Innovations in Basic Research
Q: You also mention that cone snails have secrets to teach us.
A: There may be 700 different species of cone snails, and each one is thought to make at least 100, maybe even 200, extremely potent toxins to paralyze prey. A synthetic derivative of one toxin is now on the market, a painkiller called Prialt. It’s thought to be at least 1,000 times more potent than morphine, and it doesn’t seem to cause addiction or tolerance.
The Genome’s Dark Matter
From architecture to function, the ENCODE project's researchers are filling in the gaps in our understanding of human genetics.
Placenta: Organ of Change
Though routinely discarded, the placenta has a rich story to tell, full of information about fetal development and future health.
Glia’s Hidden Talents
Each discovery adds to the sense that these long-ignored cells matter—for brain development, learning, memory and more.
Placenta: The Shape of Things to Come
Could unusual configurations forecast health problems?
The Missing Piece
Rare, elusive stem cells could explain why cancer is so difficult to cure—if they even exist.
Glia Gone Bad
Implicated in cancer, schizophrenia and chronic pain, these cells have become treatment targets.
Telltale Patterns
Scientists are uncovering thousands of metabolites, all of which provide unique evidence of bodily functions and dysfunctions.
Saving Our Skin
Melanoma, almost impossible to treat after it metastasizes, appears vulnerable to two new approaches that could someday be combined.
A Beautiful Mind
Employing ingenuity, technology and an artist’s eye, scientists interpret and elucidate the brain’s stunning complexity.
incidentalome [in(t)-sə-'den-təl-ōm] n: a neologism that denotes incidental findings in genetic tests and, according to the term’s originator, “threatens to undermine the promise of molecular medicine.”
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Tune in to Proto: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Medicine on ReachMD. Host Dr. Bruce Bloom interviews Mass General experts about evidence-based medicine, hormone therapy and more.
With the aid of the internet and supercomputers, virtual colonoscopies may reduce incidences of colorectal cancer.
