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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a man's hands from the side and above; they're covered in wrinkles and white splotches and bumps

'Excessive wrinkling' on young man's hands turned out to be rare condition

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Doctors initially attributed the symptoms to eczema.

left image shows the bottom half of a man's face as he sticks out his tongue, which is covered in a thick black coating; the right image shows a close-up of the tongue

Thick, black 'hairs' coated a man's tongue. Here's why.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The "hairs" on the man's tongue weren't actually hair.

An artist's rendition of an HIV/AIDS virus

A third person has been cured of HIV, scientists report

By Nicoletta Lanese published

She received stem cells from umbilical cord blood.

photo of a donated human lung in a machine that keeps the tissue alive outside of the body

Creating 'universal' transplant organs: New study moves us one step closer.

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The technique will soon be tested in a clinical trial.

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for your fight or flight response.

Fight or flight: The sympathetic nervous system

By Nicoletta Lanese, Scott Dutfield published

Reference The sympathetic nervous system activates the "fight-or-flight" response, quickly readying the body to handle dangerous or stressful situations.

Michel Roccati, whose legs are paralyzed, walks with the help of a new spinal implant and a walker

3 paralyzed men can walk again after getting electrode implant

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The device will now be tested in a large-scale trial.

close up on two people's hands as one person helps the other take a blood glucose test

Newly discovered 'death receptor' could help drive type 1 diabetes

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists are studying potential treatments to block the receptor.

photo shows gloved hands placing a pig kidney into a human recipient

Double pig kidney transplant successfully performed in brain-dead patient

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

The experiment was intended to assess the safety of such transplants, prior to them being tested in clinical trials.

illustration of several bacteriophages (viruses) on a bacterial cell

Viruses unleashed into a woman's wound to slay superbug in her leg

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The viruses were bacteriophages, meaning viruses that infect bacteria.

The surgical team at NYU Langone Health examines the porcine kidney for any signs of hyperacute rejection. The organ was implanted outside the body to allow for observation and tissue sampling during the 54-hour study period.

10 amazing health stories you may have missed in 2021

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Here are some medical stories that really wowed us this year.

photo of a syringe placed on top of a vial of medication

1st long-acting injection to prevent HIV has been approved by the FDA

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The new drug, Apretude, is an alternative to daily pills for HIV prevention.

close up of gloved hands holding a lab mouse and giving it an injection

Anti-aging vaccine shows promise in mice — will it work in humans?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The vaccine targets so-called senescent cells, which accumulate with age.

man opening small gold package over a table with spice (synthetic marijuana) and small plastic dishes on it

Tainted synthetic marijuana linked to severe bleeding cases in Florida

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Some samples of the synthetic marijuana were found to be contaminated with rat poison.

The wall of a BioMarin facility displaying the company's name

1st drug to treat genetic cause of dwarfism approved by FDA

By Nicoletta Lanese published

The drug is designed to stimulate bone growth and increase height in affected children.

close up of black legged tick on a length of wood

New anti-tick vaccine prevented Lyme disease (in guinea pigs)

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Much more research is needed to see if the vaccine works in people.

photo of university of michigan campus from above

CDC to probe massive flu outbreak at the University of Michigan

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

A sudden surge of influenza cases on the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus has drawn the attention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Mushrooms containing psilocybin.

Hallucinogen in 'magic mushrooms' relieves depression in largest clinical trial to date

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

The trial participants took different doses of psilocybin as a treatment for depression.

young girl receiving a finger prick test at the doctor's office

Number of kids diagnosed with lead poisoning could double with new CDC standard

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Experts say that the change in criteria was overdue.

a close up of a pig's kidney being used in a transplantation experiment

Pig kidney successfully hooked up to human patient in watershed experiment

By Nicoletta Lanese last updated

The experiment was brief, but the results hint at the promise of pig-to-human transplants.

A young woman wearing a pink sweater holds her head in both hands and scrunches up her eyes in pain, as if experiencing a headache

What are the different types of headaches?

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An overview of the types of headaches, causes and treatment.