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Archive for the ‘biotech/medical’ category: Page 2017

Jul 30, 2019

Mosquitos Are Spreading a Rare, Brain-Infecting Virus in Florida

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health, neuroscience

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One of the most dangerous but thankfully rare mosquitoborne diseases has been spotted again in Florida, state health officials say. According to a public advisory issued this month by the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, the Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) was found in the state. The virus is capable of causing severe brain damage that can kill up to a third of its human victims.

EEEV can be spread by several species of mosquitoes, including those that make their home along the warmer areas of the U.S. Though many people infected with EEEV either develop no or only flu-like symptoms, around 5 percent go on to experience serious brain swelling (the titular encephalitis). This swelling can then lead to headaches, drowsiness, convulsions, and coma, with death coming as quickly as two days after symptoms start. And even if you’re lucky enough to survive the experience, you’ll probably be left with lifelong neurological impairment.

Jul 30, 2019

Celebrating Our Second Conference

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

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Ending Age-Related Diseases 2019 is over, and the dust is starting to settle after what can only be described as a hugely successful event for our organization. This was our second year of running a conference, and once more, we focused on the research and investment areas of rejuvenation biotechnology.

Totally sold out

This year, our venue at the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium at the Cooper Union in New York City was so popular that we totally sold out of tickets this year and had to turn people away! Our advice for next year is definitely to book early to avoid disappointment and take advantage of the lower prices that early booking offers.

Jul 30, 2019

Researchers repair faulty brain circuits using nanotechnology

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, nanotechnology, neuroscience

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Working with mouse and human tissue, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report new evidence that a protein pumped out of some—but not all—populations of “helper” cells in the brain, called astrocytes, plays a specific role in directing the formation of connections among neurons needed for learning and forming new memories.

Using mice genetically engineered and bred with fewer such connections, the researchers conducted proof-of-concept experiments that show they could deliver corrective proteins via nanoparticles to replace the missing protein needed for “road repairs” on the defective neural highway.

Since such connective networks are lost or damaged by such as Alzheimer’s or certain types of intellectual disability, such as Norrie disease, the researchers say their findings advance efforts to regrow and repair the networks and potentially restore normal brain function.

Jul 30, 2019

Dr. Deborah Mash, Professor of Neurology and Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Director of the Brain Endowment Bank at the University of Miami, and CEO of DemeRx — Ira Pastor — ideaXme Show

Posted by in categories: aging, biotech/medical, business, chemistry, genetics, health, life extension, neuroscience, science, transhumanism

Jul 29, 2019

Freezing cells made safer thanks to new polymer

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cryonics, finance, life extension

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Cell freezing (cryopreservation)—which is essential in cell transfusions as well as basic biomedical research—can be dramatically improved using a new polymeric cryoprotectant, discovered at the University of Warwick, which reduces the amount of ‘anti-freeze’ needed to protect cells.

The ability to freeze and store cells for cell-based therapies and research has taken a step forward in the paper “A synthetically scalable poly(ampholyte) which dramatically Enhances Cellular Cryopreservation.” published by the University of Warwick’s Department of Chemistry and Medical School in the journal Biomacromolecules. The new polymer material protects the cells during freezing, leading to more cells being recovered and less solvent-based antifreeze being required.

Cryopreservation of cells is an essential process, enabling banking and distribution of cells, which would otherwise degrade. The current methods rely on adding traditional ‘antifreezes’ to the cells to protect them from the cold stress, but not all the cells are recovered and it is desirable to lower the amount of solvent added.

Jul 29, 2019

Drug-resistant superbug spreading in hospitals

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

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Scientists are “extremely concerned” by a bacterium resistant to antibiotics of last resort.

Jul 29, 2019

Sickle Cell Patient Reveals Why She Is Volunteering For Landmark Gene-Editing Study

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

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Victoria Gray, 34, of Forest, Miss., has volunteered for one of the most anticipated medical experiments in decades: the first attempt to use the gene-editing technique CRISPR to treat a genetic disorder in the U.S. Meredith Rizzo/NPR hide caption.

Jul 29, 2019

Dermal tattoo sensors for the detection of blood pH change and metabolite levels

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

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The art of tattooing may have found a diagnostic twist. A team of scientists in Germany have developed permanent dermal sensors that can be applied as artistic tattoos. As detailed in the journal Angewandte Chemie, a colorimetric analytic formulation was injected into the skin instead of tattoo ink. The pigmented skin areas varied their color when blood pH or other health indicators changed.

Jul 29, 2019

New Method of Halting α-Synuclein Aggregation

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension, neuroscience

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Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders have discovered a new method of using exosomes to deliver aptamers that prevent the accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates, which are the cause of Parkinson’s disease [1].

α-Synuclein Aggregates

Like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease is characterized by protein aggregation caused by a loss of proteostasis, one of the hallmarks of aging. In order for the brain to function properly, non-aggregated α-synuclein proteins are needed in order to facilitate the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, in nerve cell synapses. α-synuclein only becomes a problem when proteostasis fails and the proteins misfold, aggregate, and accumulate.

Jul 29, 2019

Robotic contact lens allows users to zoom in by blinking eyes

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

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Most soft robots are controlled manually or pre-programmed but the lenses mimic the natural electric signals in the human eyeball that are active even when the eye itself is closed.