life sciences

  • Doctors Used Bacteria-Killing Viruses to Take Down an Incurable Superbug

    Doctors Used Bacteria-Killing Viruses to Take Down an Incurable Superbug

    The enemy of our bacterial enemy can indeed be our friend. In a new case report, doctors say they were able to treat their patient’s long-festering, drug-resistant infection with the help of specially grown bacteriophages — viruses that infect bacteria. Large-scale clinical trials will likely be needed for these treatments to become widely used, though.


  • Rapid Tests May Be Less Accurate for Omicron, FDA Warns

    Rapid Tests May Be Less Accurate for Omicron, FDA Warns

    Health officials are warning that rapid covid-19 tests may be less accurate than before for people infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. At least some antigen-based tests may have reduced specificity when testing for Omicron infections, the Food and Drug Administration reported this week, which could lead to a higher rate of false…