Researchers have successfully introduced human stem cells into monkey embryos in the lab, creating short-lived hybrid organisms that could prove an important step in growing human transplant organs from livestock or creating better animal models for studying human disease. The human/monkey chimeras — organisms that contain cells from two or more species — survived for…  read on >  read on >

Many American teens and young adults are now embracing the chance to get COVID-19 vaccines, a new survey finds. But youth-focused messaging will still be needed to convince a minority of those aged 14 to 24 that they should be vaccinated, the University of Michigan researchers said. Still, the good news is that more young…  read on >  read on >

Where you live could affect your brain health as you age, a new study claims. Specifically, it found that middle-aged and older people in poorer neighborhoods showed more brain shrinkage and faster mental decline than those in affluent neighborhoods. “”Worldwide, dementia is a major cause of illness and a devastating diagnosis,” said study author Dr.…  read on >  read on >

Before the pandemic began, suicide risk was twice as high among female nurses compared with American women as a whole, a new study warns. Even within the health care community itself, female nurses were found to be roughly 70% more likely to die by suicide than female doctors. Why? Study author Matthew Davis said that…  read on >  read on >

Exercise guards against a host of chronic diseases that can plague people as they age, but can it also protect against severe cases of COVID-19? New research suggests that’s so: Being physically active reduced COVID-19 patients’ risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and death, and even being just somewhat active provided some protection.…  read on >  read on >

There’s another epidemic sweeping the United States: sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Statistics for 2019 — the latest data available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — show that STD rates in the United States hit a new high again for the sixth straight year. In 2019, nearly 2.5 million Americans had an…  read on >  read on >