Lifeboat Foundation

Recent research published in Nature Communications from the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford has identified 15 modifiable risk factors for dementia, and of those diabetes, alcohol intake, and traffic-related air pollution are the most harmful.

Previous research from this group revealed an area of weakness in the brain of a specific network of higher-order regions that only develop later in adolescence but also display earlier degeneration in old age, and they showed that this brain network is particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. This study investigated genetic and modifiable influences on these regions by utilizing data from the UK Biobank.

Continue reading “Risk Factors For Faster Brain Aging” »

Researchers believe they have discovered a new biological mechanism for obesity, pointing to rare variants on two genes that dramatically increase the risk of carrying excess weight.

The drug, which is in the same family as blockbuster weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, slowed development of symptoms by a small but statistically significant amount.

Have your buffalo wings, save the chicken. Step inside a lab-grown meat factory with us to see the future of food.

Up next, Meet Apollo, the real-life robot who wants to give you more free time | Hard Reset ► • Meet Apollo, the real-life robot who…

Continue reading “Large-scale, lab-grown meat: Step inside a cultivated meat factory | Hard Reset” »

A supersonic drone that will be propelled by a revolutionary new engine has taken to the skies for the first time. When Venus Aerospace’s aircraft does go supersonic on a later date, it will be powered by a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE).

Supersonic drones may sound like something bleeding edge, but they’re surprisingly old hat as a basic concept. As far back as the early 1950s, the US Air Force was fielding remote-controlled supersonic jets for targets to test air defenses, as platforms for reconnaissance in dangerous areas, or as weapons armed with conventional or nuclear warheads.

Continue reading “Video: Supersonic drone flies with revolutionary detonation engine” »

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a new treatment course for patients with metastasizing breast cancer, using medication already on the market.

Based on tissue samples from American and Israeli patients and using an animal model, the researchers from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences showed that a combination of existing drugs can hinder the spread of cancer to the bones, thereby improving the chances of survival.

More than 75 percent of patients with metastatic breast cancer see it spread to the bone.

The first patient to receive a kidney transplanted from a genetically modified pig has fared so well that he was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, just two weeks after the groundbreaking surgery.

The transplant and its encouraging outcome represent a remarkable moment in medicine, scientists say, possibly heralding an era of cross-species organ transplantation.

Two previous organ transplants from genetically modified pigs failed. Both patients received hearts, and both died a few weeks later. In one patient, there were signs that the immune system had rejected the organ, a constant risk.

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Study reviews the advancements in pharmacological treatments for neuropsychiatric syndromes in neurodegenerative disorders, discussing the complexities of managing symptoms such as depression, disinhibition, apathy, psychosis, and agitation to improve patient care.

Summary: Researchers unveiled a novel approach to combat Alzheimer’s disease by activating microglia, the brain’s immune cells, to devour amyloid beta plaques, a hallmark of the condition. This study highlights the potential of using immunotherapy to not only tackle Alzheimer’s but also other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by harmful protein accumulations.

The team’s method involves using an antibody to stimulate microglia into clearing these plaques, offering a promising alternative to current treatments that directly target amyloid beta and might cause side effects like ARIA. This breakthrough paves the way for new therapeutic strategies that harness the immune system to fight the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s and possibly other diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS.