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Medicine

Researchers examined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brains of 785 British participants before and after Covid-19 infection.

Even Mild Covid-19 Infections May Change the Brain, New Study Finds

Scans taken before and after a case of coronavirus reveal tissue damage and accelerated loss of gray matter

Bones communicate in varying ways with other parts of the body.

How Bones Communicate With the Rest of the Body

A new vision of the skeleton as a dynamic organ that sends and receives messages suggests potential therapies for osteoporosis and other problems

Over the past decade, scientists have debated how often overdiagnosis occurs in screenings, with the most widely cited estimates at about 30 percent. New research suggests overdiagnosis occurs in 15 percent of breast cancer screenings.

Breast Cancer May Not Be as Overdiagnosed as Previously Thought

New research finds overdiagnosis occurs in 15 percent of cases detected using mammograms

Doctors were performing an electroencephalogram (EEG) on a patient with epilepsy when he unexpectedly passed away.

Brain Scans of Dying Man Suggest Life Flashes Before Our Eyes Upon Death

An elderly epilepsy patient unexpectedly died during a brain scan, revealing bursts of activity associated with memory recall, meditation, and dreaming

Archaeologists found a 5,300 year old skull, possibly from an elderly woman, that showed signs of early ear surgery.

Cool Finds

5,300-Year-Old Skull Offers Earliest Known Evidence of Ear Surgery

Bone growth suggests the patient survived the procedure, which was likely conducted to treat an infection

Black-legged ticks, also called deer ticks, carry a variety of diseases that can be passed to humans.

Scientists Edit Tick Genes for the First Time

Altering tick genomes could bring scientists closer to managing ticks and tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease

This seven-foot statue of Pearl Kendrick, center, and Grace Eldering, left, was unveiled in Grand Rapids in 2019. Lab assistant Loney Clinton stands to the right with a microscope.

Women Who Shaped History

The Unsung Heroes Who Ended a Deadly Plague

How a team of fearless American women overcame medical skepticism to stop whooping cough, a vicious infectious disease, and save countless lives

The patient was treated for HIV using stem cells from umbilical cord blood, a less invasive and risky method compared to bone marrow transplants.

First Woman Has Been ‘Cured’ of HIV Using Stem Cells

The novel treatment using umbilical cord blood could help dozens of people with both HIV and aggressive cancers

A woman who is six months pregnant receives a Covid booster shot in Los Angeles. The CDC advises pregnant women to get vaccinated.

Covid-19

Seven Things to Know About Covid-19 and Pregnancy

From the effect of vaccines on a baby’s immunity to whether Covid-19 can cause stillbirths, experts weigh in with helpful information and advice

The life-size exhibit presents an inclusive vision of women excelling in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Smithsonian Honors Female Scientists With 120 Bright Orange Statues

The 3-D–printed figures will be displayed on the National Mall in celebration of Women’s History Month

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders could affect between 1 and 5 percent of children in the United States.

New Tools May Help Diagnose Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

If conditions stemming from exposure to alcohol in-utero can be better identified, then scientists can more effectively research treatments

Scientists built this synthetic fish using paper, plastic, gelatin and human heart cells.

Scientists Build an Artificial Fish That Swims on Its Own Using Human Heart Cells

The experiment could advance pacemaker technology and bring science closer to developing artificial hearts for people

After years of being paralyzed from the waist down, Michel Roccati can now walk again with the aid of nerve-stimulation devices.

Good News

Spinal Stimulation Device Helps Paralyzed Patients Walk, Cycle and Swim

Within days of their implants being activated, all three men were able to walk with support

Runners in Hawaii exercise at sunset. Exercise has profound effects on brain structure and provides more subtle mental health benefits as well.

The Future of Mental Health

How Exercise Boosts the Brain and Improves Mental Health

New research is revealing how physical activity can reduce and even ward off depression, anxiety and other psychological ailments

Properly fitted N95 masks should filter 94-95 percent of viral particles.

Covid-19

What You Need to Know About Covid Masks in the Age of Omicron

From what to wear to how to avoid counterfeits, experts weigh in on the latest advice about masks and Covid-19

More than a third of Americans cook with gas stoves, which can emit formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and nitric oxides.

Gas Stoves Are Worse for Climate and Health Than Previously Thought

A new study is heating up the debate over gas-powered stovetops

African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) were able to regrow a functional limb within 18 months of the novel treatment.

Frogs Can Regrow Lost Legs in the Lab. Now, Researchers Say Human Limb Regeneration Could Happen ‘in Our Lifetime’

A 24-hour treatment using a five-drug cocktail kickstarted a yearlong regrowth process in the amphibians

Anthony Fauci (left), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the President, listens as President Joe Biden (right) delivers remarks on the Omicron Covid-19 variant. Fauci has warned that Omicron could reach most of the population.

Covid-19

Seven Key Questions About Omicron Answered

As the variant spreads and more studies have been done, experts share what they know

When putting on or taking off a mask, handle it by the edges or straps to avoid contamination.

Covid-19

Can You Reuse a KN95 or N95 Mask? Experts Say Yes, but Follow These Steps

Regularly check for stretched-out straps, staining and soiling, which can compromise masks’ ability to filter viruses like Covid-19

The gene-edited pig heart recipient, who was ineligible for a human heart transplant, is doing well three days after the surgery. 

In a First, Man Receives a Heart From a Gene-Edited Pig

The swine-to-person cardiac transplant offers hope for thousands in need of organs

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