Public HealthOctober 28, 2016
Scientists Tackle Lethal Childhood Brain Cancer
In precision medicine era legacy gifts of patient brain tissue reveal disease mechanisms and new therapeutic approaches
Stories by Esther Landhuis
Esther Landhuis is a journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Ph.D. in immunology and covers biomedicine in all dimensions, from bench discoveries to biotech in health care.
NeurologyJuly 26, 2016
Could Trashing Junk Proteins Quash Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and Huntington’s?
Scientists search for the Marie Kondo of the brain—a drug to clear cellular debris
MedicineJuly 1, 2016
Lab Mice Are Poor Models of the Human Immune System
But housing ultraclean lab rodents with “dirty” mice from pet stores could help
NeurologyJune 8, 2016
Obscure Disease May Offer Backdoor to New Treatments for Alzheimer's and Other Killers
Progressive supranuclear palsy has become a test bed for therapies aimed at the tau protein thought to be behind many devastating neurodegenerative disorders
NeuroscienceApril 20, 2016
Uncovering New Players in the Fight Against Alzheimer's
Research on a key brain immune cell suggests it is a tantalizing but slippery target for new therapies
NeurologyJanuary 25, 2016
Is Dementia Risk Falling?
Cases are more prevalent but the risk of cognitive decline shows a surprising drop in some countries
HealthNovember 2, 2015
2 Companies Seek FDA Approval for Brain Games to Treat ADHD
Interactive games show some success in small, preliminary studies, but scientists have reservations
NeuroscienceSeptember 1, 2015
How a New Father's Brain Changes
Dad’s mental shifts are different from mom’s
HealthMay 21, 2015
Why Your Immune System Doesn't Eat You Alive
Contrary to conventional wisdom, T cells that cause autoimmune disease actually abound in the body but are held in check
Mind & BrainApril 1, 2015
Test for Alzheimer's Risk Shows Promise
An eye-tracking test may serve as a screen for predicting Alzheimer's
Mind & BrainMarch 1, 2015
Curb the Aging Brain’s Distractibility with Practice
Learning to filter out unwanted information can bring older adults’ focus back to young adult levels
Mind & BrainFebruary 12, 2015
Catching Alzheimer’s before Memory Slips
Can a five-minute eye-tracking test warn of disease to come?
HealthFebruary 1, 2015
Eye-Tracking Test Enters into the Running for an Alzheimer’s Screen
The evaluation is one of several prognostic tests undergoing studies
HealthJanuary 29, 2015
Your Immune System Is Made, Not Born
New research dispels the belief that the strength of the body’s defense system is genetically programmed
Mind & BrainJanuary 1, 2015
Banish Procrastination by Thinking Differently about Deadlines
Trick your brain into meeting any due date