Medical

Scientists adapting stem cell therapies for difficult-to-treat tumors have developed a highly efficient off-the-shelf approach that showed "profound efficacy" in mouse models of aggressive brain cancer, laying the groundwork for clinical trials.

A new study from scientists in Japan and the US has identified a form of inter-neuron communication as a key mechanism in the way inflammation spreads between joints in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Cataracts are one of the most common forms of vision impairment, and unfortunately surgery is the only real treatment. But the clouds may be parting on a new drug treatment, improving the vision of the majority of mice it was tested on.

Scientists may have unearthed a valuable new tool to study brain injuries, in the form of headbutting animals such as bighorn sheep and muskoxen, in which they've discovered hallmarks of head trauma for the very first time.

The buildup of bacteria deep in our teeth can cause infections in difficult to reach areas, and scientists at the Indian Institute of Science have developed tiny cleaning robots they believe are up to the task.

New studies have highlighted the importance of judicious antibiotic use, one found antibiotics can increase a person’s risk of fungal infections, while another suggests antibiotic use in old age is linked to higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

A new discovery around inflammation and excessive cell death in the body illuminates the key role a certain enzyme plays in the process, and how targeting a "sugar tag" could lead to treatments for a wide range of conditions.

One way scientists hope to lighten the burden of type 1 diabetes is through transplantation of cells that produce insulin, and novel bead-like materials offer new hope by reducing the need for immunosuppressant drugs with severe side effects.

Stents can make a life-saving difference for people with vascular problems, as they open up narrowing blood vessels. An experimental new one goes a step further, by actually transmitting blood flow data to an external computer or mobile device.

Powering medical implants can be tricky, but tapping into the body’s own fuel source could keep them going long-term. A new design for a tiny fuel cell converts glucose into electricity to power implants more efficiently than any other so far.

A team experimenting with Parkinson's disease treatments has demonstrated how implanting carefully cultivated stem cells into rats can bring about remarkable recovery from motor symptoms typical of the disease.

A new study led by researchers at McGill University challenges current notions of how acute pain is treated. The findings suggest treating some forms of acute pain with anti-inflammatory drugs may actually increase the risk of that pain developing into a chronic condition.