If any of you suffer from the occasional cold sore, it might be hard to imagine how such an annoying mark on your face could possibly be of benefit to anyone. It's even more irritating when you consider that cold sores are a variation of the herpes virus. But a genetically engineered version of this virus has shown real promise for treating malignant melanoma - skin cancer. Using a virus to treat another il ...

Cosmetic company L'Oreal is teaming up with 3D-printing company Organovo to completely revolutionise how cosmetics are tested - with 3D-printed skin! Of course, we don't advocate animal testing, and L'Oreal claims not to have tested on any of its products on animals since 2013. So, how does it make sure its products are fit for use on people's skin? L'Oreal has been engineering tissue in a lab for more than ...

Treating diseases in Africa is difficult enough without having to worry that the treatment itself is going to prove fatal for the patient. But this is often the case for treatment of river blindness and elephantiasis. The best medication to treat these tropical diseases in Ivermectin, but with people with high levels of Loa loa worm, the drug can do the opposite to the desired effect. Obviously, this means ...

Back in 1981, the average life expectancy for men in England and Wales was six years behind women. Since then, a variety of factors has improved the average life expectancy of both men and women, with men reaping the most benefits. They've caught up and there is only a two-year gap between the two groups of people. Of course, on matters such as this, there are official surveys and estimates to try and deter ...

If you happen to be one of those people dubious about the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame, but love Diet Pepsi, then we have some great news for you! Due to popular demand, PepsiCo is replacing the sweetener it uses in its Diet Pepsi drinks. There is a downside though, which would be that it's only happening in the US, with the recipe remaining unchanged in the rest of the world. "Why is this h ...

When someone develops Parkinson’s disease, it affects their physical movement, slowing their movements, stiffening their muscles, and tremors. Another possible symptom is something called Micrographia. This condition is characterised by the patient’s handwriting becoming smaller and smaller, as well as more cramped, as they write, to the point where the writing is no longer legible. And because of the thinn ...

A team of scientists from Ohio in the US have found that two common, over-the-counter medications could help treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS) by rebuilding myelin in their bodies. Surprisingly, these drugs come in the form of miconazole, an antifungal cream for athlete's foot, and a steroid cream called clobetasol that treats eczema. Myelin is the fatty protein that protects nerves. In people with ...

If you're a parent, carer, or you've looked after children overnight, then you may have witnessed what can only be called a glitch in the child's sleeping pattern. While most children will sleep soundly, there can be phases where the child just doesn't want to go to bed, or will wake up during the night. If the child is usually a sound sleeper but suddenly starts waking up in the middle of the night, then y ...

For those of us stuck in the seemingly endless battle of trying to lose weight, there might be some good news that doesn't involve dieting! Research from Spain and the UK suggests that overweight people have a smaller chance of developing dementia when they get older than those who are underweight. Dementia has been one of the conditions at the forefront of medical studies for some time now - we've even cov ...

Who would have thought that something as simple as an eye remedy could be the key to killing superbugs resistant to antibiotics, like MRSA? But that's what scientists have found after recreating a treatment for eye infections found in an Anglo-Saxon manuscript. The manuscript in question is called Bald's Leechbook; a leather-bound book detailing remedies for various ailments. It is usually kept in the Briti ...