It’s well known that depression in your family puts you at high risk of depression. Now researchers have found a structural difference in the brain that could explain why.

Animation: 3-D brain scan, the cortex layer peels away, courtesy Bradley Peterson

Last year, the SciencCentral story Weight Loss Surgery Cuts Cancer featured Jennifer Schultz’ experience of gastric bypass surgery. In this extended video interview, Jennifer shares the story of her lifelong battle with morbid obesity and how the surgery helped her to transform her life.

“Is that skin cancer?” Even experts can be confused by skin moles that might or might not be melanomas. But now diagnosing the aggressive skin cancer is about to become easier. As this ScienCentral News video explains, researchers have developed a new test for melanoma that could prevent it from being misdiagnosed.
Image courtesy: Mohammed Kashani-Sabet, UCSF

Research published today is suggesting that a commonly prescribed drug to control blood sugar might increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But, as this ScienCentral News video explains, it also suggests that using the drug in combination with insulin might reduce the risk.

Researchers announced that they’ll soon start human trials of a cancer fighting method that uses blood from people who may be naturally cancer resistant. For a decade the researchers have studied how this works in mice, and now they’ve received federal approval to try it in people.

Amid the news of a $23-million dollar court settlement by the makers of Airborne (a supplement that’s earned hundreds of millions of dollars in sales with the claim that it boosts the immune system) biomedical engineers are publishing research on a powder that could turn out to be the real thing. As this ScienCentral News video explains, the new powder could first be used to help fight cancer.