Medicine
A cancer immunotherapy technique may prevent diabetes
Engineered immune cells can fight off rogue T cells which damage the pancreas and cause type 1 diabetes.
These are the medical breakthroughs that inspired us in 2020
2020 has put medicine to the forefront like never before. Freethink’s B. David Zarley looked back on the year and chose three medical developments that inspired him.
Genetically engineered tomato can grow drug to treat Parkinson’s
The latest biopharmaceutical is a drug for Parkinson’s disease, Levodopa, produced by genetically modified tomato plants.
4 people in the world have a mysterious dementia. Could it hold a key to Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s has proved difficult to treat. But solving the mystery of this ultra-rare frontotemporal dementia may unlock new understanding.
New pancreatic cancer treatment penetrates tough tumors
For a new pancreatic cancer treatment, researchers attached a chemotherapy drug to an antibody that targets a molecule on the outside of cancer cells.
Cancer immunotherapy “baits” the immune system into attacking hidden lung tumors
When cancer spreads, it often ends up in the lungs. ImmunoBait can ride a red blood cell in mice to deliver cancer immunotherapy where they live.
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.
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.
Finally! A smart toilet offers fecal testing for the masses
Fecal testing can reveal a surprising amount of medical data. Israeli startup OutSense wants to do so from your home.
Psilocybin therapy appears to dramatically reduce depression
Psilocybin therapy — a combination of traditional therapy and supervised “trips” on the magic mushroom compound — shows promise as a depression treatment.