LA JOLLA, CA–Scientists at Scripps Research have unveiled a new Ebola virus vaccine design, which they say has several advantages over standard vaccine approaches for Ebola and related viruses that continue to threaten global health. In the new design, described in a paper in Nature Communications, copies of the Ebola virus outer spike protein, known…
Details
Environmental enrichment — with infrastructure, unfamiliar odors and tastes, and toys and puzzles — is often used in zoos, laboratories, and farms to stimulate animals and increase their wellbeing. Stimulating environments are better for mental health and cognition because they boost the growth and function of neurons and their connections, the glia cells that support…
Details
The immune system’s main job is identifying things that can make us sick. In the language of immunology, this means distinguishing “self” from “non-self”: The cells of our organs are self, while disease-causing bacteria and viruses are non-self. But what about the billions of bacteria that live in our guts and provide us with benefits…
Details
MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL (05/12/2021) — In a study recently published in Nature, University of Minnesota Medical School researchers found that senescent immune cells are the most dangerous type of senescent cell. Cells become senescent when they are damaged or stressed in the body, and they accumulate in our organs as we age. Senescent cells drive inflammation and…
Details
The rate at which people are making appointments for their Covid-19 shots is decreasing across the country. Are you among those people who have not received the vaccine? The Well desk wants to hear from readers who are hesitant about getting the shot — or have questions on behalf of someone who has concerns. What…
Details
WASHINGTON — The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday defended the agency against accusations that federal scientists were being too slow to update their pandemic-control guidance and overly conservative with their recommendations, especially on outdoor mask wearing. At a Senate hearing with other top federal health officials on the federal…
Details
The Last Biscuit Before the city pool in Johnson City, Tenn., got drained at summer’s end, dogs could take a swim for five bucks. Sporting his green life jacket, Barney leapt in as if he weren’t tired, deaf, toothless. We stayed until no one else was left. It’s a small thing in life, a dog,…
Details
Novavax, one of the first players in the race to vaccinate the world against Covid, delivered disheartening news on Monday, saying that its highly protective vaccine would not be authorized in the United States or Britain until at least July, and that it would not reach peak production until the end of the year. The…
Details
Dressing for the summer always has its particular challenges. There’s the not-insignificant task of dressing for a 50-degree morning that shifts quickly into an 85-degree scorcher. Then it’s a balancing act of dressing well without sacrificing comfort and breathability in the humidity. This summer in particular has its extra stressors, as people emerge from quarantine…
Details
Dr. Kushner is more hopeful and points to the example of statins, which lower cholesterol and became available in the late 1980s. Until then, doctors could only suggest that patients with high cholesterol cut back on eggs and red meat. Doctors “embraced statins,” Dr. Kushner said, because they could at last treat this condition. More…
Details