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Archive for the ‘biotech/medical’ category: Page 1934

Jan 7, 2019

‘Chemo brain’ caused by malfunction in three types of brain cells, study finds

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

In a new #Stanford study explaining the cellular mechanisms behind cognitive impairment from chemotherapy, scientists have demonstrated that a widely used chemotherapy drug, #methotrexate, causes a complex set of problems in three major cell types within the brain’s white matter. The study also identifies a potential remedy.


In a new study explaining the cellular mechanisms behind cognitive impairment from chemotherapy, scientists have demonstrated that a widely used chemotherapy drug, methotrexate, causes a complex set of problems in three major cell types within the brain’s white matter. The study also identifies a potential remedy.

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Jan 7, 2019

Engineers create an inhalable form of messenger RNA

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Messenger RNA, which can induce cells to produce therapeutic proteins, holds great promise for treating a variety of diseases. The biggest obstacle to this approach so far has been finding safe and efficient ways to deliver mRNA molecules to the target cells.


Patients with lung disease could find relief by breathing in messenger RNA molecules.

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Jan 7, 2019

India scientists dismiss Einstein theories

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, government

Scientists in India have hit out at speakers at a major conference for making irrational claims, including that ancient Hindus invented stem cell research.

Some academics at the annual Indian Science Congress dismissed the findings of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein.

Hindu mythology and religion-based theories have increasingly become part of the Indian Science Congress agenda.

Continue reading “India scientists dismiss Einstein theories” »

Jan 7, 2019

Human Pilot Study Results for Senolytics Published

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

The results from a human pilot study that focused on treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with senescent cell-clearing drugs has been published. The drugs target aged and damaged cells, which are thought to be a reason we age and get sick, and remove them from the body.

Senescent cells and aging

As we age, increasing numbers of our cells become dysfunctional, entering into a state known as senescence. Senescent cells no longer divide or support the tissues and organs of which they are part; instead, they secrete a range of harmful inflammatory chemical signals, which are collectively known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).

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Jan 7, 2019

Genetic testing is the future of healthcare, but many experts say companies like 23andMe are doing more harm than good

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, health

  • Genetic testing will be a cornerstone of healthcare in 2019, experts say.
  • There are two ways to do the testing: getting a costly but complete genetic workup through a doctor or opting for a cheaper at-home test like those sold by 23andMe.
  • Clinicians and advocates criticize the at-home approach, which they say prioritizes convenience over privacy and long-term health.
  • But entrepreneurs counter that the at-home approach lets more people access information.
  • Which method will win out, and at what cost?

As millions of Americans sat down to Thanksgiving dinner, the biomedical researcher James Hazel sent out a stark warning about the genetic-testing kits that he surmised would be a hot topic of conversation.

Most of them are neither safe nor private.


Jan 7, 2019

250 More Hospitals Just Joined in on a Plan to Make Their Own Drugs And The Effort Could Upend The Generic Pharma Business

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, business, health

  • A group of hospitals have built a nonprofit generic drugmaker called Civica Rx.
  • On Monday, another 12 health systems joined the organization.
  • The hope is to make generic drugs that are in shortage or have artificially high prices based on what hospitals need.

Hospitals have a creative plan to tackle the high price and frequent shortages of generic drugs.

The nonprofit company, dubbed Civica Rx, was first announced in early 2018, and has gained a lot of attention from other hospitals around the US who are interested in being a part of the venture.

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Jan 7, 2019

Participate in Citizen Science Day 2019

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, science

Citizen Science DayWith support from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University and SciStarter invite libraries to be part of Citizen Science Day on April 13. Now in its third year, Citizen Science Day is expanding to include meetups and events with a special focus on supporting libraries to involve their communities in authentic science projects in need of their help. The signature event this year will be the “Stall Catchers Megathon” by the Human Computation Institute. Complete the registration form to sign up.

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Jan 7, 2019

Amid antibiotic failures, scientists search for answers in ancient remedies

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

In recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria has become such a concern that the World Health Organization has cautioned of a “post-antibiotic era,” which may be here soon. According to the CDC, in America alone around 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant infections annually and in less developed countries it is quickly becoming one of the greatest concerns in public health.

In an urgent search for new natural antibiotics, scientists are examining ancient remedies in order to determine what made them effective. One such remedy comes from the Boho Highlands of Northern Ireland, where ancient Irish Druids utilized natural antibiotics from the soil. Inverse reports the findings of these scientists, published in Frontiers in Microbiology:

[The] alkaline soil sampled from the Sacred Heart Church in the town of Toneel North contains a new strain of bacteria they named Streptomyches sp. myrophorea. Testing revealed that this strain inhibited the growth of four of the six multi-resistant pathogens identified by the WHO as “high priority pathogens.”

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Jan 7, 2019

Breakthrough study stops cancer hijacking immune cells

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, innovation

Cancer is crafty, using a wide range of insidious tricks to ensure it can survive and spread in the body. But now researchers at Rush University and the University of California, San Diego have found a way to intervene in one of these schemes, preventing tumors from recruiting immune cells to help them grow and metastasize.

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Jan 7, 2019

Inhalable RNA could breathe new life into lung cancer treatments

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

In the body, messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules are in charge of instructing cells to produce specific proteins, and hijacking this natural system is emerging as a promising new way to treat a wide variety of illnesses. Now, researchers at MIT have developed an inhalable mRNA aerosol that can take the molecules directly to the lungs, as a potential new treatment for cystic fibrosis or lung cancer.

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