Stories by Jessica Wapner

Vision and Breathing May Be the Secrets to Surviving 2020

Stanford neurobiologist Andrew Huberman discusses the two things we can always control, even during a high-stress election and scary COVID pandemic

Why Gene Tests for Cancer Don't Offer More Answers

Despite progress, genetic profiling of tumors has a long way to go 

A New Blood Test for TB Could Save Millions of Lives

It can be performed at a clinic, yield same-day results and may cost less than half the current test

Pacemakers That Temporarily Disrupt the Heart's Rhythm May Boost Its Health

Counterintuitively, key heart health indicators proved markedly better in dogs with pacemakers programmed for a period of irregular contractions

New Software and Genetic Analyses Aim to Reduce Problems with Multiple-Drug Combinations

New software and gene analyses may predict which medicines can become harmful when taken together

Money Is Driving a Wedge in Teen Health

Large study reveals adolescents from low-income families have more physical and psychological issues

With Liver Donors in Short Supply, Cell Transplants Offer New Options

For many liver disease patients, implantation of a few new cells from a healthy organ may buy time or avoid a full transplant altogether

We Now Have the Cure for Hepatitis C, but Can We Afford It?

A long, difficult and costly research effort gives doctors a new cure for hepatitis C

The Story Behind a Miracle Cancer Drug [Excerpt]

A new book tells the tale of Gleevec, a breakthrough treatment that targets cancer at the genetic level

Hospitals Fail to Take Simple Measures to Thwart Deadly Infections, Survey Says

Many hospitals fail to take simple measures to prevent infections of a new strain of Clostridium difficile that's hard to track and at least in part responsible for skyrocketing infection rates in U.S...

Did Alternative Medicine Extend or Abbreviate Steve Jobs's Life?

The biomedical evidence for alternative or complementary treatments for cancer, beyond acupuncture, remains thin, although it probably didn't harm Jobs

Going Viral: New Hepatitis C Drugs Owe Their Success to HIV

Ant Thrills: Seeing Leaf-Cutter Ants through an Artist's Eyes

When Catherine Chalmers headed to Costa Rica for the third time this past January, she had a script in mind that told a very specific story: the stripping of nature.

Charging against the Flu: Studying the Virus on the Atomic Level

A giant magnet is illuminating how the influenza A virus mutates to resist drugs

Homo musculus: Researchers Create a "Humanized" Mouse for Liver Disease Studies

Long-awaited breakthroughs in developing preclinical animal models are signaling a new era for liver-targeted viruses and beyond

Adoption Agents: Keeping Interest in Orphan Drugs Alive

The Orphan Drug Act has stimulated research and produced blockbusters like Botox, but interest may be waning

iRegulate: Should Medical Apps Face Government Oversight?

With medical applications for smart phones becoming a more prominent part of doctors' diagnostic tool kits, the FDA is considering how it should regulate the market--if at all

Family Efforts Brought Legalized Drug Donations

Hurdles Facing Unused Prescription Drug Repositories

State-legislated programs for the donation of unused drugs have seen limited success

Cancer Vaccine: Looking Beyond Tumor Size

Proponents see hope in changing cancer vaccines' bad reputation