Recent Episodes
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A Little Recognized Virus with a Big Impact
Among the vaccines that you normally get, RSV may not come to mind, but it should. It stands for respiratory syncytial virus and is a common and highly contagious illness that can be serious - especially for infants and older adults. More than 100,000 older Americans are hospitalized each year.
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Gene Editing on Demand for Genetic Disease
Gene therapy, put simply, involves introducing, removing, or correcting a gene inside cells to cure diseases. And medical research is finding more ways to apply it.
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Orwell Almost Didn't Get to Write 1984
Today's politics has me thinking about George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four', the dystopian novel warning about the threat of totalitarianism. What I did not know was that Orwell volunteered to fight against General Francisco Franco's attempt to overthrow Spain's elected government back in nineteen thirty-six. He was seriously wounded which means the book was almost never written.
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Alopecia Gene
Hair loss is tough, but for people with alopecia areata, it's even harder. The autoimmune disease causes hair to fall out in patches, leaving many to rely on wigs or hair toppers. But now, a new treatment offers hope - a chance at a full head of hair. The disease can affect people differently. Some suffer complete hair loss on the scalp; others have no hair on their entire body.
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Designer IVF Babies - 0ne step closer
People undergoing in vitro fertilization or IVF screen have their embryos screened for genetic disease before choosing one. It's called preimplantation genetic testing. Now, a new test goes a step further.