Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog – Page 3

Get the latest international news and world events from around the world.

Log in for authorized contributors

Dr. Michael Lebenstein-Gumovski, Ph.D. — Spinal Cord Restoration, Head Transplants & Beyond

Spinal Cord Restoration, Head Transplants & Beyond — The Rise And Future Of Transplantation Neurosurgery — Dr. Michael Lebenstein-Gumovski, Ph.D. — Senior Scientific Officer, Sklifosovsky Emergency Medicine Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation

Dr. Michael Lebenstein-Gumovski, Ph.D. is Senior Scientific Officer and Neurosurgeon, in the Neurosurgery Department, of the Sklifosovsky Clinical and Research Institute for Emergency Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation (https://sklif.mos.ru/), where his team is engaged in both neurosurgical and experimental practice, conducting advanced research in the field of spinal cord injury restoration, spinal cord transplantation and head transplantation.

The Sklifosovsky Institute for Emergency Medicine is a large multidisciplinary scientific and practical center dealing with problems of emergency medical care, emergency surgery, resuscitation, combined and burn trauma, emergency cardiology and acute poisoning.

Since 2013, Dr. Lebenstein-Gumovski has been studying spinal cord injury, and also developing methods for restoring the full functional and morphological repair of the spinal cord.

Dr. Lebenstein-Gumovski’s work is aimed at studying the effect of fusogens on nervous tissue, developing new methods and techniques for treating spinal cord injury, developing methods for its resection and transplantation. The lab develops and studies various methods of neuroprotection, combining methods to achieve better results and the current focus is the study of combination fusogen-induced (PEG-chitosan, Neuro-PEG) axonal restoration of the spinal cord after its complete transection.

Continue reading “Dr. Michael Lebenstein-Gumovski, Ph.D. — Spinal Cord Restoration, Head Transplants & Beyond” | >

Researchers discover new microprotein that controls metabolic health in mouse fat cells

Like bees breathing life into gardens, providing pollen and making flowers blossom, little cellular machines called mitochondria breathe life into our bodies, buzzing with energy as they produce the fuel that powers each of our cells. Maintaining mitochondrial metabolism requires input from many molecules and proteins—some of which have yet to be discovered.

Salk Institute researchers are taking a closer look at whether mitochondria rely on microproteins—small proteins that have been difficult to find and, consequently, underestimated for their role in health and disease. In their new study, a microprotein discovered just last year at Salk, called SLC35A4-MP, was found to play a critical role in upholding mitochondrial structure and regulating metabolic stress in mouse fat cells. The findings plant the seed for future microprotein-based treatments for obesity, aging, and other mitochondrial disorders.

The study, published in Science Advances on August 29, 2025, is part of a series of recent discoveries at Salk that showcase the functional importance of microproteins in cellular biology, metabolism, and stress.

Unusual CO₂-rich disk detected around young star challenges planet formation models

A study led by Jenny Frediani at Stockholm University has revealed a planet-forming disk with a strikingly unusual chemical composition: an unexpectedly high abundance of carbon dioxide (CO2) in regions where Earth-like planets may one day form.

The discovery, made using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), challenges long-standing assumptions about the chemistry of planetary birthplaces. The study is published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

“Unlike most nearby planet-forming disks, where dominates the inner regions, this disk is surprisingly rich in ,” says Jenny Frediani, Ph.D. student at the Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University.

Rethinking how our brains build the neural networks underlying motor memories

For every motor skill you’ve ever learned, whether it’s walking or watchmaking, there is a small ensemble of neurons in your brain that makes that movement happen. Our brains trigger these ensembles—what we sometimes call “muscle memories”—to get our bodies cooking, showering, typing, and every other voluntary thing we do.

CRISPR’s efficiency triples with DNA-wrapped nanoparticles

EVANSTON, IL. — With the power to rewrite the genetic code underlying countless diseases, CRISPR holds immense promise to revolutionize medicine. But until scientists can deliver its gene-editing machinery safely and efficiently into relevant cells and tissues, that promise will remain out of reach.

Now, Northwestern University chemists have unveiled a new type of nanostructure that dramatically improves CRISPR delivery and potentially extends its scope of utility.

Called lipid nanoparticle spherical nucleic acids (LNP-SNAs), these tiny structures carry the full set of CRISPR editing tools — Cas9 enzymes, guide RNA and a DNA repair template — wrapped in a dense, protective shell of DNA. Not only does this DNA coating shield its cargo, but it also dictates which organs and tissues the LNP-SNAs travel to and makes it easier for them to enter cells.

New system delivers CRISPR machinery more safely and effectively into cells.

/* */