Illnesses and conditions

Soft corals produce chemicals that could be used to treat human disease. Now, scientists have identified the genes that make these important chemicals, opening the door to creating a limitless supply that can be used to produce and test new drugs.

As unspent antibiotics pass from our bodies, they contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Scientists are addressing this problem with a new technology which causes such drugs to only become active upon exposure to green light.

A promising new treatment to combat "undruggable" cancers has been green-lit for a human trial. It's hoped the novel drug will be able to stunt the growth and enable the effective treatment of cancers driven by the MYC oncogene and its MYC protein.

We could be on the verge of a major cancer breakthrough, with a new nanoparticle-based vaccine reportedly obliterating pancreatic cancer cells in preclinical trials. This success now takes it a step closer to a first-of-its-kind human trial.

The sea cucumber naturally produces a sugary compound that inhibits an enzyme that’s instrumental in stimulating cancer growth, according to a new study. The next step is to find a method for producing the compound in large quantities.

Researchers have identified a previously unknown biological process that causes tissue damage in conditions where oxygen is low, such as heart attacks and strokes. The study suggests that bursting red blood cells, not blood clots, are the culprits.

In the ongoing search to find an intervention that does away with opioids, a new game-based system has shown huge promise in tackling chronic neuropathic pain. Using a game and a headset, it "trains" patients to rewire brain signals to relieve pain.

A landmark study has found that a workable exercise plan significantly improves survival and health of people who have survived colorectal cancer. So much so that, as one researcher notes, "Our findings will change the way we treat colon cancer."

Diabetic foot ulcers are prone to recurring, even when they look healed. A new study used an existing method to assess the degree of water loss from the skin and found that it was a good diagnostic tool for predicting a foot ulcer’s comeback.

A new study has found that, for most of us, the fiber we eat can protect our heart health, lowering the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke by up to 20%. It’s more evidence showing that a healthy gut leads to a healthy heart.

A new study has found that smoking marijuana and ingesting THC edibles over the long term can reduce blood vessel function at levels similar to those seen in cigarette smokers, posing a risk to heart health.

A paradigm shift in the way we treat spinal injuries is now in sight, with the world's first regenerative cell therapy approved for a Phase I clinical trial. It's a historical milestone that could reverse what has, until now, been an incurable injury.

Positive results from trials of an immune therapy in dogs with bone cancer have been used to fast-track the development of the drug to treat children with the same cancer. It highlights how leveraging our genetic similarity can advantage both species.

A new study found that non-invasive in-ear electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve safely and effectively reduces osteoarthritis-related knee pain. It opens the door to innovative, quality-of-life-improving treatment.

A new experimental painkiller has shown promise in dulling or eliminating pain without the addictive qualities exhibited by today's most popular opioids. The drug also sidesteps common opioid side effects like constipation and sedation.