For some patients and for some microbes, we are already in the post-antibiotic era.
The Centers for Disease Control, in a highly unusual new report, warned that America is threatened by a wave of new antibiotic-proof germs that could threaten public health, and that overuse of antibiotics in health care and industrial agriculture bears much of the blame.
Continue reading… “CDC warns “we will soon be in a post-antibiotic era””
Google is planning to launch a new company with the absurdly ambitious objective of extending our lives. “Calico” is the name of the company and will be run by Arthur Levinson, chairman and ex-CEO of biotech company Genentech.
Continue reading… “Google hopes to cure death with its new health startup Calico”
Communication is the key when it comes to cancer care.
A new report has been released recently by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the state of cancer care in the United States. The IOM is a non-profit, non-governmental advisory group. To get on one of their advisory boards you have to be a national, if not international, expert in whatever field is being studied. According to the cancer advisory board, the state of cancer care in the United States is abysmal.
Continue reading… “Cancer care in the U.S. is failing”
UCLA smartphone virus scanner
Scientists have finally developed a technology that makes it possible to avoid a trip to the doctor. The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science scientists have created a lightweight, virus-detecting device that attaches to a common smartphone and is able to scan the human body for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) particles. The troublesome virus is the root of various illnesses, including birth defects like deafness and brain damage. HCMV can also expedite the death of adults who have HIV, a weak immune system and those who have undergone organ transplants, making early detection of the virus useful.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are prevalent in the U.S.
Antibiotic-resistant infections are rapidly increasing in the United States, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the U.S., more than two million people get drug-resistant infections every year. About 23,000 die from these diseases that are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics in doctors’ arsenals.
Continue reading… “Hospitals now a major source of contracting antibiotic-resistant infections: CDC”
Dylan Laas
Twelve year old Dylan Laas says Robohand makes him look like Darth Vader. Dylan is missing the fingers on one hand as a result of Amniotic Band Syndrome. For $150, the 3-D printed Robohand lets him grab things with bendable fingers, which most prosthetic hands don’t. (Video)
Continue reading… “Robohand: A 3D printed functional prosthetic hand at a DIY price”
Study finds evolutionary trade-off between mating prowess and parenting involvement.
Fathers who are more involved in child care have smaller testes, and their brains are also more responsive when looking at photos of their own children, according to research published online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1.
Continue reading… “Study finds great fathers have smaller testicles”
3D printed kidneys
Two years ago, Anthony Atala took to the stage at TED and showed the world that human organs could be 3D printed. Now, a team from eastern China has successfully printed a series of living kidneys. This is a huge step forward in the quest for 3D printed replacement organs.
Continue reading… “World’s first living 3D printed kidneys”
With one dose, the brains of the mice grew normally and those mice showed learning abilities like that of their un-affected peers.
There has been good news in medicine recently. Not only is there a vaccine to prevent HIV/AIDS in the works, but scientists at John Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health have also recently used a new drug to cure Down Syndrome in baby mice with just one dose. And although the drug has not yet been tested on humans, it still qualifies as an amazing achievement.
Continue reading… “New drug cures mice of Down Syndrome in a single dose”
There were almost 4 million babies born to American women in 2012.
According to statistics in a National Center for Health Statistics report released last week, fertility rates are leveling off for the first time since before the recession began as more American women are having babies in an improving economy.
Continue reading… “U.S. fertility rates are leveling off”
More than 1.78 million middle and high school students nationwide had tried e-cigarettes in 2012.
Electronic cigarettes use among middle and high school students has been rising rapidly, a trend that public health officials worry could undermine decades of efforts to reduce youth smoking and put a growing number of teenagers on a path toward conventional cigarettes.
Continue reading… “E-cigarette use doubles among middle and high school students”
Scientists also discovered individual organ and body parts reacted differently to the process in the engineered mice.
Most Americans aren’t entirely fond of the idea of immortality as shown by recent studies. But it’s probably a good bet that they still wouldn’t mind extending their lifespans by 10-15 years. If researchers at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) have their way, that wish could become a reality. These scientists have successfully extended the lives of mice by changing a single gene.
Continue reading… “Change to a single gene increases mouse lifespan 20%”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.