Lifeboat Foundation

Researchers solved a problem that has been holding back the use of viral vectors for cancer therapy. They re-engineered viruses with a novel stealth technique that enables them to be used to treat cancer.

Up until now, viral vectors couldn’t be used widely in cancer therapy. Researchers just announced that they re-engineered an adenovirus with a novel stealth technique that enables it to be used to fight tumors. [This article first appeared on the website LongevityFacts.com. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

Viral vectors are well-developed tools used by scientists to deliver genetic material into cells. Unfortunately, they haven’t worked well to treat cancer until a group of researchers in Switzerland re-engineered them to enable them to be used in cancer therapy.

Continue reading “Revolutionary stealth virus holds promise for cancer therapy” »

When developing any personal health and longevity strategy it is essential to apply the scientific method.

There is one common public reaction to my talks that bothers me quite a bit. I am worried that after each of my lectures, people will just start taking lots of anti-aging pills without regard for dosage or effectiveness, potentially hurting themselves in the process.

This is because one of the most common reactions to me mentioning any currently available interventions is to search for each and every component and order them all right away. Whatever I say about safety and the need to test before people make any changes in their lifestyles seems ineffective.

Continue reading “Developing a Science-based Personal Longevity Strategy” »

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease associated with critically short telomeres, and it currently lacks a reliable and effective treatment. Researchers at the Telomere and Telomerase Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have cured the disease in mice using telomerase therapy to lengthen short telomeres.

A proof of concept for an effective treatment against pulmonary fibrosis

The authors of this study have stated that this is a “proof of concept that telomerase activation represents an effective treatment against pulmonary fibrosis” in their publication[1].

What if damaged teeth could heal themselves without the need of a root canal? Apparently, that’s what Harvard and the University of Nottingham are trying to figure out. They believe they can create stem cell stimulated fillings.

Worldwide, dentists treat hundreds of millions of cavities each year by drilling out the decayed part of the tooth and replacing it with a filling. According to Popular Science, the problem is up to 15 percent of those procedures will fail, which will lead to a root canal to remove the tooth’s pulp, a soft tissue in the center of the tooth that contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. The downside is, following a root canal, the tooth’s strength is weaker and could eventually need to be removed.

Adam Celiz is a therapeutic biomaterials researcher who believes that stem cells could help reduce the number of root canals and the need for dentures. Celiz and his team developed a new kind of filling that is made from stem cells that can help your tooth heal. Just like regular fillings, the biomaterial stem cells are injected into the tooth and hardened with ultra-violet light.

Continue reading “The End Of Root Canals: Stem Cell Fillings Trigger Teeth To Repair Themselves, Research Study Claims” »

We have talked about the polarization of macrophages in a number of previous articles, but, in short, macrophages can have multiple behavioral profiles that determine what roles they play; this is known as polarization. A new study has identified a regulatory protein that controls this process.

Macrophage Polarization

For the purposes of this article, we are interested in the M1 and M2 polarization. The M1 type is pro-inflammatory and aggressive towards invading pathogens, while the M2 type of macrophage is anti-inflammatory in nature, suppressing inflammatory responses and facilitating tissue repair.

Spinach leaf veins can be used in place of human blood vessels.

If you’re one of the unlucky millions of people burdened by allergies, you know that sometimes there’s only so much antihistamines can do to help.

Researchers have been working to find more effective allergy treatments, and now they’ve discovered how a particular antibody can stop an allergic reaction from happening altogether.

An allergic reaction is the immune system’s way of completely overreacting to a normally benign substance, from proteins in cat saliva to surprisingly deadly peanuts.

Continue reading “Scientists Think They’ve Found a Way to Stop Allergic Reactions Before They Happen” »

The moon will glow big, bright—and red.

Reading human DNA used to take laboratories, a pile of cash and a long time.