Lifeboat Foundation

BioNTech, the company that partnered with Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, is now testing whether mRNA can be used to treat cancer.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines work by tricking our bodies into producing a small part of a virus. For the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, this involved isolating the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). This protrudes from the outer surface of the virus and is used to latch onto specific cells in your body, infecting them and causing more copies of the virus to be made. Researchers obtained the spike protein’s RNA, then created mRNA based on these molecular instructions.

Once injected, the mRNA vaccine will instruct cells to build spike proteins in large volumes – not the virus itself, just the spike protein. This is enough to kickstart our immune response, training the body to recognise the spike protein, without making us sick. B-cells (also known as lymphocytes) can last for months or years and will “remember” the spike protein, making Y-shaped proteins called antibodies to destroy any SARS-CoV-2 encountered in the future.

Mysterious effects in a new generation of dark matter detectors could herald a revolutionary discovery.

Tesla may already have a lot of projects on its plate, but the company still appears to be exploring other projects for its product lineup in the future. Among these is a “Robo Van” that’s optimized to transport people with disabilities, among others.

References to the Tesla “Robo Van” were reportedly shared by CEO Elon Musk during the company’s recent all-hands meeting, according to individuals familiar with the topics covered in the event. Apart from the “Robo Van” being capable of transporting large numbers of people, Musk reportedly highlighted that the upcoming vehicle would be designed to address the needs of passengers with disabilities.

This suggests that the Tesla “Robo Van” would be optimized for easy ingress and egress, making it perfect for passengers who may have difficulty getting into conventional vehicles. Features such as active air suspension, similar to the one used in the Cybertruck, would be particularly useful for disabled passengers as well, as they would make it easier for items such as wheelchairs to be loaded and unloaded from the Tesla “Robo Van.”

While is seems like the majority of the longevity space is currently overly captivated by the Aubrey de Grey/SENS debacle, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Healthy Longevity Global Innovator Summit is now beginning — Most interestingly, former R&D Head at PepsiCo, Dr. Mehmoud Khan, will be speaking in his new role as CEO of the Hevolution Foundation; a potential multi-billion $$$ initiative with a longevity angle — Everyone should keep their eye on this one…

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) will hold its inaugural Healthy Longevity Global Innovator Summit in September 2,021 with support from Johnson and Johnson Innovation and The John A. Hartford Foundation. The event will be virtual and held over three days, September 13 14, and 22 and feature an immersive, interactive digital venue with unique opportunities to engage and connect.

The Innovator Summit will honor the 154 international Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awardees from 2020 and bring together industry leaders, academics, researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs whose work contributes to the field of healthy longevity. Attendees will learn about the early-stage, award-winning innovations, hear from leaders in the field of healthy longevity, and take advantage of various opportunities to interact directly with other attendees, with a view to fostering interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration.

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Using a groundbreaking new technique at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an international collaboration led by NIST researchers has revealed previously unrecognized properties of technologically crucial silicon crystals and uncovered new information about an important subatomic particle and a long-theorized fifth force of nature.

By aiming subatomic particles known as neutrons at silicon crystals and monitoring the outcome with exquisite sensitivity, the NIST scientists were able to obtain three extraordinary results: the first measurement of a key neutron property in 20 years using a unique method; the highest-precision measurements of the effects of heat-related vibrations in a silicon crystal; and limits on the strength of a possible “fifth force” beyond standard physics theories.

The researchers report their findings in the journal Science.

As we age, our bones become thinner, we suffer fractures more often, and bone-diseases such as osteoporosis are more likely to occur. One responsible mechanism involves the impaired function of the bone-marrow stem cells, which are required for the maintenance of bone integrity. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing and CECAD Cluster of Excellence for Ageing Research at the University of Cologne have now shown that the reduced stem cell function upon aging is due to changes in their epigenome. They were able to reverse these changes in isolated stem cells by adding acetate. This fountain of youth for the epigenome could become important for the treatment of diseases such as osteoporosis.

Aging Researchers have been looking at epigenetics as a cause of aging processes for some time. Epigenetics looks at changes in genetic information and chromosomes that do not alter the sequence of the genes themselves, but do affect their activity. One possibility is changes in proteins called histones, which package the DNA in our cells and thus control access to DNA. The Cologne research group of Peter Tessarz has now studied the epigenome of mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells are found in bone marrow and can give rise to different types of cells such as cartilage, bone and fat cells.

The website is eye-catching for its simplicity. Against a white backdrop, a giant blue button invites visitors to upload a picture of a face. Below the button, four AI-generated faces allow you to test the service. Above it, the tag line boldly proclaims the purpose: turn anyone into a porn star by using deepfake technology to swap the person’s face into an adult video. All it requires is the picture and the push of a button.

MIT Technology Review has chosen not to name the service, which we will call Y, or use any direct quotes and screenshots of its contents, to avoid driving traffic to the site. It was discovered and brought to our attention by deepfake researcher Henry Ajder, who has been tracking the evolution and rise of synthetic media online.

With all that said, it’s natural for humans to crave and eat limited amounts of sugar. After going through all the research, here’s what I am doing for myself.

For example, foods high in fructose stimulate ghrelin while suppressing leptin—hormones responsible for hunger and satiety. Sugar can promote chronic hyperglycemia, which can both lead to weight gain and is another risk for diabetes. And sugary drinks, especially, are tied directly to obesity.

Sugar and aging: a bad combination (so what should we do?)

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This is an emerging therapeutic technique that works by targeting the underlying causes of a disease, rather than the symptoms it causes. It does this by targeting a particular gene, and preventing it from making the protein that it produces.

The United Kingdom’s NHS has very recently approved a new cholesterol-lowering jab which will be offered to 300,000 people over the next three years.

The drug – inclisiran – will be administered twice a year as an injection.

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