A Laboratory of the Future Human Experience
Easter Island soil provided the anti-ageing chemical
A miraculous ‘elixir of youth’ which could extend the human life span by more than a decade is being developed by scientists. The anti-ageing pill was created from a chemical found in the soil of Easter Island – one of the most remote and mysterious places on the planet. In tests on animals, the chemical increased life expectancy by a staggering 38 per cent.
Continue reading… “Easter Island ‘Fountain of Youth’ Drug Discovered”
It is now possible to engineer tiny containers the size of a virus to deliver drugs and other materials with almost 100 percent efficiency to targeted cells in the bloodstream.
If you have hay fever, headaches or a cold, it’s only a short way to the nearest chemist. The drugs, on the other hand, can take eight to ten years to develop. Until now animal experiments have been an essential step, yet they continue to raise ethical issues. “Our artificial organ systems are aimed at offering an alternative to animal experiments,” says Professor Heike Mertsching of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart.
Continue reading… “Artificial Liver For Drug Tests”
New research suggests that a common infection affecting 60 to 99 per cent of adults could result in high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries – leading causes of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Continue reading… “Scientists Warn Virus Could Cause Heart Disease In Adults”
Love at first sight? But, what creates that initial spark between two people? Well, it’s body odor, created by the genes involved in the immune system, and more specifically the DNA, say experts.
Continue reading… “Key To Love A First Sight Lies In Your DNA”
We all want to add years to our lives, and we all know that diet, exercise and lifestyle habits play a major role, but there are a few proven ways to extend your lifespan. Here are our top 10… (Pics)
Continue reading… “Top 10 Ways To Live A Longer Life”
A group of Amazonian ants have evolved an extremely unusual social system: They are all female and reproduce via cloning. Though their sexual organs have virtually disappeared, they have also gained some extraordinary abilities.
Continue reading… “Rare All-Female Ant Society That Reproduces By Cloning Discovered”
The body’s immune system is often likened to an army, and vaccines to training exercises that build up defenses against pathogens. By exposing the immune system to inactive forms of a virus or bacteria, a vaccine trains antibodies to fight off a real pathogen in the event of an invasion. However, while vaccines prepare antibodies to identify an attacker, they often don’t give specific instructions on exactly how to bring it down. Some antibodies may successfully hit a pathogen’s weak spot, while others may miss the mark entirely. That’s part of the reason why it normally takes several weeks or months for some vaccines to build up an effective immune response.
Continue reading… “Instant Immunity From A Vaccine”
Radiation from mobile phones has no short-term health impact on children and teenagers, a new German government study showed on Monday.
Continue reading… “No Short Term Health Impact On Children From Cell Phone Use”
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”
Tissue engineers are ambitious. If they had their way, a dialysis patient could receive a new kidney made in the lab from his own cells, instead of waiting for a donor organ that his immune system might reject. Likewise, a diabetic could, with grafts of lab-made pancreatic tissue, be given the ability to make insulin again. But tissue engineering has stalled in part because bioengineers haven’t been able to replicate the structural complexity of human tissues. Now researchers have taken an important first step toward building complex tissues from the bottom up by creating what they call living Legos. These building blocks, biofriendly gels of various shapes studded with cells, can self-assemble into complex structures resembling those found in tissues.
Continue reading… “Tissue Engineers Creating Complex Tissue They Call Living Legos”
