Pacemakers for brain give jolt to hard-to-treat illnesses

Deep brain stimulation, which employs electricity to jolt the brain in pinpointed locations, is already in use to treat Parkinson's disease. Now the therapy is being tested for patients with severe depression, chronic pain, epilepsy, obsessive compulsive disorder, traumatic brain injuries and Alzheimer's disease.

20 young doctors graduate in Somalia, 1st in years

They dodged firefights on their way to school, maneuvering through one of the world's most violent cities. Yet on Thursday, 20 men and women accomplished something that nobody in Somalia has done in nearly two decades: They graduated from medical school.

Undergrad competition inspires ulcer vaccine

A genetically engineered vaccine for the bacteria that causes stomach cancer and ulcers has won the Grand Prize at the annual International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, or iGEM, in Cambridge, Mass.

Hybrid embryos OK for British stem cell studies

British plans to allow scientists to use hybrid animal-human embryos for stem cell research won final approval from lawmakers in a sweeping overhaul of science laws.

Magnet device aims to treat depression patients

The government has approved the first noninvasive brain stimulator to treat depression - a device that beams magnetic pulses through the skull.

Magnet device aims to treat depression patients

The government has approved the first noninvasive brain stimulator to treat depression - a device that beams magnetic pulses through the skull. If it sounds like science-fiction, well, those woodpecker-like pulses trigger small electrical charges that spark brain cells to fire. Yet it doesn't cause the risks of surgically implanted electrodes or the treatment of last resort, shock therapy.