Technology & Society
From Wired: “By tracking individual cells in genetically modified salamanders, researchers have found an unexpected explanation for their seemingly magical ability to regrow lost limbs. Rather than having their cellular clocks fully reset and reverting to an embryonic state, cells
This article from the Singularity Hub is a fabulous roundup of the state of organ growing technology. Great job, Drew!
This is a good summary of David Sinclair’s work (purchased by GlaxoSmithKline) in Forbes Magazine. “Glaxo has concocted sirtuin boosters far more potent than resveratrol. Among other effects, the compounds lower blood sugar, and Glaxo is testing them to treat
Interesting op-ed from the LAT by Marion Roach. Most relevant graph: “When he campaigned, Obama said he supported the “therapeutic cloning of stem cells.” But as president, he has already traded that position for one that some see as more
Some diabetics could forgo self-injected shots for several months or even years by treating their diabetes with stem cells from their own blood. Here’s the story at Voice of America and at SU.
From the BBC: “US scientists say they have successfully reversed the effects of Alzheimer’s with experimental drugs. The drugs target and boost the function of a newly pinpointed gene involved in the brain’s memory formation. In mice, the treatment helped
There are two stories in the headlines today that both look poised to cut health costs. First, is the announcement of a technique to see if someone has cancer just by testing his or her blood. This new research comes
And of course, once we can re-grow solidier’s limbs, we will also be able to do it for everyone. From Wired: “The first phase of the Pentagon’s plan to regrow soldiers’ limbs is complete; scientists managed to turn human skin
“Here’s a switch: a new medical technology that can save money in health care, rather than add to costs. Tim Fischell, in fact, believes the medical device he co-invented to warn people of an impending heart attack, enabling them to
Surgeons had to remove 6 organs just to get a cancerous tumor out of 7 year-old Heather McNamara’s abdomen. 3 of her 6 organs were found to have cancer, so they replaced her stomach with a pouch and she will
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a gene responsible for the growth of tooth enamel. Lead researcher Dr. Chrissa Kioussi told the BBC: “A lot of work would still be needed to bring this to human applications, but it
An American living in Berlin got a bone marrow transplant that seems to have cleared up his HIV. Read more here.
This is really big news. California-based Geron Corp has received a green light from the FDA to study stem-cell treatment for spinal cord injuries in up to 10 patients. From the WSJ: “This is the dawn of a new era
Researchers at my former alma mater, UBC, have discovered why the brain loses its capacity to re-grow connections and repair itself, knowledge that could lead to therapeutics that “rejuvenate” the brain. The study, published in The EMBO Journal, identified a
According to Cosmos Magazine: “Artificial ‘injectable bone’ that flows like toothpaste, and hardens in the body, has been invented by British scientists. This new regenerative medicine technology provides a scaffold for the formation of blood vessels and bone tissue, and
According to this news story, “An Indian woman has given birth to her first child at the age of 70 after receiving fertility treatment.” Let’s hope she lives to at least 90 so her child will have some time to
From MIT Tech Review: “Many believe that lasers should be used not just to create wounds but to mend them too. Abraham Katzir, a physicist at Tel Aviv University, has a system that may just do the trick and is
From Cnet news: “Professor Kishan Dholakia and Dr. Frank Gunn-Moore–both of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland–say the “light saber” could be used routinely on cancer patients within the next five years. The method would allow chemotherapy drugs to
From the UK’s Daily Mail: “Scientists believe that ‘heavy water’ enriched with a rare form of hydrogen could add as much as 10 years to life. Foods, from steak to eggs, could also be modified to allow us to eat
For the longest time, scientists haven’t had tools at their disposal to measure biological (as opposed to simple chronological) age. They finally found some doing research on worms and plan more studies as well. This is a big deal as