Toggle light / dark theme

Artificially Grown Tissue Repairs Heart Failure in Monkeys

German scientists have created lab-grown “patches” of heart muscle tissue derived from pluripotent stem cells. Following a success with rhesus monkeys, they have obtained approval for a human trial [1].

Wear and tear

As one of the most hard-working tissues in the body, the heart muscle is subject to incessant wear and tear due to aging and various health conditions. Unsurprisingly, heart failure is one of the most common age-related causes of death.

Cryonics: Frozen Civilizations

Cryonic freezing offers a pathway to reap future medical technologies today by preserving someone for future restoration, but what would the impact of this technology be on civilization?

Get a free month of Curiosity Stream: https://curiositystream.com/isaacarthur.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @isaacarthursfia.
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net.
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur.
Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur.
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a… Group: / 1,583,992,725,237,264 Reddit: / isaacarthur Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content. SFIA Discord Server: / discord Credits: Cryonics: Frozen Civilizations Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur Episode 273; January 14, 2021 Written, Produced & Narrated by Isaac Arthur Editors: Jason Burbank Jerry Guern Keith Blockus Cover Art: Jakub Grygier https://www.artstation.com/jakub_grygier Graphics: Jeremy Jozwik https://www.artstation.com/zeuxis_of_… Music: Miguel Johnson https://migueljohnson.bandcamp.com.
Facebook Group: / 1583992725237264
Reddit: / isaacarthur.
Twitter: / isaac_a_arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: / discord.

Credits:
Cryonics: Frozen Civilizations.
Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur.
Episode 273; January 14, 2021
Written, Produced & Narrated by Isaac Arthur.

Editors:
Jason Burbank.
Jerry Guern.
Keith Blockus.

Cover Art:
Jakub Grygier https://www.artstation.com/jakub_grygier.

Nature-inspired nanotechnology acts as body’s own courier service for genetic medicines

A large research team led by nanotechnologist Roy van der Meel rebuilt the body’s own proteins and fats into nano-delivery vans that get genetic medicines to exactly the right place in the body. In a joint effort with researchers from Radboudumc, they worked for five years on this nanotransport system, the results of which were published in Nature Nanotechnology.

With his rugged beard and signature lumberjack shirt, nanotechnologist Roy van der Meel seems to have walked straight out of a Canadian forest hut instead of a high-tech lab. In Canada, Van der Meel did indeed work as a postdoc for Professor Pieter Cullis, founder of the nanotechnology used for messenger RNA vaccines. Five years ago, he exchanged Vancouver for a spot in Eindhoven. Professor Willem Mulder brought Van der Meel to TU/e because of his RNA nanotechnology expertise.

Diseases that are currently difficult to cure, such as certain cancers and , can benefit from genetic drugs based on RNA. But then we must be able to get those medicines to the right place and that turns out to be a huge task.

Some bacteria in the mouth may play a role in memory loss and dementia

As people age, their memory and thinking skills naturally decline. Approximately 15% of older adults experience mild cognitive impairment, a major risk factor for dementia and other forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Since cognitive decline and dementia are growing public health concerns, scientists are working to better understand the risk factors and find ways to reduce them. One emerging area of research suggests that oral health may play a role in brain health.

Now, a new study suggests that the bacteria living in the mouth may influence cognitive function as people age, with some harmful bacteria possibly contributing to the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Complex model of molecular ‘wear-and-tear’ shines light on how proteins age

Chromatin, the mix of DNA and protein that houses each cell’s genome, is more resilient to aging than previously thought, suggests a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by researchers at King’s College London.

Scientists believe this may reveal how the body can cope with the inevitable “wear-and-tear” of aging and where it may be more vulnerable to its effects, laying the groundwork for future anti-aging treatments throughout the body.

Proteins, much like the rest of the body, change when aging. This is especially the case for the that make up , which may “live” for ~100 days before being replenished and replaced. During their lifetime, proteins are stretched and distorted, or experience processes that are similar to rusting. This damage results in naturally occurring to the protein called post-translational modifications, or PTMs.