Discovery of Molecular Switch for How Cells Use Oxygen Wins 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Research by William Kaelin, Jr., Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza led the way for applications in treating anemia, cancer and other diseases
Nobel in Physiology or Medicine for How Cells Sense Oxygen Levels
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine goes to William G. Kaelin, Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza “for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.” They identified molecular machinery that regulates gene activity in response to changing levels of oxygen.
Flu Vaccine Selections Suggest This Year’s Shot May Be Off the Mark
The strains chosen for the Southern Hemisphere vaccine suggest the Northern Hemisphere one may not provide optimal protection
Could Immunotherapy Treat Diseases Besides Cancer?
Approaches for boosting the body’s immune system are being tried for autoimmune and heart conditions, but it is too early to know how well they will work in people
Possible Carcinogen Found in a Common Heartburn Medication Is Present in Some Foods
Some forms of the drug ranitidine—including Zantac—have been shown to contain low levels of NDMA, which causes cancer in rats
A Newly Identified Protein May Be the Key to Vanquishing the Common Cold
Inactivating this protein in human cells and mice provided immunity to a range of viruses, but an effective treatment is still a long way off
Cholesterol Climbs after Crows Chomp Cheeseburgers
Wild animals that live near humans have higher cholesterol than their rural counterparts—and our food could be to blame. Christopher Intagliata reports.
When Vitamin Pills Are Too Much of a Good Thing
Taking megadoses of vitamins can be risky, as a recent study shows
Hormone Therapy during Menopause Raises Breast Cancer Risk for Years
An analysis of dozens of studies found that women taking the therapy remain at a higher risk for more than a decade after stopping use
An Auditory Expert Hopes to Replace Lost Hearing Cells
A. James Hudspeth, winner of the 2018 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, spoke with Scientific American editor emerita Mariette DiChristina about his efforts to regenerate lost or damaged inner-ear cells that make hearing possible. They also discussed the cultural cohesion of the deaf community and why, for its members, the lack of aural communication is not a problem requiring a solution.
Can a New Lyme Disease Vaccine Overcome a History of Distrust and Failure?
Two new vaccines are in development, but it has taken researchers two decades to get this close
Treatment for Extreme Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Wins U.S. Government Approval
The three-drug regimen cures 90 percent of people who have the deadliest form of the disease