Medical

Scientists have revealed a new mechanism through which an ingredient in common plastics drives up cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease in mice, potentially filling in some important blanks as to why similar effects have been observed in humans.

Ordinarily when someone requires a prosthetic eye, a mold has to be made of their eye socket, after which the prosthesis is built by hand. A new 3D printing system, however, is claimed to be much quicker, and to produce a more realistic-looking eye.

A team of researchershas advanced development of a nanochip device that can reprogram cells in the body to become new blood vessels and nerve cells. It could be used to repair brain damage resulting from a stroke or nerve damage caused by diabetes.

Researchers at Princeton focusing on a single gene central to the ability of most major cancers to metastasize have discovered what they describe as a "silver bullet," in the form of a compound that can disable this gene in mice and human tissue.

For people with coronary heart disease, regular monitoring of bloodstream cholesterol levels is essential – and it typically requires the drawing of blood samples. A new system, however, is claimed to provide the same data simply by imaging the skin of the hand.

Scientists have successfully used CRISPR and phages to edit the genome of bacteria in the gut microbiome of live mice for the first time. The breakthrough could help manipulate the ratio between different species to treat a range of health problems.

A new type of artificial scaffold encourages regenerating neurons to grow towards one another and bridge busted connections more efficiently, offering new hope for healing damaged spinal cords and restoring communication links between the brain and body.

A new study has shed light on a molecular process underpinning impaired metabolism and endurance in skeletal muscle associated with obesity, and reveals how a growth factor found in a South American plant can alleviate these deleterious effects.

Antibiotics were one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, but bacteria are developing resistance to them. Now researchers have shown that ultrashort pulses of laser light can kill bacteria and viruses, without harming human cells.

Yale researchers have developed a new oral medication for type 1 diabetes. In tests in mice, the drug quickly adjusted insulin levels, restored metabolic functions and reversed inflammation, opening up a potential way to prevent the disease.

A new study is reporting more than one in three patients trialing the recently approved Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab experienced brain swelling side effects. The data is the first from the drug’s Phase 3 trials to be peer-reviewed and published.

It's a sad fact that people with severe respiratory illnesses are often confined to hospitals, where they must breathe through ventilators. A new portable device that harvests oxygen from the air, however, may someday allow them to stay at home.