Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 3

Research findings focus on people with a sleep disorder, but could have broader implications. For people with a certain sleep disorder, a simple blood test could help predict the development of dementia years before symptoms appear, a new study indicates.

Idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) causes people to physically act out their dreams while sleeping.

The disorder is also associated with a very high risk of Parkinson’s disease and a related condition called Dementia with Lewy Bodies.

Read more | >

A new Science Immunology study shows that disruptions to immunosuppressive intraepithelial lymphocytes and intestinal immunity occurs prior to the onset of chronic ileal inflammation in mouse models of Crohn’s Disease.

Multiple layers of γδ IEL dysregulation and loss of their immunosuppressive capacity occur before the onset of chronic ileitis.

Read more | >

The authors show that neuroprotective and neurotoxic astrocytes representional cellular substates present during neuroinflammation and that targeting mTOR in astrocytes reduces neurotoxicity, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Read more | >

They found that increased Hh signaling is a hallmark of human meibomian gland carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the eyelid. Furthermore, the team discovered that aged glands show decreased Hh signaling and decreased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, as well as impaired innervation and a loss of collagen in niche fibroblasts, suggesting that changes in both glandular epithelial cells and their surrounding microenvironment contribute to age-related degeneration.

These discoveries suggest that targeting Hh and EGFR signaling to stimulate stem cell activity in the meibomian glands could be a potential therapeutic option to treat evaporative dry eye disease.

A team of researchers has identified stem cell populations and mechanisms underlying age-related degeneration in glands that are vital to eye function. The findings, published in Nature Communications, may lead to new therapeutic approaches for evaporative dry eye disease, a common condition in older people.

Meibomian glands, tiny oil glands along the edges of the eyelids, secrete lipid-rich meibum to prevent tear evaporation and protect the eye surface. Aging-related shrinkage of the meibomian glands may result, in part, from stem cell exhaustion and is associated with evaporative dry eye disease, a common condition that causes swollen eyelids, itchy eyes, or blurred vision. Symptoms may be lessened with warm compressions, artificial tears, and thermal pulsation, but these treatments are only partially effective.

The researchers identified markers for stem cell populations that maintain distinct regions of the meibomian glands, and uncovered the hedgehog (Hh) cell-cell signaling pathway, which is broadly important in development and disease, as a key regulator of meibomian gland stem cell proliferation and tissue regeneration.

Read more | >

Superconductivity is a quantum physical state in which a metal is able to conduct electricity perfectly without any resistance. In its most familiar application, it enables powerful magnets in MRI machines to create the magnetic fields that allow doctors to see inside our bodies. Thus far, materials can only achieve superconductivity at extremely low temperatures, near absolute zero (a few tens of Kelvin or colder).

But physicists dream of superconductive materials that might one day operate at room temperature. Such materials could open entirely new possibilities in areas such as , the energy sector, and medical technologies.

“Understanding the mechanisms leading to the formation of superconductivity and discovering exotic new superconducting phases is not only one of the most stimulating pursuits in the fundamental study of quantum materials but is also driven by this ultimate dream of achieving room-temperature superconductivity,” says Stevan Nadj-Perge, professor of applied physics and materials science at Caltech.

Read more | >

Accurate and robust 3D imaging of specular, or mirror-like, surfaces is crucial in fields such as industrial inspection, medical imaging, virtual reality, and cultural heritage preservation. Yet anyone who has visited a house of mirrors at an amusement park knows how difficult it is to judge the shape and distance of reflective objects.

This challenge also persists in science and engineering, where the accurate 3D imaging of specular surfaces has long been a focus in both optical metrology and computer vision research. While specialized techniques exist, their inherent limitations often confine them to narrow, domain-specific applications, preventing broader interdisciplinary use.

In a study published in the journal Optica, University of Arizona researchers from the Computational 3D Imaging and Measurement (3DIM) Lab at the Wyant College of Optica l Sciences present a novel approach that significantly advances the 3D imaging of specular surfaces.

Read more | >

For the first time, researchers have shown that terahertz imaging can be used to visualize internal details of the mouse cochlea with micron-level spatial resolution. The non-invasive method could open new possibilities for diagnosing hearing loss and other ear-related conditions.

“Hearing relies on the , a spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear that converts sound waves into neural signals,” said research team leader Kazunori Serita from Waseda University in Japan. “Although conventional imaging methods often struggle to visualize this organ’s fine details, our 3D terahertz near-field imaging technique allows us to see small structures inside the cochlea without any damage.”

Terahertz radiation, which falls between microwaves and the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, is ideal for biological imaging because it is low-energy and non-harmful to tissues, scatters less than near-infrared and visible light and can pass through bone while also being sensitive to changes in hydration and cellular structure.

Read more | >

Assistive artificial intelligence technologies hold significant promise for transforming health care by aiding physicians in diagnosing, managing, and treating patients. However, the current trend of assistive AI implementation could actually worsen challenges related to error prevention and physician burnout, according to a new brief published in JAMA Health Forum.

The brief, written by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, explains that there is an increasing expectation of physicians to rely on AI to minimize medical errors. However, proper laws and regulations are not yet in place to support physicians as they make AI-guided decisions, despite the fierce adoption of these technologies among health care organizations.

The researchers predict that will depend on whom society considers at fault when the fails or makes a mistake, subjecting physicians to an unrealistic expectation of knowing when to override or trust AI. The authors warn that such an expectation could increase the risk of burnout and even errors among physicians.

Read more | >