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Category: biotech/medical – Page 48

CT Scans Projected to Result in 100,000 New Cancers Across The US

More Americans are receiving computed tomography (CT) scans than ever before, and while this technology can save lives, some scientists are concerned that low doses of ionizing radiation could increase cancer risk.

Importantly, at an individual level, the theoretical risk of developing cancer from a CT scan is thought to be very low, if it exists at all. Patients should not hesitate to undergo these tests if they are considered medically necessary.

However, the number of CT examinations performed annually in the US has increased by more than 30 percent since 2007, and researchers suggest that unwarranted tests are exposing the population to unnecessary radiation.

Synthesis of a molecule found in guava plants offers hope in fighting liver-related cancers

You may not be aware that most of the medicines that have been approved for treatment are rooted in nature. For example, the bark of willow trees has been called nature’s aspirin because it contains a chemical called salicin. The human body converts salicin into salicylic acid, which relieves pain and fights fevers.

New research by William Chain, associate professor in the University of Delaware’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and his lab, uses a molecule found in a tropical fruit to offer hope in the fight against liver-related cancers, one of the world’s top causes of cancer deaths.

Using a process called natural product , Chain and his lab group have invented a pathway that uses widely available chemicals to create molecules found in a guava plant that are known to fight these deadly cancers. The work is published in Angewandte Chemie.

Advanced computer modeling predicts molecular-qubit performance

A qubit is the delicate, information-processing heart of a quantum device. In the coming decades, advances in quantum information are expected to give us computers with new, powerful capabilities and detectors that can pick up atomic-scale signals in medicine, navigation and more. The realization of such technologies depends on having reliable, long-lasting qubits.

Now, researchers have taken an important step in understanding the rules necessary for the design of useful, efficient qubits.

Using advanced computer modeling, the researchers came up with a way to accurately predict and fine-tune key magnetic properties of a type of device called a molecular qubit. They also figured out which factors in the material that the qubit sits in affect this tuning the most and calculated how long the qubits can live.

Optimizing how cells self-organize

One of the most fundamental processes in all of biology is the spontaneous organization of cells into clusters that divide and eventually turn into shapes – be they organs, wings or limbs.

Scientists have long explored this enormously complex process to make artificial organs or understand cancer growth – but precisely engineering single cells to achieve a desired collective outcome is often a trial-and-error process.

Harvard applied physicists consider the control of cellular organization and morphogenesis to be an optimization problem that can be solved with powerful new machine learning tools. In new research published in Nature Computational Science, researchers in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a computational framework that can extract the rules that cells need to follow as they grow, in order for a collective function to emerge from the whole.

Chronic Exposure to Microplastics Induces Blood–Brain Barrier Impairment, Oxidative Stress, and Neuronal Damage in Rats

The widespread prevalence of plastics and in particular, microplastics (MPs) raises concerns about their potential toxic effects. MPs, defined as particles smaller than 5 mm, are distributed throughout ecosystem and can enter the human body through the food chain. There is a lack of knowledge regarding MP potential harmful effects on the mammal’s body, especially the brain. This study aimed to examine the impact of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MPs (< 30 μm) on blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, oxidative stress, and neuronal health. Male rats were exposed to LDPE MPs via oral administration for 3 and 6 weeks. The results revealed no significant changes in brain water content across groups. However, BBB integrity was significantly compromised after both 3 and 6 weeks of exposure. Oxidative stress increased in MP-treated groups, evidenced by decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and elevated malondialdehyde (MDA). Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels significantly declined in the 6-week group. Histological analysis indicated neuronal damage and death in both treatment durations. These findings demonstrate that chronic exposure to LDPE MPs impairs BBB integrity, increases oxidative stress, and induces neuronal damage in rats. The results highlight the neurotoxic potential of MPs and emphasize the need for further research to address their possible health risks.

The Shockingly Simple Vision Breakthrough That Might End LASIK

Scientists may have found a way to correct vision without surgery, lasers, or cutting.

Using tiny electrical currents and custom contact lenses, researchers reshaped rabbit corneas in just a minute — a process that could one day replace LASIK.

Millions of americans have altered vision.

How Dr. Bill Andrews Plans to Cure Aging in 3 Years

Anybody got a spare $130 million?

Dr. Bill Andrews, a trailblazing scientist, is on a mission to cure aging. From a childhood dream sparked at age 10 to his pioneering telomerase research, he reveals how Sierra Sciences could reverse aging in just three years with $130 million in funding. Yet, investor demands for quick returns stand in his way.
He believes that a Biotech Freedom Zone through Immortalis—a revolutionary approach to bypass funding and regulatory hurdles—is the catalyst to transform longevity research, making health affordable and aging a thing of the past.

Join the community behind the first ever Biotech Freedom City:
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Computational approach meets biology to connect neural progenitor cells with human disorders

For much of the 20th century it was thought that the adult brain was incapable of regeneration. This view has since shifted dramatically and neurogenesis—the birth of new neurons—is now a widely accepted phenomenon in the adult brain, offering promising avenues for treating many neurological conditions.

One of the main challenges in the field has been identifying neural stem and (NPCs) responsible for generating these new neurons. NPCs are rare, diverse and difficult to isolate from other due to overlapping molecular signatures. As a result, understanding their biology—and particularly their role in human brain disorders—has remained elusive.

In a study published in Stem Cell Reports, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital reveals that define NPCs.

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