Researchers generate the first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome
From the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute, March 31, 2022 According to researchers, having a complete, gap-free sequence of the roughly 3 billion bases (or “letters”) in our DNA is critical for understanding the full spectrum of human genomic variation and for understanding the[...]
‘These are people in the prime of life’: The worrying puzzle behind the rise in early-onset cancer
Original article from the BBC There are rising cases of breast, colorectal and other cancers in people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. What is going on? Over the past 10 years, rates of colorectal cancer among 25 to 49 year olds have increased in[...]
Insights from Near-Death Experiences Remind Us of Who We Are and What Unites Us
The following article was taken from PEERS website newsletter, Oct 2024 You are a great, mighty and powerful spiritual being with dignity, direction and purpose. — Dannion Brinkley, survivor of an earth shaking near-death experience and major contributor to the field of near-death studies Since[...]
Incredible new drug can increase human life span by 30%, study finds
Original article from the Brighter Side. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have discovered that senolytic drugs can enhance the production of a crucial protein, potentially shielding the elderly from the effects of aging and various illnesses. Their findings, featured in eBioMedicine, demonstrate this through experiments[...]
Science Shows Death Is Not the End
Article courtesy of Evolutionary News Sam Parnia’s medical specialty at the New York University Langone Health System is resuscitation. He also directs large clinical studies of heart attacks (cardiac arrest). That has brought him into contact with a lot of people who are on the[...]
Night owls’ cognitive function ‘superior’ to early risers, study suggests
Article courtesy of The Guardian Research on 26,000 people found those who stay up late scored better on intelligence, reasoning and memory tests The idea that night owls who don’t go to bed until the early hours struggle to get anything done during the day[...]
Natural selection is unfolding right now in these remote villages in Nepal
Original article from Live Science The new research suggests that, compared to their peers, ethnic Tibetan women who are physiologically better adapted to living in the low-oxygen conditions at high altitudes bear more children. This hints that these beneficial traits are currently being "selected[...]
Mysterious New Organism Found in Mono Lake Could Rewrite the History of Life
Original article from SciTech Daily Berkeley scientists have discovered a new choanoflagellate species in Mono Lake that forms multicellular colonies and hosts a microbiome, offering new perspectives on the evolution of multicellular organisms. The salty, arsenic- and cyanide-laced waters of the Eastern Sierra Nevada’s Mono[...]
900+ chemicals, many found in consumer packaging, display breast-cancer causing traits
Article taken from the website Medical Express With tens of thousands of synthetic chemicals on the market, and new ones in development all the time, knowing which ones might be harmful is a challenge both for the federal agencies that regulate them and the companies[...]
Inflammation May Be the Root of Our Maladies
Article seen originally in The New York Times / OpinionIn the near future, the story of drugs like Ozempic may no longer be primarily about weight loss and diabetes. We now know that these drugs can reduce heart and kidney disease. They could very well[...]
Self-medicating gorillas may hold new drugs clues
Article courtesy of BBC Self-medicating gorillas may hold clues to future drug discovery, according to scientists. Researchers in Gabon studied tropical plants eaten by wild gorillas - and used also by local human healers - identifying four with medicinal effects. Laboratory studies revealed the plants were[...]
Longevity Breakthrough: New Treatment Reverses Multiple Hallmarks of Aging
Original article from SciTech Researchers at MD Anderson have identified a molecule that diminishes age-related inflammation and enhances brain and muscle function in preclinical models. Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown that therapeutically restoring ‘youthful’ levels of a specific[...]
Our Bigger Brains Came With a Downside: Faster Aging
Article courtesy of the New York Times The human brain, more than any other attribute, sets our species apart. Over the past 7 million years or so, it has grown in size and complexity, enabling us to use language, make plans for the future and coordinate[...]
Blood tests for Alzheimer’s may be coming to your doctor’s office. Here are 4 things to know
A scientist looks at hypometabolic and hypoperfusion patterns at the single-subject level from a patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease at the Memory Centre at the Department of Readaptation and Geriatrics of the University Hospital (HUG), in Geneva, Switzerland, June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse [...]
Why don’t we know how antidepressants work yet?
Article seen originally in Chemistry World In labs at Imperial College London, UK, researchers are studying how tiny groups of neurons and other cells only just visible to the naked eye respond to antidepressants. Parastoo Hashemi’s team hopes that these ‘mini-brain’ organoids will finally help[...]
What should we think of the new Alzheimer’s drugs?
Article originally appeared in the Boston Globe I’m a neurologist whose mother is taking one of these medications, and even I am struggling with this question. It drips in, and my mom settles back. I feel the weight of the hours ahead of us, one for[...]
Protecting 1.2% of Earth’s land would stop ‘sixth great extinction,’ scientists say
Original article published in Nation of Change Expanding Earth’s protected areas by just 1.2 percent could halt the extinction of most threatened species, according to a groundbreaking new study. A recent analysis by a coalition of conservationists and researchers suggests that expanding the world’s protected land areas by[...]
Recurrent gene flow between Neanderthals and modern humans
Original article published in NIH National Library of Medicine (Structured Abstract) INTRODUCTION For much of modern human history, we were only one of several different groups of hominins that existed. Studies of ancient and modern DNA have shown that admixture occurred multiple times among different hominin[...]
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: I have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease. I wanted to understand my own risk
Original article from CNN Editor’s note: CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is a practicing neurosurgeon and best-selling author on brain health. “The Last Alzheimer’s Patient” premieres on “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” on CNN on Sunday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET/PT and[...]
Neanderthals carb loaded, helping grow their big brains
Article courtesy of Ann Gibbons for Science Here’s another blow to the popular image of Neanderthals as brutish meat eaters: A new study of bacteria collected from Neanderthal teeth shows that our close cousins ate so many roots, nuts, or other starchy foods that they[...]
Your Brain Evolved in the Sea – Why That Matters
Article courtesy of Vital Choice Our ancient ancestors emerged from the sea. Human fetuses still have “gill-slit” structures, remnants of our watery origins. The fact that we are small, mobile, thinking seas has long intrigued writers and researchers. As pioneering marine biologist Rachel Carson put it,[...]
How Much Radiation is Emitted by Popular Smartphones?
Article courtesy of Visual Capitalist Radiation Emissions of Popular Smartphones Smartphones have become an integral part of our everyday lives. From work and school to daily tasks, these handheld devices have brought everything into the palm of our hands. Most people spend 5-6 hours on their[...]
Hybrid brains: the ethics of transplanting human neurons into animals
Article originally appeared in Nature. Transplanting human cells into animal brains brings insights into development and disease along with new ethical questions. In a darkened room in a laboratory in London, a group of students and researchers watch a clump of human brain cells settle into[...]
About half of cancer drugs given accelerated approval don’t show improved survival or quality of life
Original article from STAT News Half of the cancer drugs granted expedited approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 2013 and 2017 failed to show clinical benefits for patients in confirmatory trials more than 5 years later, according to a study by Liu[...]
Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better
Original article appeared in the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Nature has been good to us. Nature gave us aspirin and morphine, and other medicines derived from plants. The use of plants as medicines has a long history in the treatment of disease,[...]