Medicine

For that which is relating or is of the topic of Medicine

Gut Bacteria May be a Cause of Colorectal Cancer (and the Key to Effective Treatment)

Figure: Cancer cell division is rapid and uncontrollable. New evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may contribute to cancer cell proliferation, spurred on by a high fat diet – but also that there may be ways to fix a cancer-causing gut microbiome (Source: Pixabay, ColiN00B) Background The war on cancer has been fought valiantly for …

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Bacterial Treatment of Cancer

Abstract: Cancer treatment has long been an engaging field of study for researchers. Yet despite years of refinement, conventional treatment methods like radiotherapy and chemotherapy are still incompetent in the permanent cure of cancer. Recently, bacterial treatment approach has shown promising experimental results. Bacterial treatment allows for deeper tumor penetration than radiation due to the …

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Study Finds Anthrax Toxin as Possible Substitute for Painkillers

Figure: A computer representation of the anthrax toxin protein (Source: Wikimedia Commons, Ayacop) For intensive surgery, opioids are often prescribed to help ease post-operative pain. They are very effective, but unfortunately also tend to be highly addictive, affecting about 15 million people every year, with an estimated cost of $35 billion in additional health care …

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Trust: The Essence of Good Policy Implementation

Figure 1 President Tsai Ing-wen inspects the Central Epidemic Command Center on April 2, 2020 (Source: Flickr, 總統府) (A previous version of this article that describes the situation in the pre-Omicron wave can be found here) Recently, an article in The Lancet medical journal article measured the biological, economic, demographic, and socio-political correlates of COVID-19 …

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The Looming Pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance

Extensive and irresponsible use of antimicrobial drugs is one of the leading causes of antimicrobial resistance. (Source: Wikimedia Commons, freestocks.org) Most of us never thought that our lives would intersect with a pandemic. Yet, COVID-19 may not be the only pandemic witnessed in the 21st century. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is standing in the wings, ready …

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Cranial Cartography: A New Method for Visualizing Blood Vessels and Stem Cells in the Skull

The diagram above displays the many potential uses of stem cells. To make the most use of stem cells’ versatility and life-saving capacity, researchers must develop a detailed understanding of where stem cells can be found and what roles they play in the body. (Source: Wikimedia Commons, Mikael Häggström) The biology of stem cells, which …

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The Biochemistry and Broad Utility of Pfizer’s New COVID-19 Drug: Paxlovid

A photo of a Pfizer facility in Italy. (Image Source: Dr. János Korom, Wikimedia Commons) On November 5th, 2021, Pfizer announced that it would seek FDA approval for its new drug, called Paxlovid. It is given to those with an active case of COVID-19 and has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization and …

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COVID-19 and its Implications for Adolescent Mental Health

Covid 19 and Isolation (Source: created by author) Abstract The coronavirus pandemic has affected the lives of people across the globe in multiple dimensions, from health to work to social relationships. This review explores the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of adolescents. Even before the pandemic, the adolescent population was experiencing mental health …

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