Latest articles by Clarissa Brincat
Cancer vaccine shows promise against HPV-related throat tumors in early study
If proven effective in humans, the vaccine could complement standard therapies for HPV-driven cancer, as well as inform the design of therapeutic vaccines for other diseases.
Men develop cardiovascular disease 7 years before women
Men's heart health tends to decline earlier in life, and the difference is driven largely by coronary heart disease, which appears roughly a decade sooner in men than in women.
Wegovy now comes in pill form — here's how it works
The pill version of Wegovy seems to work just as well as the injectable form, but there are some key differences between the two formulations, experts say.
Why is flu season so bad this year?
Flu season in the U.S. is particularly bad this year, and a new branch of the flu family tree may be to blame.
DNA from ancient viral infections helps embryos develop, mouse study reveals
A stretch of viral DNA in the mouse genome gives cells in early-stage embryos the potential to become almost any cell type in the body.
It matters what time of day you get cancer treatment, study suggests
Giving immunotherapy earlier in the day can significantly extend patients' survival, compared to giving treatment later in the day, a new study of lung cancer shows.
5 genetic 'signatures' underpin a range of psychiatric conditions
A study suggests psychiatric disorders can share the same genetic signatures and that they may stem from shared biological mechanisms.
What was the loudest sound ever recorded?
Determining the "loudest recorded sound" depends on how you define sound and on which measurements you choose to include.
Injecting anesthetic into a 'lazy eye' may correct it, early study suggests
Temporarily shutting down a "lazy eye" triggers a burst of neuronal activity that reverses the condition in animal experiments, a study shows.
Kissing goes back 21 million years, to the common ancestor of humans and other large apes, study finds
Scientists traced kissing back to a primate ancestor that lived around 21 million years ago.
Can brainless animals think?
Even without brains, creatures like jellyfish and sea anemones can learn from experience.
Aging and inflammation may not go hand in hand, study suggests
Declining immune responsiveness with age may be driven by changes in immune cells — not by inflammation, as previously thought.
Did Neanderthals eat anything other than meat?
Neanderthals were meat eaters, but new analyses show that their diets included other morsels.
Are there any countries with no mosquitoes?
One country has long been a mosquito-free zone, but global warming may change that.
What is type 5 diabetes? Newly recognized form of the disease gets name
First spotted decades ago but largely forgotten, a newly named form of diabetes stems from undernutrition and is thought to affect millions.
What's the strongest muscle in the human body?
Several muscles can claim the crown, depending on how you measure strength.
Years of repeated head impacts raise CTE risk — even if they're not concussions
Years of hits in sports like football and soccer, even without concussions, can trigger neuron loss and inflammation in the brain, a study finds.
Why does your breath sometimes stink even after brushing your teeth?
You might brush twice a day but still struggle with stinky breath. Why is that?
Acne drug Accutane may restore sperm production in infertile men, early study hints
Accutane, a decades-old acne treatment, could help men with infertility produce motile sperm and avoid invasive sperm retrieval surgery, a study finds.
Do humans and chimps really share nearly 99% of their DNA?
The frequently cited 99% similarity between human and chimp DNA overlooks key differences in the genomes.
Caffeine may help bacteria resist antibiotics, study finds
A laboratory experiment suggests caffeine may boost E. coli’s antibiotic resistance. However, whether this discovery applies to real-world infections in people is not yet known.
Metformin may prevent severe morning sickness
Taking the diabetes drug metformin before pregnancy may reduce the risk of debilitating morning sickness by 70%, early data hint. But a clinical trial is still needed to confirm this finding.
Why do giraffes have spots?
Giraffes' distinctive spots are more than just for show. So why do these tall animals have them?
