Health News

Gut throws cells overboard when chemical insults build up

A team of Duke researchers has discovered that cells lining the gut of zebrafish—and probably humans too—have a remarkable defense mechanism when faced with certain kinds of toxins: they hit the eject button. “The gut has the challenging job of handling all the chemicals that we consume or produce, and some of those chemicals can […]

Kids Health

Pool chemical injuries led to ~13,500 ED visits in 2015-2017

(HealthDay)—Pool chemical injuries led to an estimated 13,508 U.S. emergency department visits during 2015 to 2017, and about one-third of these injuries occurred in children, according to research published in the May 17 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Kayla L. Vanden Esschert, M.P.H., from the […]

Health Problems

Exposure to chemical in Roundup increases risk for cancer: study

Exposure to glyphosate—the world’s most widely used, broad-spectrum herbicide and the primary ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup—increases the risk of some cancers by more than 40 percent, according to new research from the University of Washington. Various reviews and international assessments have come to different conclusions about whether glyphosate leads to cancer in humans. The […]

Health Problems

How axons change chemical cues to mechanical force

While today’s technology is growing increasingly wireless, the human brain still depends on neurons being directly connected to one another. Two neurons are connected when one extends its axon to the other. This extension is activated by chemical cues that cause the axon to exert a directional force. While scientists have long known of molecules […]