Healthy cells shown to promote tumor growth

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research, London and the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute of the University of Manchester recently published a paper in Cell. It implicated one of the most common mutated genes across all cancers, KRAS, in the acceleration of tumor growth. KRAS shows up in more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancers.

7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s Kyushu region on April 16. There have been a total of 32 reported deaths, according to Kumamoto Prefecture’s disaster management office. Following the earthquake, heavy rains struck the region, making the search for the remaining survivors even more difficult. The quake struck near the city of Kumamoto and turned landmarks into piles of debris, taking down buildings and other structures.

Food as Medicine club urges healthy living

Food as Medicine is a student group at Hopkins focused on improving the health of children attending Baltimore City public schools. According to Maryland’s Department of Education, 87.71 percent of Baltimore City public school students qualified for free or reduced meals for the 2015-2016 school year.

Wearable electronics can become a reality

Often regarded as being in the realm of science fiction, due to recent advances in textile fabrication wearable electronics are no longer a distant possibility.

Why is there little neurogenesis in the brain?

Brain stimulation helps language skills

Electrical neurostimulation of parts of the brain can alter the way we process language, thereby allowing for enhanced comprehension of simple, two-word phrases.

FBI requests access to criminals’ iPhones

Over the past few months, Apple has found itself in a flurry of legal bouts with the U.S. government regarding data access and privacy of Apple users’ devices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked Apple for assistance in accessing information from particular devices, such as the iPhone of the San Bernardino killer Syed Farook, since the FBI hoped that GPS data from Farook’s phone will provide them with information regarding who Farook contacted after the shooting and where he traveled immediately after the shooting.

CDC reports rise in deaths from drug overdose

Deaths resulting from drug overdose have escalated by 137 percent from 2000 to 2014 in the United States, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of drug-related deaths in 2014 was greater than any reported in past years, with more than three out of five drug overdose mortalities involving the use of opioids such as prescription opioids and heroin.

Eating fresh produce can lead to a longer life

While few people claim that fresh fruit and vegetables are unhealthy, a recent study shows that fresh produce might carry long-term health benefits in addition to its short-term nutritional value.

Curiosity can prompt dangerous behavior

A recent study done by University of Wisconsin researchers suggests that our curiosity can lead us toward painful or unpleasant situations.

Scientists regenerate esophageal tissue

Each year, patients around the world have to wait for tissue and organ donors, creating a bottleneck in the health care system. Increasingly, scientists have looked for artificial organs or regeneration techniques to alleviate this problem.

Scientists develop new HIV diagnostic device

All too often, brilliant research ideas and applications are left in lab due to impediments such as the high cost of the reagents, low turnaround times, the requirement of sophisticated technical skills, the need for a controlled environment and the difficulty of obtaining FDA approval for public use of the product.

Mental health effects linked to marijuana

Marijuana has been in the spotlight recently for its alleged medicinal properties, prompting 23 states and the District of Columbia to legalize medical cannabis. As medical marijuana becomes increasingly accepted as a viable alternative to traditional therapies, the recreational value of the drug is also increasing.

Using atomic bombs in the field of biology

City-dwelling birds are smarter than rural birds, study finds

Animals adapt to survive. When we think of this concept, we can imagine animals facing challenges in the wild: foraging for food, searching for shelter or competing for a mate. Recent studies show that animals living in our cities also need to adapt in order to survive in the urban jungle. Some of their unique adaptations allow them to survive just as well as, if not better than, their counterparts in the wild.

Agricultural expansion depletes natural areas

A new study from the University of Vermont has found that agricultural expansion in Brazil’s Cerrado, a tropical region, is rapidly depleting the rainforests and savannas of the area.

Marijuana use disorder increases nationwide

With the legalization of marijuana for adult use in four United States states and the District of Columbia since 2012, it seems that there has been a shift in the general attitude towards marijuana use in America.

Thousands pre-order cheaper Tesla model

On Aug. 2, 2006, Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, released a blog called, “The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me),” in which he explained the premise behind Tesla.

New rocket employs reusable technology

Billionaire Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is in the process of launching his newest project: low-cost spaceflight. Bezos has built his rocket company Blue Origin around finding a better and cheaper method of space travel. In doing so, Bezos planned to develop a new technology to move past chemical rockets, primarily focusing on reusable parts and fuel.