Nobel Prize could mark a turning point in the war on cancer
More than one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime; new discoveries are helping them...
A new stem cell treatment can heal burns, bedsores, and diabetic ulcers
In addition to healing injuries, the approach could be useful for repairing skin damage, countering the effects of...
Zika could be a “smart missile” for brain cancer
Zika can devastate fetal brains; scientists want to turn it against brain tumors instead.
Paralyzed mice walk again after breakthrough treatment
One small step for a mouse, perhaps one giant leap for treating spinal injuries.
UV robots can sterilize an ICU in 10 minutes
UV light destroys bacterial DNA from the inside out, eradicating the toughest pathogens in minutes.
Will probiotics cure cholera?
MIT scientists say eating good bacteria can prevent, cure, and diagnose cholera—cheaply.
Insulin pills could change everything for diabetics
A pill instead of a needle would be the "holy grail" for diabetes treatment.
How coffee could treat diabetes
Someday, diabetics could use caffeine to trigger insulin production, thanks to specially designed kidney cells.
Precision medicine cured an “untreatable” stage IV breast cancer
Two years ago, she had two months to live.
Spraying bacteria onto the skin can treat eczema
The bacteria in your microbiome ward off infections and help keep your skin healthy.
Glowing cancer cells could find hidden tumors (and replace mammograms)
A new pill can make cancer cells glow under infrared light, and it could eliminate for mammograms.
These bacteria-eating sewer viruses are saving lives
The world discovered phages before antibiotics, but these lowly sewer viruses are getting renewed attention in the...
FDA approves AI “doctor” that can see disease in your eyes
How will artificial intelligence transform medicine?
Could growing vaccines in plants save lives?
Vaccines for influenza, polio, smallpox, even Ebola have all be grown … in plants.
How virtual reality is changing medicine
From virtual hearts to immersive battlefields, doctors and scientists are using virtual reality to transform medicine
The mom who will stop at nothing to save her daughter's life
Doctors told Karen Aiach her daughter had a rare and fatal disease. So she decided to invent a cure.
This week in ideas: An artificial pancreas, Google's new translation tech, and a massive Mars rocket
An incredible medical breakthrough, Google ups the ante, and the SpaceX Mars rocket. These are our favorite stories...
A regulatory fight is brewing over experimental stem cell therapies
New proposed regulations from the FDA would effectively shut down private stem cell clinics in the U.S.
The experimental procedure that can reverse blindness
Doctors told Vanna she was permanently blind. But thanks to an experimental procedure, she can see.
Meet the mom curing her daughter's incurable disease
Karen Aiach isn't a doctor and has never worked in medicine. But when doctors said her daughter wouldn't live past...
Is the miracle medicine of the future about to become the totally real medicine of the present?
Gene therapy uses a virus to replace missing or defective genes. It sounds counterintuitive, but it could be the...
Three women who changed the way we think about medicine
From newborn health to AIDS treatment to DNA research, these brilliant women paved the way for incredible advances...