Medical Breakthroughs

The same researchers who developed Gardasil—the vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer—have genetically engineered tobacco plants to produce a cheaper version of the vaccine. The new drug, designed for distribution in India and other poor countries, would cost $3 for three doses, as opposed to $360 for Gardasil, reports USA Today. More »

Scientists have pinpointed two genes that may be linked to MS, signaling a breakthrough in the fight against the debilitating disease 20 years in the making. In separate studies published today by two medical journals, researchers revealed one specific gene receptor may trigger cells to inhibit the body's autoimmune reaction, the first ever genetic culprit in the crippling disorder. More »

People think it's weird, and there's no research to prove it works, but new mothers  who've suffered from postpartum depression swear by it. The placenta that nourished the baby is injested by the new mom—dried and put into gelatin capsules, or just plain cooked and eaten. The placenta is thought to contain nutrients that act as a natural preventative for postpartum depression. More »

People with restless legs syndrome aren't imagining the twitching that often keeps them up at night, scientists say, countering claims that the condition is more psychosomatic than neurological. Genetic variations play a role in an ailment one sufferer says feels like “something crawling inside your legs, biting on you,” the AP reports. More »

Bigger breasts—even new breasts—can be grown using a new treatment that extracts stem cells from fat in the stomach or buttocks, the BBC reports. The breakthrough could help women who have had mastectomies, or rival implants for those seeking bigger breasts. More »

Doctors are preparing to execute Britain's first face transplant, but first they must face off with relatives of potential patients and the media eager to buy their stories, the Guardian reports. The press has fixed it eyes and nose on the upcoming operation, but surgeons say publicity for patients seeking it could both nullify their fully-informed consent and delay completion. More »

More sweet news for chocoholics: Small doses of dark chocolate—even candy-aisle favorites like Dove or Hershey's—may reduce blood pressure by 2-3 points, new research shows. The study, published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association , suggests commercial chocolate can provide some of the same benefits as the high-flavanol lab concoctions tested in earlier studies. More »

A newly discovered chemical connection between chronic stress and fat could help curb obesity— or grow fat in places like breasts for cosmetic purposes, the Washington Post reports. Scientists found that  stressed-out mice on a rodent junk-food diet grew the fattest, and that injecting or blocking a stress neurotransmitter can induce, or reduce, weight gain. More »

Over a million hospital patients contract a dangerous, drug-resistant staph infection every year, a rate 10 times more than previously thought. Tens of thousands infected with antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" may die from what officials call one of the nation's most serious public-health threats, today's Chicago Tribune reports. More »

Two new experimental treatments for Parkinson's could stop the progress of the devastating disease and allay its symptoms, researchers say. A new study shows gene therapy was successful in boosting production of an enzyme that calms overactive neurons, reducing the jittery effects of the brain disorder. More »

A clot-busting drug is remarkably effective in treating frostbite patients, according to new research from the University of Utah health center, reports the Los Angeles Times . Patients whose treatment included tissue plasmingoen activator (tPA) kept 90% of affected fingers and toes; patients treated before the drug was in use had 41% amputated. More »

The first research linking vitamin D directly to cancer prevention shows the nutrient sharply reduces cancer rates in older women. Only 3% of the 1,179 women monitored while taking a combination of vitamin D and calcium developed cancer over 4 years, a 60% lower rate than those given placebos, according to the breakthrough American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study. More »

In an outcome one scientist describes as a "new dawn," researchers have identified genetic variations linked to seven common diseases, opening the door to improved tests and treatments. The study, which focused on depression, Crohn's disease, coronary artery disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and Type 1 and 2 diabetes, also found unexpected links between some of the ailments. More »

Normal skin cells can be transformed into the equivalent of stem cells in mice, researchers report, and the new technique may revolutionize research on humans. Because it doesn't involve embryos or eggs, the process skirts the ethical quagmires surrounding human stem cell research; the easy availability of raw material and relative simplicity of the technique are logistical pluses. More »

A pioneering stem cell technique developed by British scientists and backed by an anonymous American benefactor could soon cure blindness in millions of people suffering from macular degeneration, the Daily Mail reports. The procedure involves injecting lab-grown embryonic stem cells into the back of an affected eye to repair the damaged area. More »

An impressive clinical trial has produced what could be the first effective drug treatment for liver cancer, the New York Times reports. Nexavar, which blocks both the blood supply to the tumor and proteins that spur tumor growth, extended the lives of patients in the trial by almost three months, or 44% More »

Four newly discovered genes can increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer by as much as 60%, say scientists who hail the isolation of the genes as the biggest advance in the field since 1994. The breakthrough raises hopes for more advanced treatment and even prevention of breast cancer and for better understanding of other cancers in the future. More »

The British government has reversed its stance on the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos and will propose allowing scientists to use them as sources of stem cells. Scientists developing treatments for incurable diseases would be allowed to grow the hybrid embryos for no longer than two weeks, and implanting them into a human womb would not be permitted. More »

Alzheimer's patients may be able to recover some memory by using a combo of drugs and mental stimulation, a new study in the journal Nature concludes. Mice with an Alzheimer's-like condition were more likely to remember an electric shock if they had taken a drug stimulating brain-cell growth or lived in playground-like cages. More »

The battle to keep pounds off may start with a baby bottle, say a team of British scientists who found that feeding large doses of the appetite-controlling hormone leptin to baby rats led to svelte adult rats. If those results translate to humans, a baby formula that chemically alters metabolism might someday prove the end of obesity. More »