Medicine
Malaria Vaccine Shows Promise—Now Come Tougher Trials
Preliminary results suggest the vaccine is up to 77 percent effective in young children, but researchers await larger studies
Stories by Heidi Ledford
Medicine
How Could a COVID Vaccine Cause Blood Clots?
Researchers are searching for possible links between unusual clotting and the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine
Medical & Biotech
Scientists Grew Tiny Tear Glands in a Dish—Then Made Them Cry
Organoids made of tear-producing cells offer chances to study, and possibly treat, eye disorders
Medicine
COVID Antibody Treatments Show Promise for Preventing Severe Disease
Uptake by patients and physicians has been low in the U.S. even though some therapies have been authorized for months
Medicine
Moderna COVID Vaccine Becomes Second to Get U.S. Authorization
Two RNA vaccines will be useful as U.S. infections surge, but the speedy authorizations complicate clinical trials
Medicine
Coronavirus Drug Remdesivir Shortens Recovery but Is Not a Magic Bullet
Despite conflicting data, the highly anticipated results will make the treatment a standard of care in the U.S.
Medicine
Evidence for Convalescent Plasma Coronavirus Treatment Lags behind Excitement
Despite calls for more rigorous clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration has granted an emergency authorization for the therapy
Medicine
The Coronavirus Outbreak Could Make it Quicker and Easier to Trial Drugs
Remote clinical trials and other changes could permanently alter pharmaceutical development
Medical & Biotech
CRISPR Gene Editing in Human Embryos Wreaks Chromosome Mayhem
Three studies showing large DNA deletions and reshuffling heighten safety concerns about heritable genome editing
Medicine
Chloroquine Hype Is Derailing the Search for Coronavirus Treatments
With politicians touting the potential benefits of malaria drugs to fight COVID-19, some people are turning away from clinical trials of other therapies
Medical & Biotech
Quest to Use CRISPR against Disease Gains Ground
As the first clinical trial results trickle in, researchers look ahead to more sophisticated medical applications for genome editing
Medical & Biotech
CRISPR Treatment Inserted Directly into the Body for the First Time
The experiment tests a gene-editing therapy for a hereditary blindness disorder
Public Health
Why U.S. Officials Investigating Mysterious Vaping Deaths Are Focusing on Flavorings
As lung injuries among e-cigarette users mount amid a youth vaping epidemic, the impact of new restrictions remains unclear
Neurological Health
Cancer Cells Have “Unsettling” Ability to Hijack the Brain’s Nerves
The startling discovery could open up avenues for treating some aggressive tumors
The Body
The Human Body Is a Mosaic of Different Genomes
Survey finds that “normal” human tissues are riddled with mutations
Policy & Ethics
A Question of Control
Clinical-trial participants and their carers are gaining influence over how experiments are run. As they take to social media, that could make things messy for the science
Medical & Biotech
Experimental Gene Therapy Frees “Bubble-boy” Babies from a Life of Isolation
Treatment restores immune-system function in young children with severe disorder
Policy & Ethics
Trump Seeks Big Cuts to Science Funding—Again
The president wants to cut spending at the National Institutes of Health and Environmental Protection Agency, but it is not clear whether Congress will go along
Medical & Biotech
Gene-Silencing Technology Gets First Drug Approval after 20-Year Wait
The U.S. FDA decision comes after fits and stops for RNA-interference therapies
Evolution
Debate Blooms over Anatomy of the World's First Flower
Some researchers say statistical prediction of the ancestral blossom yielded an unlikely structure
