Medicine & Drugs, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 29, 2023

Eating just 2 cannabis gummies can put small kids at risk of toxic effects

Eating just two weed gummies can put small children at risk of severe and prolonged toxic effects. These toxic effects include dangerous slowing of the heart rate, plummeting blood pressure, seizures, unresponsiveness and respiratory failure, according to a new study published Monday (Aug. 28) in Pediatrics, a journal of the...

Aug 30, 2023

New antibiotic that slays superbugs discovered in 'dark matter' microbes from North Carolina soil

A new antibiotic made by lab-grown bacteria can kill superbugs without driving the germs to become more resistant to treatment, an early study suggests. Scientists isolated the antibiotic, called clovibactin, from a bacterium called Eleftheria terrae subspecies carolina that they collected in soil samples from North Carolina. Their research, published...

Sep 4, 2023

Infant's dark-brown eyes suddenly turn indigo blue after COVID-19 antiviral treatment. But why?

The brown eyes of a 6-month-old boy turned a deep indigo blue after he was given the antiviral favipiravir to treat COVID-19. This case is unusual, but it's not the first time doctors have reported a patient's eyes changing color after they prescribed favipiravir for COVID-19. So what could be...

Sep 8, 2023

Blood clot risk linked to taking common painkillers alongside certain hormonal birth control

Women who use some types of hormonal birth control and common painkillers called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at the same time may have a slightly increased risk of developing blood clots, new research suggests. In an observational study of 2 million women in Denmark published Wednesday (Sept. 6) in the...

Sep 8, 2023

When should you get a flu shot? What to know for the 2023-2024 flu season

Flu shots for the United States' 2023-2024 influenza season are now available. But when's the best time to get the vaccine, and who should get one? Here's a rundown of what you need to know about this season's flu vaccines. Related: Could we ever eradicate the flu? Who should get...

Sep 12, 2023

Leading ingredient in over-the-counter decongestants doesn't work, FDA panel rules

A key ingredient in popular decongestants such as Sudafed PE, Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion and DayQuil Cold & Flu doesn't relieve nasal congestion when taken orally, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel concluded in a meeting Tuesday (Sept. 12). After reviewing years' worth of data, the FDA's Nonprescription Drug...

Sep 19, 2023

Weight-loss products labeled as 'Nuez de la India' contain highly toxic yellow oleander, FDA warns

Some weight-loss products marketed as Nuez de la India or as slimming seeds contain a highly toxic plant and should not be used, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns. The agency's warning follows the hospitalization of a person in Maryland who consumed one of these products, which are generally...

Sep 22, 2023

Move over, Viagra — this spider's boner-inducing venom could treat people let down by the blue pill

A spider whose venom triggers prolonged and painful erections may hold the key to more inclusive treatments for erectile dysfunction, scientists in Brazil report. The researchers are testing a new drug derived from the venom of the Brazilian wandering spider (Phoneutria nigriventer), also called the banana spider because it is...

Sep 22, 2023

At-home DNA tests predict how you'll respond to drugs — but how well do they work?

Have you ever wondered why certain medications don't seem to work as well for you as they do for others? This variability in drug response is what pharmacogenomic testing hopes to explain by looking at the genes within your DNA. Pharmacogenomics, or PGx, is the study of how genes affect...

Sep 25, 2023

New 'inverse vaccine' could wipe out autoimmune diseases, but more research is needed

Scientists have created a new type of vaccine that instead of activating the immune system, selectively suppresses it. The so-called inverse vaccine, which has only been tested in mice so far, could one day be used to treat autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system attacks the body, the researchers...

Sep 27, 2023

Octopus sucker-inspired patch delivers drugs into the body without needles or pills

Scientists have developed a new device inspired by octopus suckers that can deliver drugs without requiring needles or pills. They've already tested it in humans in a small, short trial. The 0.4 by 0.2 inch (1.1 by 0.6 centimeters) patch can stick to the inner lining of the cheek, stretch...

Sep 28, 2023

New drug could prevent bone loss on lengthy space missions, study in space-faring mice suggests

A drug shows promise for preventing the extreme bone loss that astronauts experience on lengthy space missions, a mouse study suggests. Humans on Earth normally lose bone tissue as they age, but in space, the low levels of gravity reduce the mechanical loading, or strain placed on bone that drives...

Oct 1, 2023

Dangerous 'superbugs' are a growing threat, and antibiotics can't stop their rise. What can?

The bacteria may have entered her flesh along with shrapnel from the bomb detonated in Brussels Airport in 2016. Or perhaps the microbes hitched a ride on the surgical instruments used to treat her wounds. Either way, the superbug refused to be vanquished, despite years of antibiotic treatment. The woman...

Oct 1, 2023

Superbugs are on the rise. How can we prevent antibiotics from becoming obsolete?

Antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria — but bacteria can evolve to resist these essential drugs. Over time, the misuse of antibiotics has rapidly accelerated the spread of such resistant germs, and widely used antibiotics are becoming less effective. So until alternative drugs to antibiotics are developed, how can we...

Oct 1, 2023

Viruses lurking in giraffe and lemur poop could lead to new antibacterial drugs, scientists say

Viruses scooped from the poop of giraffes, lemurs and long-whiskered mammals called binturongs could be useful for killing drug-resistant bacteria and preventing further antibiotic resistance, scientists say. Researchers from the University of Sheffield in England have been hunting for bacteria-infecting viruses, known as bacteriophages, in animal feces from Yorkshire Wildlife...