drug development

By studying how the cell repairs DNA damage, researchers have developed a new technology to edit large DNA fragments in bacteria cells.

Oral contraceptive pills are currently only available for women. Recently, a compound purified from a Chinese herb is found to have the ideal properties of a male contraceptive drug: efficient, reversible and non-toxic. Could a male birth control pill…

Breakthrough research published in Nucleic Acids Research suggests SARS-CoV-2-related RNA may serve as potential drug targets for COVID-19.

by Sam Zimmerman  figures by Hannah Zucker If we were all mice, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and most inherited disorders would be a thing of the past. We could nibble on as much cheese as we wanted without fear of heart disease and run around…

by Melanie Basnak figures by Aparna Nathan Emily gave birth to a healthy baby boy. But, soon after the delivery, she started to feel sad and constantly overwhelmed. She could easily get irritated and was often angry. She worried that something would…

Approximately 12% of Americans experience migraines. For some people, the attacks are so frequent and painful that episodes can be incapacitating. Historically, doctors have tried a variety of approaches to treating the condition, including drugs that…

by Garrett Dunlap figures by Rebecca Clements  It’s no secret – pharmaceuticals are expensive for the patients who need them. One major reason for this is the cost and time needed to bring a drug to market. In our current medication pipeline, many drugs…

by Christopher Gerry The routes that lead to a career in biomedicine are as diverse as they are plentiful, but one of my colleagues has taken a particularly unorthodox path. Sonia had just graduated from law school when she learned of a “typo” in her…

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. Photo Credit: Janice Haney Carr Content Providers: CDC. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, bacterial infections were the leading cause of death worldwide. Now, treating infections is often a routine procedure –…

by Benika Pinch Fancy a pill packed with bacteria? Researchers are investigating using genetically modified bacteria, taken in pill form, to treat human disease. Informally, they are called “designer probiotics”. But, unlike probiotics (microorganisms…