Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Category: biotech/medical

Aging is the biggest risk factor for cancer, but the mechanisms linking these two processes remain unclear. Using GTEx and TCGA data, we compared genes differentially expressed with age and genes differentially expressed in cancer among nine human tissues. In most tissues, aging and cancer gene expression pattern changed in the opposite direction. The exception was thyroid and uterus, where we found transcriptomic changes in the same direction in aging and in their corresponding cancers. The overlapping sets between genes differentially expressed with age and genes differentially expressed in cancer across tissues were enriched for several processes, mainly cell cycle and the immune system. Moreover, cellular senescence signatures, derived from a meta‐analysis, changed in the same direction as aging in human tissues and in the opposite direction of cancer signatures. Therefore, transcriptomic changes in aging and in cellular senescence might relate to a decrease in cell proliferation, while cancer transcriptomic changes shift toward enhanced cell division. Our results highlight the complex relationship between aging and cancer and suggest that, while in general aging processes might be opposite to cancer, the transcriptomic links between human aging and cancer are tissue‐specific.

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When the structure of DNA was elucidated in 1953, an unimaginable world of possibilities was opened. But we couldn’t even begin to dream about how we would go about using such powerful knowledge. Thirty years later, PCR — the process to replicate DNA in the lab — was developed, and innovation exploded. In 2001 — nearly twenty years ago — the first full human genome was sequenced and published.

The information we’ve uncovered through DNA is enabling us to explore and develop solutions for a variety of problems, from how to mimic human disease in animal models to finding new treatments and cures for devastating diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Our ability to engineer biology is making DNA even more powerful. We are building upon the blueprint that was already there, strengthening it, giving it new and improved functions, and leveraging its characteristics to do useful things for us. Perfect examples include engineering the genomes of T cells to turn them into highly specific cancer fighters or modifying bacteria to produce useful products like insulin, food ingredients, or bioplastics. We are even beginning to use DNA to store information, perhaps one day replacing the physical hard drive.

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Great Diet Information: #Longevity

Inflammation is also called the silent killer. It is silent because as your body struggles with inflammation, it also does all it can to maintain balance. This means that symptoms are sometimes hard to decipher and can even be hidden for some time.

Inflammation can be a good thing

A little bit of inflammation is a good thing, a lot can be extremely dangerous. When we are injured or sick, the immune system jump into gear and brings an army of white blood cells to the area of concern by increasing blood flow. For instance, when you get a cut or a scrape it generally becomes puffy, red and hot. This is inflammation – more white blood cells have arrived to handle the situation. Acute inflammation is how the body responds to foreign pathogens – it protects us from harm.

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Researchers at the Buck Institute, including Dr. Judy Campisi, have published a new study that shows, for the first time, that senescent cells are associated with age-related blood clots [1].

As we get older, increasing numbers of our cells enter into a state known as cellular senescence. Senescent cells do not divide or support the tissues of which they are part; instead, they emit a range of potentially harmful chemical signals known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which encourages nearby healthy cells to enter the same senescent state.

The presence of high levels of SASP reduces tissue repair, increases chronic inflammation, and can even raise the risk of cancer and other age-related diseases.

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Well, it’s sound weird but in the upcoming future, your toilet will be your mini doctor. A company called Micron is developing a smart artificial intelligence-powered toilet that will reportedly be able to diagnose your state of health and risk of disease by analyzing your bodily waste.

The major goal of this technology is to analyze bowel movements and recognize the signs for health issues or ailments early on. This information will also use to understand early symptoms of certain diseases.

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STOCKHOLM — A new trial of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) has shown encouraging results, with significant benefits vs placebo in several measures of disability.

The double-blind placebo-controlled phase 2 study — described as “very pioneering” and “provocative” by outside commentators — was presented at the recent 35th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2019.

Both intravenous and intrathecal administration of the stem cells showed beneficial clinical effects compared with placebo in terms of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) changes and several other functional outcomes, but the intrathecal route appeared superior to intravenous administration, reported Dimitrios Karussis, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.

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A quasi-particle that travels along the interface of a metal and dielectric material may be the solution to problems caused by shrinking electronic components, according to an international team of engineers.

“Microelectronic chips are ubiquitous today,” said Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles Godfrey Binder Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Penn State. “Delay time for signal propagation in metal-wire interconnects, electrical loss in metals leading to temperature rise, and cross-talk between neighboring interconnects arising from miniaturization and densification limits the speed of these chips.”

These are in our smartphones, tablets, computers and and they are used in hospital equipment, defense installations and our transportation infrastructure.

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