Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 2,529

Pancreas in a box is currently in first clinical trial in patients with type 1 diabetes and contains beta cells grown from stem cells.

The pancreas in a box contains beta cells grown from stem cells and is currently in its first-ever clinical trial in patients with type 1 diabetes. Geroscientists are hopeful that a replacement pancreas grown from stem cells will be much healthier than insulin injections, and are working on pure stem cell-based treatments. [Editor’s note: the article has been updated on 10/19/2017 and the title changed.]

Experts once thought that developing and testing an effective stem cell treatment for diabetes would take years.

Due to a recent discovery, a cure may closer than we think.

Read more

AGEs (Advanced Glycation End-products) are in the spotlight again as scientists implicate these toxins in inflammaging, cancer, and diabetes.

Summary: AGEs (advanced glycation end-products) are in the spotlight again as geroscientists implicate this toxic waste of our bodies in a multitude of health conditions, including inflammaging, cancer, and diabetes. Some scientists go as far as to link AGEs to an increase in the chronic inflammation which leads to heart attacks. [Cover photo: Getty Images.]. Follow us on Google+ | Facebook | Reddit. See more articles by the author at Google+.

Executive Summary

Are advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) a villain that causes chronic diseases or are they merely an innocent bystander?

Read more

In the process outlined in the paper, a robotic implant about ten centimetres long is attached to the outside of the organ with two steel ‘O’ rings fixed around the tubular sections of the oesophagus. The unit containing the motor, sensors and electronics is sheathed in a biocompatible waterproof skin and connected by cable to a wearable control unit outside the body, and mechanostimulation encourages cell growth in the area between the rings.

The results were encouraging. Over nine days the implant extended the test pigs’ oesophageal length by 77% between the two rings, not by stretching the organ but by stimulating cellular growth within it. During this period the organ also experienced normal blood flow and functionality.

It sounds like something out of Star Trek, but an international team report success with a cell-regenerating robot implant. Andrew P Street reports.

Read more

A new immune mechanism that uses mitochondrial DNA was discovered by Swedish researchers.

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have discovered a new kind of warning system that plays a role in the immune system. Mitochondria in the white blood cells produce a web of DNA fibers that act as a kind of alarm.

The Mitochondrial web slinger

White blood cells (leukocytes) are a primary part of our immune system, and they help to defend us from the threat of disease. In the new study, the research team showed that several types of leukocytes react to the small DNA fragments, which resemble the DNA from bacteria and viruses[1]. The leukocytes secrete a web made of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) strands.

Read more

The future of lifespan extension science by the head of US research, Felipe Sierra.

Summary: These scientists aim to increase life span in humans. This report provides a glimpse into the future of a revolutionary scientific field called geroscience that seeks to slow down the chronic diseases of aging to increase life span and health span. Part 4 of a 4-part essay titled Geroscience by Felipe Sierra. [With an introduction by Brady Hartman. ]

Scientists in the geroscience field aim to slow down the chronic diseases of aging and increase life span in humans.

In fact, they’ve already done it in lab animals.

Read more