Health

a head of lettuce on a colorful background

Insulin grown in lettuce can be taken orally

New synthetic insulin harvested from lettuce plants can be made cheaply, taken orally, and transported at room temperature.

Kristin Houser

Brain

Cancer med appears to prevent brain aneurysms

Japanese researchers have discovered that the cancer drug sunitinib can prevent the formation of brain aneurysms in mice.

Kristin Houser

“Nature’s own Ozempic” or berberine is all over social media

Does berberine work as well as Ozempic to help people lose weight? Social media seems to think so, but it’s not likely.

Rebecca Roubin and Nial Wheate and Tina Hinton

Public Health

Graphene foam sucks uranium out of contaminated water

MIT researchers have developed a graphene foam water filter that eliminates uranium contamination in hours.

B. David Zarley

Virology

Pfizer’s RSV vaccine 100% effective in human challenge trial

An RSV vaccine developed by Pfizer was reportedly 100% effective in a small human challenge trial and caused minimal side effects.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

Permanent hearing loss may be reversible

A new mouse study suggests we may be able to reverse permanent hearing loss in humans by tapping into a latent regenerative ability.

Kristin Houser

Neuroscience

Researchers have created a brain sensor swarm

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed an injectable swarm of nanosenors they hope will measure the brain noninvasively.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Pfizer has manufactured the first batch of Delta variant vaccines

Pharma giant Pfizer has already developed and manufactured ingredients for a COVID-19 vaccine targeting the highly contagious Delta variant.

Kristin Houser

Brain

Helmet worn at home shrank man’s brain tumor by a third

A new brain tumor treatment shrank a man’s aggressive glioblastoma tumor by nearly a third — and all he had to do was wear a helmet at home.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

Inside your nose, it’s bacteria vs. bacteria in the fight against meningitis

Researchers have found that nose drops containing “friendly” bacteria can protect people against meningitis-causing bacteria.

B. David Zarley

Virology

New antibodies may lead to a norovirus vaccine

Researchers have discovered antibodies that neutralize a variety of norovirus strains, a possible step toward an effective norovirus vaccine.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Harvard has a vaccine against septic shock

A new vaccine platform based on biomaterial may eventually provide rapid protection against multiple bacterial threats.

B. David Zarley

Surgery

This 3D-printed graft may improve ruptured eardrum surgery

Researchers at Harvard have developed a 3D-printed graft they hope will make ruptured eardrum surgeries safer, faster, and more effective.

B. David Zarley

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