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Archive for the ‘biotech/medical’ category: Page 2375

Sep 23, 2017

Why Are These People Eating Worms to Be Healthy? (part II)

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

Summary: Helminthic therapy is the intentional consumption of parasites as a treatment for autoimmune disease. Out of the 7000 people who practice helminthic therapy each year, this report tells the story of a young woman who purchases black market worms and then treats herself at a high cost. Part 2 of a 2-part series. Cover photo: Eraxion / Getty Images.

Would you eat worms to boost your overall health or cure what ails you?

Over 7,000 people intentionally self-infect with parasites, and the practice is growing in popularity.

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Sep 23, 2017

A Vaccine Is Being Developed For Preventing Tooth Decay And It Sounds Amazing

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

Regular visits to the dentist are an important part of keeping your teeth healthy. But what if you could give your oral health a boost by receiving a vaccine on top of your regular dental care routine?

Researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIOV) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are working on such a vaccine, and their study has just been published in Scientific Reports.

Led by WIOV scientist Yan Huimin, the researchers tested a fusion of proteins to prevent the development of dental caries. Better known as dental cavities, caries is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans).

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Sep 23, 2017

Chinese robot dentist is first to fit implants in patient’s mouth without any human involvement

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

An epidemiological survey has found there were about 400 million patients needing new teeth in China, but the number of qualified dentists was lagging behind demand.

In March this year the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a robot system named Yomi designed to assist human surgeons when fitting implants.


Successful procedure raises hopes technology could avoid problems caused by human error and help overcome shortage of qualified dentists.

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Sep 22, 2017

New antibody attacks 99% of HIV strains

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Experiments on 24 monkeys showed none of those given the tri-specific antibody developed an infection when they were later injected with the virus.


It will enter clinical trials to prevent and treat the infection next year.

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Sep 22, 2017

Modifying Neutrophil Behavior for Stroke Recovery

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

The immune system is like an army keeping us safe from invasion, injury and infection and helps us to regenerate and repair tissues and organs. However, the immune system is sometimes a double-edged sword that does more harm than good.

A lot of focus has been on the role of macrophages and their ability to facilitate tissue healing and regeneration. Today, we will be looking at a study that examines the role of neutrophils and how they can actually harm the brain further following a stroke[1].

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Sep 22, 2017

Listen up: the easiest place to use CRISPR might be in your ear

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

Scientists are hopeful they can inject the gene-editing technology directly into the ear to stop hereditary deafness.

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Sep 22, 2017

Too few antibiotics in pipeline to tackle global drug-resistance crisis, WHO warns

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

Ed Whiting, director of policy at the Wellcome Trust agreed and said: “There is no doubt of the urgency – the world is running out of effective antibiotics and drug-resistant infections already kill 700,000 people a year globally. We’ve made good progress in getting this on the political agenda. But now, a year on from a major UN agreement, we must see concerted action – to reinvigorate the antibiotic pipeline, ensure responsible use of existing antibiotics, and address this threat across human, animal and environmental health.”

The report’s authors have found 51 new antibiotics and biologicals currently in development that may be able to treat the diseases caused by these resistant bugs. But that will not be anywhere near enough because of the length of time it takes to get drugs approved and onto the market, and because inevitably some of the drugs will not work.

“Given the average success rates and development times in the past, the current pipeline of antibiotics and biologicals could lead to around 10 new approvals over the next five years,” says the report. “However, these new treatments will add little to the already existing arsenal and will not be sufficient to tackle the impending antimicrobial resistance threat.”

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Sep 21, 2017

Scientists discover ‘master gene’ crucial for successful pregnancy

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, genetics, government

S cientists have edited human embryos for the first time in the UK to discover a “master gene” that underpins successful pregnancies. The “game-changing” research promises improved IVF outcomes and a breakthrough in understanding why so many pregnancies fail.

The Government-funded investigation, undertaken by the Francis Crick Institute, is the first to prove that gene editing can be used to study the genetic behaviour of human embryos in their first few days of life.

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Sep 21, 2017

Four Ways We Can “Swallow the Doctor”

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

Summary: Nanodocs? #Swallow #the #doctor? The authors of a recent research study, says soon we will be able to “swallow the surgeon.” Using medical #nanobots to diagnose and treat disease from inside the body. Study authors documented recent advances in nanotechnology tools, such as nanodrillers, microgrippers, and microbullets – and show how #nanodocs have tremendous potential in the areas of precision surgery, detection, detoxification and targeted drug delivery.


Summary: Nanodocs? Swallow the doctor? The authors of a recent research study, say the concept of “swallow the surgeon” – or using medical nanobots to diagnose and treat disease from inside the body – may be closer than we think. Study authors document recent advances in nanotechnology tools, such as nanodrillers, microgrippers, and microbullets – and show how nanodocs have tremendous potential in the areas of precision surgery, detection, detoxification and targeted drug delivery. Cover photo: The old way to swallow the surgeon. Credit: R. Collin Johnson / Attributed to Stanford University.

Imagine that you need to repair a defective heart valve, a major surgery. Instead of ripping your chest cut open, a doctor merely injects you with a syringe full of medical nanorobots, called nanodocs for short. You emerge from the ‘surgery’ unscathed, and your only external wound is the puncture hole from the injection.

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Sep 21, 2017

The Immune System Is Critical to Tissue Regeneration

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

One of the most intriguing questions in biology is how can some animals regenerate their major body parts like hearts and limbs and others cannot?

A new study led by Dr. James Godwin from the MDI Biological Laboratory suggests that the innate immune system could be the answer.

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