Articles by Katharina
Stanislaw Burzynski: 40 Years of Selling False Cures
Cancer caused over 10 million deaths in 2021 alone. With no effective medical treatment for many forms of cancer, the door is left open for those wishing to exploit vulnerable patients for financial gain. Individuals and companies offer ‘alternative’ cancer therapies, ranging from worthless alkaline water to dangerous unregulated drugs. Among the most infamous of these cures are antineoplastons, developed by Stanislaw Burzynski, who spent decades selling false hope to hundreds of victims. […]
Antifungal Resistance: A Global Health Threat
Antibiotic resistance receives lots of media attention, being a huge threat to global public health. But an equally concerning problem remains relatively unknown to the general public: antifungal resistance. Fungal infections have the potential to cause rashes, mild inflammations, and even life-threatening diseases. Just like bacteria, drug-resistant fungi are especially deadly in immunocompromised individuals. The rising rates of resistance and the lack of new antimycotic drugs also make antifungal resistant strains of fungi a pressing public health issue. […]
Cryotherapy For Cancer and Chronic Pain?
Exposing your body to temperatures around -150 °C (-300 °F) may seem like an absurd idea, with most people trying to avoid the cold. However, there exists a form of therapy that aims to do exactly that: cooling the body down to below freezing. Cryotherapy is becoming more and more popular due to its supposed health benefits and minimal side effects. Be it muscle pain, chronic pain, muscle injuries, skin conditions, or even cancer. But what is the science behind cryotherapy; can it really cure anything? […]
Opioids: Both Blessing and Curse
Although the sensation of pain has evolved to help humans survive, it is obviously not a pleasant experience. A solution to this problem is seemingly quick and easy: opioid painkillers! While millions benefit from its pain-relief activity, opioids are also highly addictive, a nasty combination considering the serious side effects of an overdose. A crisis is emerging, stemming from the fact that prescription medications are now for sale on the internet, just a few clicks away. But how do opioid painkillers work, and what makes them so dangerously addictive? […]
Predicting Viral Outbreaks With Machine Learning
Think about pandemics that have affected the human race, our history and even our culture. In recent times, viral outbreaks such as Zika, Ebola, HIV, and of course, Coronavirus, have caught us by surprise. Despite the technology and data available to us today, scientists still struggle to predict where and when the next viral outbreak might occur. But this could be about to change, thanks to a new weapon in our arsenal: machine learning. Read more
