Health

a vaccine vial in front of a backdrop of cells

Personalized cancer vaccines are having a moment

Personalized cancer vaccines were a recurring theme at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in 2024.

Kristin Houser

Young girl in a colorful knit hat drinking water from a clear glass, possibly containing forever chemicals, with sunlight creating a lens flare across the image.

Sustainability

Scientists have invented a method to break down “forever chemicals” in our drinking water

Researchers have discovered a way to eliminate “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, which usually take hundreds or thousands of years to break down.

Johnny Wood

X-ray image of a human chest showing lungs and rib cage, with visible abnormal dark patches indicating possible tuberculosis.

Medicine

AI can help predict whether a patient will respond to specific tuberculosis treatments

Instead of a one-size-fits-all treatment approach, AI could help personalize treatments for each patient to provide the best outcomes.

Sriram Chandrasekaran

Coronavirus

When will we have a COVID-19 vaccine?

Several developers have reported incredible coronavirus vaccine progress, so when will we have a COVID-19 vaccine ready for distribution?

Kristin Houser

Inventions

Reverse engineering a $15k medical device for 50x less

6:17

Many hospitals in developing countries can’t access the overpriced, high-tech equipment that’s standard in the U.S. Reverse innovation could finally change that.

Doug Dais

Coronavirus

Oxford says its COVID-19 vaccine is up to 90% effective

The University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine was up to 90% effective in a phase 3 trial and could be easier to distribute than other coronavirus vaccines.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

How long will coronavirus immunity last?

Coronavirus immunity might last for years, according to a new study that measured the levels of virus-fighting immune cells in COVID-19 survivors.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

New skin cancer vaccine is twice as powerful

By adding two “boosters” to an in-development skin cancer vaccine, scientists may have improved its ability to prevent melanoma recurrence.

Kristin Houser

Medicine

New vanishing wound dressing heals skin with minimal scarring

A new kind of hydrogel dressing improves wound healing and minimizes scarring by kicking the adaptive immune system into gear.

Kristin Houser

Coronavirus

FDA authorizes first at-home COVID-19 test

The FDA has authorized an at-home COVID-19 test that delivers results in 30 minutes, but you can’t get it without a prescription.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

Bacteria’s self-destruct mechanism may unlock next-level genome editing

A mystery for 30 years, retrons are showing potential as genome-editing tools. Now, we know what they actually do.

B. David Zarley

Coronavirus

Trial suggests Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective

Another win for mRNA vaccines: Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective at preventing COVID-19, according to initial trial data.

Kristin Houser

Genetics

New “universal” diagnostic test can ID any infection

UC San Francisco scientists have developed a new diagnostic test that uses DNA sequencing to quickly identify any pathogens in any type of patient sample.

Kristin Houser

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