Biotech/medical – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Nov 7
2018

This 13-year-old scientist invented a safer way to treat pancreatic cancer, and he hasn’t even started high school yet

13-year-old Rishab Jain won the 2018 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for making a tool to help treat pancreatic cancer more safely.

Nov 7
2018

In the Nucleus, Genes’ Activity Might Depend on Their Location

Using a new CRISPR-based technique, researchers are examining how the position of DNA within the nucleus affects gene expression and cell function.

Nov 7
2018

Watch tiny robots swim through an eyeball to deliver medicine

Scientist use magnetic field to drive spiral nanobots.

Nov 7
2018

Drug pollution concentrates in stream bugs, passes to predators in water and on land

Free drug cocktails for everyone, yay! 😏.

Sixty-nine pharmaceutical compounds have been detected in stream insects, some at concentrations that may threaten animals that feed on them, such as trout and platypus. When these insects emerge as flying adults, they can pass drugs to spiders, birds, bats, and other streamside foragers. These findings by an international team of researchers were published today in Nature Communications.

Nov 6
2018

Japan Develops World’s First Test to Detect Cancer via Urine Samples

Scientists in Japan have developed the world’s first test that can detect cancers in patient urine samples. The breakthrough technology by Japanese researchers from engineering firm Hitachi has been in development for two years and it may be made available by 2020.

According to Agence France-Presse, the research team will work with Nagoya University to analyze 250 urine samples to check for breast, colon, and childhood forms of the disease in central Japan. The experiments will begin this month and end in September.

Nov 6
2018

Computer vision identifies signs of early Alzheimer’s up to 6 years before clinical diagnosis

Researchers have developed a novel AI method that uses AI to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease up to six years before it’s formally diagnosed.

Nov 6
2018

What Are the Causes of Coronary Artery Disease?

Coronary artery disease, or coronary heart disease, can lead to heart attack or death. Learn what causes this condition and how you can prevent it.

Nov 6
2018

Therapy that Dramatically Slows Alzheimers has Passed Final Clinical Phase

Through a new approach dubbed AMBAR, the biotechnology company Grifols has attempted to reduce the amount of harmful, Alzheimer’s disease-causing amyloid beta in the brain by collecting it with a blood protein called albumin and draining it out of the bloodstream. This approach differs from the previous antibody and catabody approaches and offers new hope for sufferers of this neurodegenerative disease.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease, named after its discoverer, is a slow and progressive disease that causes the degradation of the brains of its sufferers. This leads to memory loss, a decrease in problem-solving abilities, changes in personality, and other symptoms. It is associated with the accumulation of tau and amyloid beta in the brain.

Nov 6
2018

What If Genetically Modified People Became the Norm?

Should we start to tinker with the human genome and alter our own biology?

Nov 5
2018

SpaceX Rehearses Recovery of Astronauts During Ocean Landings, Builds Helipad on Ship

SpaceX has started preparations for recovering International Space Station (ISS) astronauts during ocean touchdowns, conducting landing and patient loading rehearsals on their recovery ship GO Searcher.

NASA recently shared photos of the rehearsals on board GO Searcher, which has been upgraded with a medical treatment facility and a helipad in the center of the vessel.

SpaceX practiced how the helicopter will pick up astronauts and fly them to a nearby hospital, in case of a medical emergency.