The drugs we’ve developed to help us deal with chronic pain largely focus on suppressing its symptoms, rather than eliminating its underlying causes. By studying the way pain works in injured fruit flies, scientists have for the first time uncovered evidence that its effects can be long-lasting, something they say opens up new opportunities for more effective treatments in humans.

Each cell works differently.

When viruses enter the body, such as during an influenza or a gastrointestinal infection, the processes within the infected cells change: In the worst case, the virus takes the helm and reprograms the cell to its advantage. It then produces viral components on a massive scale allowing the intruder to multiply exponentially.

In other cells, however, the virus may be successfully eliminated by the activation of cellular defense mechanisms. But how can it be that one cell is overrun and another succeeds in getting the virus under control? How quickly do individual cells react to a viral attack and which protective genes are activated?

Scientists at the Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg and the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg have investigated these questions. They have developed a new method, scSLAM-seq, which enables them to track the activity of thousands of genes in individual cells over several hours. For the first time, the researchers were able to explain why some cells are successfully infected by a virus, whereas others are not. In addition, they also gained fundamental new insights into the regulation of genes. Their results are published in the July, 18th issue of the scientific journal Nature.

A UK reporter’s harrowing story of losing sight in his right eye is sure to terrify anyone who’s been lax about contact lens hygiene. He contracted a rare parasitic infection, likely as a result of showering with his contacts in. The costly mistake required over 18 months of intensive treatments, and there’s a chance he may never see out of his right eye again.

Nick Humphreys, a 29-year-old senior reporter at the local Shropshire Star, told his tale in a column for the outlet this week. According to Humphreys, the trouble began in January 2018. His right eye, which had been noticeably dry for a week, became incredibly sensitive to light and filled with pain. After over-the-counter eye drops failed to do anything, he visited an eye doctor, where an ulcer was discovered. A visit to the hospital afterward eventually revealed the culprit of his symptoms: an infection of the cornea caused by a protozoan called Acanthamoeba.

Too often the surgical removal of cancer or its elimination through chemo or radiotherapy isn’t the end of the story, but where do the relapses come from? Part of the explanation may lay in what are known as cancer stem cells, which could be thought of as little seedlings that hide away in the body’s tissues until they feel the time is right to return to action. A newly discovered molecule has raised hopes of cutting these crafty critters off at the source, with early experiments demonstrating how it can latch onto cancer stem cells and starve them of what they need to survive.

(45 minute VIDEO) — 25 year CHIPSA breast cancer survivor shares what helped her heal!

Here is the first patient video from our Celebration of Life event, that occurred in September of 2018!

Ann Fonfa is a 25 year past CHIPSA, Breast Cancer Survivor who healed her disease through various integrative treatments. She was diagnosed in 1993 and had no idea how this would go on to change her life. Ann’s story is one of inspiration and perseverance.