Targeting HSV NIH launches trial of genital herpes vaccine An experimental genital herpes vaccine developed by Harvard Medical School researchers is being tested in an early-stage clinical trial conducted by a branch of the National Institutes of Health. There is currently no vaccine to prevent genital herpes disease, a sexually transmitted infection caused by herpes simplex virus […]

The July Effect Real danger exists for high-risk patients when trainees take on new roles With almost no experience, newly graduated medical students enter teaching hospitals around the country every July, beginning their careers as interns. At the same time, the last year’s interns and junior residents take a step up and assume new responsibilities. […]

Protein Block Genetic error in some lung cancers may offer target for therapies A fine-grained scan of DNA in lung cancer cells has revealed a gene fusion—a forced merger of two normally separate genes—that spurs the cells to divide rapidly, scientists at Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the University of Colorado report in a new […]

Automating anesthesia Animal study tests putting precise control of medically induced coma on ‘autopilot’ Putting patients with severe head injuries or persistent seizures into a medically induced coma currently requires constant monitoring. A nurse or other health professional must watch over the patient’s brain activity, manually adjusting drug infusion to maintain a deep state of […]

The Mechanism of Muscle Loss in Cancer Factors released from tumors can block muscle repair, according to a new study. The finding partly explains why people with cancer often lose muscle. It also suggests a new avenue for treating the condition. Cancer wasting, also called cancer cachexia, is marked by weakness and the progressive loss […]

Epigenetic Clock Marks Age of Human Tissues and Cells The age of many human tissues and cells is reflected in chemical changes to DNA. The finding provides insights for cancer, aging, and stem cell research. We may gauge how we’re aging based on visible changes, such as wrinkles. For years, scientists have been trying to […]

Immune Turbocharger In mice, bone-loss drugs boosted the power of vaccines Could a drug commonly prescribed to prevent bone loss boost the power of vaccines? New research from Harvard Medical School shows that adding compounds known as bisphosphonates to both commercial and experimental vaccines enhances their effectiveness in mice, raising hopes they could help people […]

Harvard Medical School (HMS) Awards & Recognitions: November 2013 Shelly Greenfield, HMS professor of psychiatry at McLean Hospital, was recently awarded the R. Brinkley Smithers Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Greenfield has been invited to receive the award and deliver the keynote plenary address at the society’s annual medical scientific […]

Evicting Leukemia Bone drug kills resistant cancer stem cells by making home unlivable A bone drug already on the market for osteoporosis may kill chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) stem cells thought to persist in the bone marrow after standard therapy, lowering the likelihood of disease recurrence, according to a new study in mice led by […]

Chaos Theory Patterns in cancer’s chaos illuminate tumor evolution HMS researchers believe they can now explain why cancer cells contain many more chromosome abnormalities (right) than healthy cells (left). See “Related Links” for full-size image. Image: Joanne Davidson, Mira Grigorova and Paul Edwards/University of Cambridge For more than 100 years, researchers have been unable to […]