Medicine

Find out everything there is to know about medicine and stay updated on the latest medical breakthroughs with the comprehensive articles and informative features at LiveScience.com. Learn more about these amazing discoveries as doctors and scientists reveal important information on medicine.

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Illustration of many phages (viruses that infect bacteria) descending on a single bacterial cell

Genes from tiny viruses can turn bacteria into superbugs

By Nicoletta Lanese

Phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, pressure bacteria to evolve quickly.

large immune cells, depicted in blue, surrounded by smaller cytokines on a black background

New tool estimates your immune 'age,' predicts risk of disease

By Nicoletta Lanese

The tool, called iAge, also hints at targets for future medical treatments.

Illustration shows a lysosome (the cell's garbage disposal) fusing with an autophagosomes (cellular garbage bag full of things for disposal)

These 12 individuals have a rare genetic quirk that prevents 'self-eating' in cells

By Nicoletta Lanese

"Self-eating" allows cells to recycle their broken internal machinery.

image of a hand holding the hiccup-relieving device, which resembles a big plastic straw with a mouth piece at the top

Weird gadget may cure hiccups, early study suggests

By Nicoletta Lanese

A new study hints that the device works, but more studies are needed to rule out a placebo effect.

mosquito sitting on skin

Breakthrough dengue-prevention strategy passes huge trial

By Nicoletta Lanese

The trial was conducted in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a lab dish, held by gloved hand

New discovery could help take down drug-resistant bacteria

By Nicoletta Lanese

The team tested this new strategy in mice and lab dishes.

close up of early stage embryo

Influential panel recommends removing '14-day rule' on lab-grown embryos

By Nicoletta Lanese

Individual governments and regulatory bodies will now discuss if and how to follow the guidance.

illustration of eye with DNA swirling around the image

Genes from algae helped a blind man recover some of his vision

By Nicoletta Lanese

The man was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease 40 years ago.

short video clip of beating heart cardioid, looks like dark grey and black sphere

Tiny 'hearts' self-assemble in lab dishes and even beat like the real thing

By Nicoletta Lanese

The new heart organoids offer a unique way to study early human development.

close up of a pink pigs curly tail and backside

Pigs can breathe through their butts. Can humans?

By Nicoletta Lanese

Assuming humans can also breathe with their intestines, the finding may have clinical applications.

MRI scan of the inside of the brain, viewed from the side, shows how the brain pulses as blood and other fluids flow through it

See how the brain wobbles with each heartbeat in incredible new videos

By Nicoletta Lanese

Using a new MRI technique, scientists captured amazing 3D footage.

therapist taking notes, man in military uniform sits on couch behind

MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD one step closer to FDA approval

By Nicoletta Lanese

Barring results from an additional trial, the treatment could be approved within a few years.

Hands holding up a screen with an ultrasound in front of a surgical table and team of doctors prepping for operation

Mother rejoices after her child's successful spina bifida surgery in the womb

By Nicoletta Lanese

Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the spine and brain.

illustration of colorful microbes in the intestinal tract

Tweaking the gut bacteria of malnourished kids could help them grow

By Nicoletta Lanese

Gut bacteria may help boost the production of key proteins for bone growth and brain development.

This image shows a chimera human-monkey blastocyst.

Part-human, part-monkey embryos grown in lab dishes

By Nicoletta Lanese

The advance brings up some ethical questions.

close-up of woman's hand scratching an itch on her arm

A woman's debilitating chronic itch disappeared after she started using marijuana

By Nicoletta Lanese

"These findings are promising, but randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the results," her doctors said.

A CT scan of a woman's head shows an arrow pointing to a large hole in her septum

Rare autoimmune disorder caused a woman's nose to collapse

By Nicoletta Lanese

The bridge of the woman's nose collapsed and a hole formed in her septum.

mouse holding onto its own front paws, ears perked up

How stress stops hair growth (in mice)

By Nicoletta Lanese

More research is needed to know if the same mechanism halts hair growth in humans.

Images shows three rows of stained blastoids, a kind of artificial embryo made from modified skin cells

'First complete models' of a human embryo made in the lab

By Nicoletta Lanese

The model embryos could shed light on early human development.

A woman in her 50s had a case of "turkey ear" (left) that had slowly progressed since her childhood. After treatment, the infection resolved, leaving a scar (right).

Woman's foul-smelling 'turkey ear' caused by decades-long infection

By Nicoletta Lanese

The condition was caused by a tuberculosis infection of the skin.