A team of Johns Hopkins engineers has developed a new, more powerful method to observe molecular vibrations, an advance that could have far-reaching implications for early disease detection.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 709
Recreating a Rare Mutation Could Grant Almost Universal Virus Immunity For Days
A rare genetic mutation appears to make people basically invulnerable to viruses – and it could potentially be harnessed as a therapy. Researchers have now shown this surprising viral protection can be replicated in mice and hamsters.
“We have yet to find a virus that can break through the therapy’s defenses [in cell culture tests],” explains Columbia University immunologist Dusan Bogunovic, who first discovered this unusual antiviral superpower 13 years ago.
The mutation, a deficiency in interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), causes a mild yet persistent inflammation across the body. Examining patients’ immune cells revealed they’d had the usual run of encounters with flu, measles, chickenpox, and mumps, yet they’d never reported feeling particularly ill as a result.
Scientists are uncovering terrifying truths about loneliness and how it rewires us
New research suggests loneliness may be far more damaging than anyone realized. From nightmares to disease risk to personality changes, these 11 scientific studies show how disconnection quietly rewires us — with chilling consequences for health and well-being.
First-Of-Its-Kind Cell Transplant Brings a Cure For Diabetes Closer
A patient with type 1 diabetes has begun producing his own insulin after receiving a transplant of pancreatic cells.
For the first time in humans, these islet cells have been genetically edited so they wouldn’t be rejected by the patient, removing the need for immunosuppressant drugs.
Type 1 diabetes usually begins when the immune system mistakenly attacks the islet cells in the pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin. The condition is usually managed with a careful diet and regular insulin injections, but an emerging treatment involves replacing the damaged islet cells with functional ones.
Embryos small but mighty, first live videos show
Scientists have recorded a human embryo implanting in a womb in real time. The implications of how it happens could lead to more and better treatments for infertility.
One Fruit, 1600 Compounds, Countless Health Benefits
Fresh grapes contain a potent mix of over 1,600 compounds that benefit heart, brain, skin, and gut health. New evidence suggests they deserve official superfood recognition, with benefits even at the genetic level.
A new article appearing in the current issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry explores the concept of “superfoods” and makes a case that fresh grapes have earned what should be a prominent position in the superfood family. The author, leading resveratrol and cancer researcher John M. Pezzuto, Ph.D., D.Sc., Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, brings forth an array of evidence to support his perspective on this issue.
As noted in the article, the term “superfood” is a common word without an official definition or established criteria. Mainstream superfoods are typically part of the Mediterranean Diet and generally rich in natural plant compounds that are beneficial to a person’s health. Pezzuto addresses the broader topic of superfoods in detail, then makes the scientific case for grapes, noting that fresh grapes are underplayed in this arena and often not included with mention of other similar foods, such as berries.
Mosquito-killing robot dogs to fight Chikungunya virus in Hong Kong
Hong Kong to unleash mosquito-killing robot dogs to combat Chikungunya virus.
Hong Kong plans to deploy robot dogs to combat the chikungunya virus through innovative insecticide spraying in hard-to-reach areas.
AI could soon detect early voice box cancer from the sound of your voice
Vocal fold lesions and early stages of laryngeal cancer alter acoustics of the voice, paving the way for AI recognition
New tool for cutting DNA: promising prospects for biotechnology
An INRS team discovers a new family of enzymes capable of inducing targeted cuts in single-stranded DNA
Clone copy number diversity is linked to survival in lung cancer
A study presents ALPACA, a computational method for inferring clone- and allele-specific copy numbers of individual clones from multi-sample bulk DNA-sequencing data, and demonstrates its use to study metastasis trajectories.