Ever wonder why things that normally feel gentle, like putting on soft shirts, are painful after a sunburn? In a study of four patients with a rare genetic disorder, NIH researchers found that PIEZO2, a gene previously shown to control our sense of our bodies in space and gentle touch, may also be responsible for […]
These YA Novels That Discuss Sexual Assault Are More Important Than Ever
Long before Kavanaugh, Weinstein, #MeToo and more brought the topic of sexual violence front and center in the news cycle, activists have emphasized the importance of educating kids of all genders about “yes means yes” consent and the devastating effects of rape culture. Important movements are happening on college campuses across the nation, but conversations about […]
I Didn't See Women My Size on the Internet—So I Decided to Change That
This profile is part of Health’s #RealLifeStrong series, where we are celebrating women who represent strength, resilience, and grace. Three years ago when Katie Sturino launched her blog, her goal was to provide fashion inspiration for women with similar body types to hers. The 12ish Style struck a chord: Today, Sturino has 225,000 followers on Instagram (if you haven’t seen her #SupersizeTheLook posts, you need to) […]
Drugs that stop mosquitoes catching malaria could help eradicate the disease
Researchers have identified compounds that could prevent malaria parasites from being able to infect mosquitoes, halting the spread of disease. Preventing transmission of malaria is a key part of efforts to eliminate the disease. A person can be cured of the disease using drugs that wipe out the replicating form of the parasite, but still […]
Engrafted stem cell-derived lung organoids that model human lung development
Researchers have now grown lung organoids from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that, after implantation in mice, can develop mature alveolar type 1 (AT1) and AT2 cells and architecture approximating that of human lungs. The strategy is the first to generate both lung distal progenitor cells and mature AT1-like cells. The study is published in […]
I have had this mole-like thing on my chest for almost a year now. I thought it used to be a pimple that I popped, but instead of disappearing it became this big soft fatty bump on my chest which makes me look like I have 3 nipples! Is this a bad sign? Do I need to see my doctor?
Anytime you have a skin problem that doesn’t go away, you should make an appointment with your health care provider. Small lumps or cysts (fluid filled sacs under the skin) are common and most of the time aren’t dangerous. They can sometimes get infected and in very rare cases they can be something serious. It […]
Team isolates antibodies that neutralize GI bug norovirus
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have isolated the first human monoclonal antibodies that can neutralize norovirus, the leading cause of acute gastrointestinal illness in the world. These antibodies, described this week in the journal Gastroenterology, “have high potential” for improving diagnosis and treatment of norovirus illness as well as furthering efforts to develop the […]
New urine dipstick test detects cause of disease that blinds millions
Scientists at Scripps Research have developed a urine diagnostic to detect the parasitic worms that cause river blindness, also called onchocerciasis, a tropical disease that afflicts 18 to 120 million people worldwide. Described in the journal ACS Infectious Diseases, the new, non-invasive test may provide an inexpensive method of determining in real time whether a […]
FDA Bans E-Cig Liquid Products That Look Like Snacks, Candies
THURSDAY, Aug. 23, 2018 — Potentially poisonous e-cigarette liquid made by 17 different manufacturers comes in packaging that strongly resembles that of candies, cookies and other snacks popular with kids. And after warnings sent to the companies in May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the products on Thursday. The agency told the companies […]
Found: A destructive mechanism that blocks the brain from knowing when to stop eating
An international team of researchers has uncovered a destructive mechanism at the molecular level that causes a well-known phenomenon associated with obesity, called leptin resistance. They found that mice fed a high-fat diet produce an enzyme named MMP-2 that clips receptors for the hormone leptin from the surface of neuronal cells in the hypothalamus. This […]