Reducing pollution produces measurable health gains, according to a study released on Wednesday that found cleaner air had lengthened life expectancy by five months in 51 US cities.
Continue reading… “Reducing Pollution Increases Life Expectancy”
As bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics continue to increase in number, scientists keep searching for new sources of drugs. One potential new bactericide has now been found in the tiny freshwater animal Hydra. Continue reading… “New Family Of Antibacterial Agents Uncovered”
Once impenetrable, the individual genetic code is becoming an open book thanks to kits that scan for genes linked to scores of traits and diseases, from bladder cancer and baldness to male infertility and memory loss.
Continue reading… “Genetic Testing: Do We Really Want To Know Everything Our Genome Has To Say?”
Finding it hard to quit cigarettes? Fret not, for researchers are close to developing a pill which they claim could mitigate some of the negative health effects of smoking.
Continue reading… “A Pill To Curb Smoking Damage”
By injecting stem cells directly into the brain, scientists have successfully reversed neural birth defects in mice whose mothers were given heroin during pregnancy. Even though most of the transplanted cells did not survive, they induced the brain’s own cells to carry out extensive repairs.
Continue reading… “Transplanted Stem Cells Undo Birth Defects”
Cells in the retina of mice can be coaxed to create new neurons following an injury, according to new research from the University of Washington. This is the most definitive demonstration to date that such regeneration is possible, given the right cues, for a specific type of neuron in the inner retina of a mammal.
Continue reading… “Researchers Regrow Cells OF The Inner Retina”
In Roald Dahl’s novel “The B.F.G.,” the title character, a big friendly giant, captures dreams in glass jars. At Pennsylvania State University, a professor of engineering has captured something less whimsical but no less ephemeral – a cough – on film. (Pics)
Continue reading… “A Cough Caught On Film”
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) scientists said on Monday they have moved closer to creating “artificial noses,” after finding a way to mass-produce smell receptors in a laboratory.
Continue reading… “MIT Creating Artificial Noses”
For many blind or partially sighted people, implants that stimulate healthy nerve cells connected to their retinas could help restore some normal vision. Researchers have been working on such implants since the 1980s but with only limited success. A major hurdle is making an implant that can stay in the eye for years without declining in performance or causing inflammation.
Continue reading… “Improved Retinal Implant Stimulates Neurons To Restore Sight”
Tiny pieces of RNA are turning out to play a big role in health. Over the past few years, scientists have found that these molecules, called microRNAs, are involved in key functions in cells and are linked to the development of certain cancers and other diseases. A new study led by scientists at Nanjing University, in China, finds that microRNAs circulating in blood can serve as a molecular “fingerprint” for cancers and diabetes. The findings raise the possibility that a simple blood test could help clinicians tailor treatments to individual patients.
Continue reading… “MicroRNA In Blood May Help Detect Cancer And Other Diseases”
A new type of vaccine that sneaks into the body and then self-destructs — all without needles — may offer a new way to protect against a range of diseases, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
Continue reading… “New Self Destructing Vaccine”
The first high-resolution map of the human cortical network reveals that the brain has its own version of Grand Central Station, a central hub that is structurally connected to many other parts of the brain.
Continue reading… “First Detailed Map Of The Human Brain”
