Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: biotech/medical – Page 441

Improved prime editing system makes gene-sized edits in human cells at therapeutic levels

“It’s exciting to see the high efficiency and versatility of eePASSIGE, which could enable a new category of genomic medicines,” added Gao. “We also hope that it will be a tool that scientists from across the research community can use to study basic biological questions.”

Prime improvements

Many scientists have used prime editing to efficiently install changes to DNA that are up to dozens of base pairs in length, sufficient to correct the vast majority of known pathogenic mutations. But introducing entire healthy genes, often thousands of base pairs long, in their native location in the genome has been a long-standing goal of the gene-editing field. Not only could this potentially treat many patients regardless of which mutation they have in a disease-causing gene, but it would also preserve the surrounding DNA sequences, which would increase the likelihood that the newly installed gene is properly regulated, rather than expressed too much, too little, or at the wrong time.

Aston University develops novel bone cancer therapy which has 99% success rate

Bioactive glasses, a filling material which can bond to tissue and improve the strength of bones and teeth, has been combined with gallium to create a potential treatment for bone cancer.

Tests in labs have found that bioactive glasses doped with the metal have a 99 percent success rate of eliminating cancerous cells and can even regenerate diseased bones.

The research was conducted by a team of Aston University scientists led by Professor Richard Martin who is based in its College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

How Brain Cells Identify Smells and Related Images

Summary: A recent study reveals that specific brain cells respond not only to smells but also to images and written words related to those scents, providing deeper insight into human odor perception. Researchers found that neurons in the olfactory cortex and other brain regions, like the hippocampus and amygdala, distinguish between different smells and associate them with visual cues.

This research, using data from epilepsy patients, bridges a gap between animal and human studies on olfactory processing. Remarkably, individual neurons responded to scent, image, and word, suggesting that smell processing integrates visual and semantic information early on. These findings could lead to future innovations in “olfactory aids.” The study emphasizes the interconnected nature of smell and visual memory in the human brain.

Electronic Tongue Uses AI to Detect Differences in Liquids

Summary: Researchers have developed an AI-powered “electronic tongue” capable of distinguishing subtle differences in liquids, such as milk freshness, soda types, and coffee blends. By analyzing sensor data through a neural network, the device achieved over 95% accuracy in identifying liquid quality, authenticity, and potential safety issues. Interestingly, when the AI was allowed to select its own analysis parameters, it outperformed human-defined settings, showing how it holistically assessed subtle data.

This technology, which uses graphene-based sensors, could revolutionize food safety assessments and potentially extend to medical diagnostics. The device’s AI insights also provide a unique view into the neural network’s decision-making process. This innovation promises practical applications across industries where quality and safety are paramount.

Parkinson’s Discovery Suggests We Already Have an FDA-Approved Treatment

Researchers have discovered how a cell surface protein called Aplp1 can play a role in spreading material responsible for Parkinson’s disease from cell-to-cell in the brain.

Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein called Lag3 – which interacts with Aplp1 – blocks the spread in mice, suggesting a potential therapy may already exist.

In a recent paper, an international team of scientists describes how the two proteins work together to help harmful alpha-synuclein protein clumps get into brain cells.

Polaris Dawn brings new areas of Research, Medical Care

The launch of Polaris Dawn from Kennedy Space Center includes the first civilian commercial spacewalk and other factors that will be firsts for space medicine research. And that’s why Emmanuel Urquieta, an internationally recognized space medicine expert who recently joined UCF’s College of Medicine, is especially excited about this latest mission.

The spacecraft is flying up to 870 miles above Earth—the highest orbit flown in the last half century. And at that altitude, the astronauts will be exposed to higher radiation than most astronauts who stay in low Earth orbit, such as those onboard the International Space Station.

After achieving the high orbit, Polaris Dawn will come down to a lower altitude for the spacewalk. Traditionally, when astronauts exit the spacecraft, there is an airlock that allows the interior of the vehicle to stay pressurized. But during this week’s walk, the entire vehicle will be depressurized so all four astronauts will be exposed to the vacuum of space and must rely on their spacesuits for life support.