Most Popular Science Stories of 2018
From sensory processing disorder to how CRISPR is being explored to bring new treatments to patients, these are the stories that most engaged our readers in 2018.
University of California San Francisco
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Depression, Anxiety May Take Same Toll on Health as Smoking and Obesity
Anxiety and depression may be leading predictors of conditions ranging from heart disease to headaches, having similar effects as long-established risk factors like smoking and obesity.
Cancer Researchers ID ‘Achilles Heel’ of Drug-Resistant Tumors
UCSF scientists have figured out why some lung cancers become drug-resistant after initially responding to targeted therapies.
Classroom Friendships May Offset Effects of Punitive Parents
Angry, threatening and highly critical parenting is more likely to result in children with defiant, noncompliant and revengeful behavior that spills over to adulthood and impacts relationships with all authority figures.
Dementia Study First in a Series on Health Needs and Challenges of LGBTQ Seniors
Nearly 25 percent of the LGBT adults aged 50 and older in a new study had subjective cognitive decline, a potential indicator of a future Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
New Method Of Breast Reconstruction May Reduce Pain For Some Cancer Survivors
A UCSF surgeon is among a handful nationwide who are pioneering and studying the outcomes of a new approach to breast reconstruction.
New ‘SLICE’ Tool Can Massively Expand Immune System’s Cancer-Fighting Repertoire
UCSF researchers have devised a CRISPR-based system called SLICE, which will allow scientists to rapidly assess the function of each and every gene in “primary” immune cells.
Treating Brain Cancer with Radiation May No Longer Imperil Cognition
Using a mouse model, researchers showed that a drug that temporarily suppresses a key component of the brain’s immune system can prevent radiation-associated cognitive decline.
Less Surveillance Needed for Simple Ovarian Cysts
Study found that simple cysts are normal, extremely common and aren’t linked to a higher risk of ovarian cancer. As a result, unless they are symptomatic, simple cysts can be safely ignored.
‘Orphan’ RNAs Make Cancer Deadlier, But Potentially Easier to Diagnose
UCSF demonstrates that cancer is a clever engineer, capable of constructing entirely new disease-promoting networks out of raw materials readily available in the cell.
With Disease Agnostic Approach, QBI is Accelerating Ambitious Science
The Quantitative Biosciences Institute attracts investigators on the basis of the tools and techniques they employ, rather than the diseases they study.
User-Friendly Tools Help Older Adults Guide Future Medical Care
A user-friendly website on advance care planning, as well as easy-to-read advance directives, can be highly effective in empowering older adults to plan for their future medical care.
Heated Tobacco Product Claims by Tobacco Industry Scrutinized by UCSF Researchers, Others in Independent Data Review
Claims by the tobacco industry that heated tobacco products (HTPs) are safer than conventional cigarettes are not supported by the industry’s own data and are likely to be misunderstood by consumers.
