Biotech/medical – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Dec 10
2019

After Transplant Procedure, Man’s Semen Contains Only Donor’s DNA

Chris Long is an IT worker in the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department in Reno, Nevada. But all the DNA in his semen belongs to a German man he’s never met.

That’s because Long received a bone marrow transplant from the European stranger four years ago — and the unexpected impact it has had on his biology could affect the future of forensic science.

According to a newly published New York Times story, the purpose of the transplant was to treat Long’s acute myeloid leukemia, a type of cancer that prevents the body from producing blood normally.

Dec 10
2019

Man who had transplant finds out months later his DNA has changed to that of donor 5,000 miles away

Chris Long’s sheriff’s office colleagues have been using him as a human guinea pig, writes Heather Murphy.

Dec 10
2019

Our Bodies Age in Three Distinct Shifts, According to More Than 4,000 Blood Tests

In terms of biological ageing, the body seems to shift gears three times during our lifespans, new research suggests – with 34 years, 60 years and 78 years the key thresholds.

In other words, we now have evidence that ageing isn’t one long, continuous process that moves at the same speed throughout our lives.

The findings might help us understand more about how our bodies start to break down as we get older, and how specific age-related diseases – including Alzheimer’s or cardiovascular disease – could be better tackled.

Dec 10
2019

The Singularity with Michio Kaku and Ray Kurzweil

Recently world-renowned theoretical physicist, Doctor Michio Kaku, sat down for an interview with world-renowned artificial intelligence Doctor Ray Kurzweil, to talk about The Singularity; who is at the forefront of artificial intelligence and robotics.

The two geniuses talked about how soon computer intelligence will soon surpass us and the possible outcomes of this.

Dec 10
2019

Indian-origin scientist finds dead probiotic that can fix leaky gut

A team led by an Indian-origin scientist, Hariom Yadav, has identified a dead probiotic that can reduce age-related leaky gut and control harmful, ageing-related inflammation. Leaky gut, in which microbes and bacteria in the gut leak into the blood stream, causes an increase in low-grade inflammation, and these conditions are common in older people.

Dec 10
2019

Dead probiotic strain shown to reduce harmful, aging-related inflammation

Scientists at Wake Forest School of Medicine have identified a dead probiotic that reduces age-related leaky gut in older mice. The study is published in the journal GeroScience.

Dec 10
2019

A Step Closer to a Bioengineered Liver Fit for Transplantation

Currently over 6,300 people in the UK are waiting for an organ transplant, and sadly everyday around three people die waiting. In efforts to reduce the reliance on organ donors and improve the outlook for patients, alternative sources of organs are being explored by several research groups.

In a study recently published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, bioengineered livers created by decellularization and recellularization were implanted into pigs, where they were able to sustain continuous perfusion for up to 15 days. We spoke to Miromatrix’s CEO, Dr Jeff Ross, to learn more about the study and how it advances the state of bioengineering organs.

Anna MacDonald (AM): What are some of the main challenges faced when creating bioengineered organs?

Dec 10
2019

Common Genetic Link Between Autism and Tourette’s Discovered – Brain Communication Impaired

Lancaster University researchers have discovered, for the first time, how a genetic alteration that increases the risk of developing Autism and Tourette’s impacts on the brain.

Their research also suggests that ketamine, or related drugs, may be a useful treatment for both of these disorders.

Autism affects an estimated 2.8 million people in the UK while Tourette’s Syndrome — a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics –affects an estimated 300,000 people in the UK. The treatments available for both disorders are limited and new treatments are urgently required. Recent research has also shown that these disorders are genetically linked.

Dec 10
2019

Beneficial Viruses and the Human Virome — ideaXme — Dr. Jack Stapleton, MD, — University of Iowa College of Medicine — Ira Pastor

Dec 9
2019

New bone healing mechanism has potential therapeutic applications

Led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, a study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new mechanism that contributes to adult bone maintenance and repair and opens the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies for improving bone healing.

“Adult bone repair relies on the activation of bone stem cells, which still remain poorly characterized,” said corresponding author Dr. Dongsu Park, assistant professor of molecular and human genetics and of pathology and immunology at Baylor. “Bone stem cells have been found both in the bone marrow inside the bone and also in the periosteum—the outer layer of tissue—that envelopes the bone. Previous studies have shown that these two populations of stem cells, although they share many characteristics, also have unique functions and specific regulatory mechanisms.”

Of the two, periosteal stem cells are the least understood. It is known that they comprise a heterogeneous population of cells that can contribute to bone thickness, shaping and fracture repair, but scientists had not been able to distinguish between different subtypes of bone stem cells to study how their different functions are regulated.