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Treatments

Conception's chief scientific officer, Pablo Hurtado, examines very early primordial germ cells under a microscope in a company lab in Berkeley, California. Laura Morton for NPR hide caption

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Laura Morton for NPR

Startup aims to make lab-grown human eggs, transforming options for creating families

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Calliope Holingue is researching the microbiome among kids with autism. She's part of a growing field of research seeking to understand the gut-brain axis. Kennedy Krieger Institute hide caption

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Kennedy Krieger Institute

Hepatitis C can cause severe liver damage and leads to about 15,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. James Cavallini/BSIP/Universal Images hide caption

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James Cavallini/BSIP/Universal Images

Hepatitis C can be cured. So why aren't more people getting treatment?

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In patients with Alzheimer's disease, a substance called beta-amyloid can form toxic clumps in between neurons. Drugs like lecanemab are designed to remove amyloid-beta from the brain. National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. hide caption

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National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.

An Alzheimer's drug is on the way, but getting it may still be tough. Here's why

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The Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene therapy to treat the most common form of muscular dystrophy. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Muscular dystrophy patients get first gene therapy

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In Huntington's disease, proteins form toxic clumps that kill brain cells. Stowers Institute for Medical Research hide caption

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Stowers Institute for Medical Research

Huntington's spreads like 'fire in the brain.' Scientists say they've found the spark

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A new study finds that stimulating the brain during sleep can improve memory. DrAfter123/Getty Images hide caption

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DrAfter123/Getty Images

Scientists zap sleeping humans' brains with electricity to improve their memory

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The first vaccine to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, moved a step toward approval by the Food and Drug Administration with positive votes Thursday from a panel of experts. Kateryna Kon/Getty Images/Science Photo Library hide caption

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Kateryna Kon/Getty Images/Science Photo Library

FDA advisers support approval of RSV vaccine to protect infants

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Norditropin, a growth hormone from Novo Nordisk, remains in short supply, frustrating parents. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Bloomberg via Getty Images

Families scramble to find growth hormone drug as shortage drags on

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In a close vote, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended approval of a gene therapy for muscular dystrophy developed by Sarepta Therapeutics. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

FDA advisers narrowly back first gene therapy for muscular dystrophy

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Susan and Chris Finazzo have enrolled their sons Dylan and Chase in a study of gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The experimental treatment is still being studied but researchers hope it may help prevent the devastating effects of the disease. Natalia de la Rosa Reyes/Susan Finazzo hide caption

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Natalia de la Rosa Reyes/Susan Finazzo

Gene therapy for muscular dystrophy stirs hopes and controversy

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Misoprostol is typically used as part of a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion. But it is also safe and effective when used alone, doctors say. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

Medication abortion is still possible with just one drug. Here's how it works

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Scientists say they have sequenced the genome of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

Scientists sequence Beethoven's genome for clues into his painful past

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Mora Leeb places some pieces into a puzzle during a local puzzle tournament. The 15-year-old has grown up without the left side of her brain after it was removed when she was very young. Seth Leeb hide caption

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Seth Leeb

Meet the 'glass-half-full girl' whose brain rewired after losing a hemisphere

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In London to address a gene-editing summit last week, Victoria Gray took a break to visit Sir John Soane's Museum. In 2019, Gray became the first patient to be treated for sickle cell disease using CRISPR, an experimental gene-editing technique. She was invited to talk about her experiences at the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing. Orlando Gili for NPR hide caption

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Orlando Gili for NPR

Sickle cell patient's success with gene editing raises hopes and questions

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A veterinarian says pets have a lot to teach us about love and grief

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What looks like a pin-headed critter on the right is actually a larval version of the fruit fly on the left. Both have remarkably complex brains, scientists say, with different regions devoted to decision-making, learning and navigation. Ed Reschke/Getty Images hide caption

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Ed Reschke/Getty Images

The first wiring map of an insect's brain hints at incredible complexity

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