Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Category: biotech/medical – Page 2,543

Cancer fighting nanovaccines have shown significant promise, but clinical application has been hampered by complications in large-scale manufacturing, quality control, and safety. Biomedical engineers at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) developed a new technology that enables nanovaccines to bind to the albumin protein naturally present in the body. The albumin protein then delivers these nanocomplexes to the lymph nodes, resulting in potent immune activation against multiple tumor types in mouse cancer models. The use of natural albumin as a universal vaccine shuttle is a significant step towards the application of cancer nanovaccine immunotherapy in humans.

Nanovaccines that work to mount an immune response against a tumor basically consist of two components: the part that delivers the vaccine to the correct site, the lymph nodes, where immune system activation happens; and the part that activates the immune cells to expand and specifically target the tumor.

Schematic of self-assembly of the AlbiVax nanovaccine.

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We wanted to bring your attention to an open-access publication in which the researchers suggest that the age-related decline of the thymus is more important than DNA mutation as a cancer risk factor[1].

Repairing the damage

As we have discussed in this article, cancer is caused by DNA damage that creates mutations. Damage to our DNA happens all the time, and we have various repair systems in place for it.

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The scientists who hope to do this sit on the fringes of the mainstream medical landscape. But there are now a number of research centres around the world that have made identifying ways of preventing biological ageing a priority. Studies in animals have shown that it is indeed possible to dramatically extend the lifespan of certain species, giving hope that it could also be possible in humans.

As we learn more about the diseases that affect us, we also get better at controlling them. But will we ever manage to overcome the most inevitable of afflictions – old age?

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New research from the University of Southern California has shed light on how the decline of the brain’s vascular system precedes the build-up of the plaques and tau tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

A leaky blood-brain barrier sets the scene for dementia

Traditionally, many researchers have focused their efforts on the amyloid and tau proteins that accumulate in the brain and are typical of Alzheimer’s disease progression. However, the researchers in this new study suggest that the problem begins before this due to a leaking blood-brain barrier [1].

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It’s been a fruitful month in the fields of life extension and medical science. Here’s an executive summary of the January reports on longevity science, life-extension treatments, telomeres, Alzheimer’s disease and various medical advances.

In brief: An executive summary of the January reports on longevity science, life-extension treatments, telomeres, Alzheimer’s disease and various medical advances. [This article first appeared on the website LongevityFacts.com. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

It’s been a fruitful month, with advancements in life-extension treatments, longevity science, telomere dynamics, dementia and various medical advances.

Here’s a look back at the 23 reports of the past month.

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Summary: Regenerative reprogramming of the body with injections could turn back the clock in our organs, say scientists in a Jan 2018 report. Prematurely aged mice lived 30% longer after Salk Institute researchers genetically reprogrammed their cells while still in the body. [This article first appeared on the website LongevityFacts.com. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

Imagine a time in the future when the doctor gives you the bad news: you need a heart transplant. In the past, this would be an expensive and drastic procedure. Instead, the doctor gives you an injection that rejuvenates your heart. In time, your heart eventually mends itself, reverting to the strength and vigor of your youth.

The dream is closer to reality than you think, thanks to a novel technique developed by a team researchers headed by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte at the Salk Institute in La Jolla.

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A new study says that our aging immune system plays a larger role in explaining cancer than genetic mutations. The new findings support the idea of rejuvenating the thymus — an essential immune system organ — as a strategy to prevent cancer.

Summary: A new study says that our aging immune system plays a larger role in explaining cancer than genetic mutations. The new findings support the idea of rejuvenating the thymus – an essential immune system organ – as a strategy to prevent cancer. [This article first appeared on LongevityFacts. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

A new study suggests that our aging immune system plays a larger role in cancer than previously thought, challenging the conventional notion that genetic mutations are the primary driver of tumors.

The research suggests that the key to cancer prevention and treatment may lie in bolstering the immune system, using techniques such as restoring thymus function, rather than addressing genetic mutations. The genetic mutations that occur as the result of DNA damage are the current focus of most anti-cancer efforts throughout the world. These new findings could have significant implications for the fight against cancer if borne out by additional studies.

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