Archive for the ‘biotech/medical’ category: Page 2095
May 15, 2019
Europe abandons plans for ‘flagship’ billion-euro research projects
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI
The consortium, called LifeTime, aims to use three emerging technologies—machine learning, the study of single cells, and lab-grown organlike tissues called organoids—to map how human cells change over time and develop diseases. It is one of six candidates in the latest round of ambitious proposals for European flagships, billion-euro research projects intended to run for 10 years. There is just one snag: The European Commission has decided that it won’t launch any of them.
Six candidate research proposals lost in limbo.
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May 15, 2019
Boosting Levels of NAD+ May Make Senescent Cells More Aggressively Inflammatory
Posted by Lilia Lens-Pechakova in categories: biotech/medical, life extension
On senescent cells, mechanism of interaction and (potential?!) side effects of NAD+ supplements. “… Those people self-experimenting with NAD+ precursor supplementation should consider keeping a close eye on markers of inflammation…”
Enhancing levels of NAD+ in mitochondria via delivery of various precursor compounds as supplements is growing in popularity as an approach to boost faltering mitochondrial function and thus modestly slow the progression of aging. A human trial demonstrated improved vascular function as a result of nicotinamide riboside supplementation, for example. Researchers here show that increased NAD+ will likely make worse the inflammatory signaling of senescent cells, however. Senescent cells accumulate with age, and are an important cause of the chronic inflammation of aging that drives the progression of many age-related diseases.
The results here suggest that efficient senolytic treatments to selectively destroy senescent cells should proceed any of the current approaches to raising levels of NAD+ in older individuals — and it is an open question as to whether any of the existing available options are efficient enough to make NAD+ enhancement safe in the longer term. Those people self-experimenting with NAD+ precursor supplementation should consider keeping a close eye on markers of inflammation.
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May 14, 2019
For The First Time, Scientists Turn Human Stem Cells Into Insulin-Producing Cells
Posted by James Christian Smith in categories: biotech/medical, innovation
May have posted this, but this is very cool. “We can now generate insulin-producing cells that look and act a lot like the pancreatic beta cells you and I have in our bodies,” explains one of the team, microphysiologist Matthias Hebrok from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Although treatment of type 1 diabetes has come a long way since it was first described in Ancient Egypt, insulin injections and finger pricks are a daily part of life for many diabetics.
But researchers have just made a breakthrough that might one day make these technologies obsolete, by transforming human stem cells into functional insulin-producing cells (also known as beta cells) – at least in mice.
May 14, 2019
Thwarting Protein Reverses Brain Decline in Aged Mice
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience
May 14, 2019
How stressed-out gut bacteria may trigger autoimmune response
Posted by Xavier Rosseel in category: biotech/medical
Stressful life events most likely contribute to autoimmune diseases, but scientists don’t have a deep understanding of the underlying chain of events. A study on mice published this week in mSystems suggests that the gut microbiota may play a significant role in that connection. Researchers found that the onset of stress caused changes in the intestinal bacteria that, in turn, stimulated the activity of immune cells in a way that increased the likelihood that the body would a…
Chronic social stress in mice induces the expression of virulent genes in the gut microbiota. The altered microbiota increases the presence of effector T helper cells in the lymph nodes and induces myelin autoreactive cells. Exposure to chronic stress, therefore, may increase the risk of developing autoimmune diseases for some individuals with a susceptibility.
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May 14, 2019
Moon: Exploration is in our DNA and our closest celestial friend, the Moon, is a treasure chest of science!
Posted by Michael Lance in categories: biotech/medical, science, space
As we look forward to #Moon2024 mission, we’re sharing these highlights of our favorite neighbor taken from the International Space Station and Earth:
Photographs of the moon taken by astronauts in space and individuals on Earth.
Show more.
May 14, 2019
Tesla will have a $35K car that can go 1,000 miles on a single charge by 2020
Posted by Quinn Sena in categories: biotech/medical, Elon Musk, space travel, sustainability
When designing the Tesla Model S, Elon Musk wanted an electric motor that had the same horsepower as the most powerful internal combustion engine but with nearly-instantaneous torque. And he wanted it to be the size of a watermelon. Engine manufacturers told him this couldn’t be done. So the Tesla CEO decided to build his own motor. The earlier versions of this had a hand-wound stator which increased winding density to help eliminate resistance and increase peak torque. Later versions of the stators were built by robots.
Musk made the same decision with practically every other component of the Tesla — including the power electronics and other elements of the drivetrain. For him, there could be no compromises in design and functionality. That is why almost every component of the Tesla Model S is produced at its factory in Fremont, Calif.
When you drive a Model S, you can see the results. The car literally seems to fly. It picks up acceleration like a spaceship shifting into warp speed. The car is eerily quiet, comfortable, and elegant. It is a completely different driving experience than the cars we are used to. There is no engine to start, gears to shift, or oil to replace. The brakes don’t wear out because you hardly use them. The Tesla regenerative-braking system charges the car as it slows.
Continue reading “Tesla will have a $35K car that can go 1,000 miles on a single charge by 2020” »
May 14, 2019
Did Scientists Really Just Cure Cancer?
Posted by Quinn Sena in category: biotech/medical
Cancer is a disease that touches just about everyone. According to the American Cancer Society, men have a 39% chance of contracting some form of cancer at some point in their lives, while women have a slightly lower risk at 37%. And if you’re fortunate enough not be diagnosed with cancer yourself, the odds are high that someone you know will.
Because of this, a cure for cancer is the holy grail of the medical research community. Incredible treatments have been developed, but for hundreds of years, the hunt for an actual cure has felt like the hunt for a unicorn… a beautiful prize that may not even exist.
So just weeks ago, when Israeli scientists announced they’d found what they believe is a cure for cancer, the declaration sounded too good to be true. But here’s the thing:
Continue reading “Did Scientists Really Just Cure Cancer?” »
May 14, 2019
It’s in the weeds: Herbicide linked to human liver disease
Posted by Quinn Sena in categories: biotech/medical, food, health
Glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s popular weed killer Roundup, has been linked to liver disease in animal models. In a new study, the first of its kind, researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine report an association between the herbicide and negative effects upon the human liver.
In a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, a team led by Paul J. Mills, Ph.D., professor and chief in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC San Diego School of Medicine, examined glyphosate excretion in the urine samples of two patient groups—those with a diagnosis of NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a type of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD), and those without. The results, they found, were significant: Regardless of age, race, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity or diabetes status, glyphosate residue was significantly higher in patients with NASH than it was in patients with a healthier liver.
The findings, coupled with prior animal studies, said Mills, suggest a link between the use of commercial glyphosate in our food supply, which has increased significantly over the past 25 years, and the prevalence of NAFLD in the United States, which too has been on the rise for two decades.
Continue reading “It’s in the weeds: Herbicide linked to human liver disease” »
