The marine cone snail produces a combination of chemicals in its saliva that could make a very effective painkiller.
Scientists have developed a new pain-relief pill from a chemical used by sea snails to catch their prey. It was found to be as effective as morphine for relieving the most severe forms of pain but without the added risk of addiction.
Continue reading… “New Painkiller as Strong as Morphine Developed From Snail Spit”
Coffee could hold the secret to keeping bad breath at bay. The beans contain compounds that prevent bacteria releasing the gases behind halitosis, research shows.
Continue reading… “How Coffee Can Prevent Bad Breath”
Mark Nicas has given some of his best years to spittle. He builds models – the mathematical kind – of how someone else’s slobber ends up on you. The size of the particles, whether they come out in a dry cough or a wet sneeze, their evaporation rate, air speed – these are all complications, reasons why people like Nicas can spend careers piling up academic papers, all the while building up a healthy respect for pathogens.
Continue reading… “Study Of Spit To Learn How Germs Spread”
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?”
A new system for detecting cancer proteins uses the same magnetic phenomenon that lets computer hard drives read and write data. The Stanford University researchers developing the system hope that it will detect cancer in its earlier stages, when it’s easier to treat. MagArray, a startup in Sunnyvale, CA, will commercialize the technology.
Continue reading… “A New Way To Detect Cancer Early”
For the first time, an optical sensor, developed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), can measure proteins in saliva that are linked to oral cancer. The device is highly sensitive, allowing doctors and dentists to detect the disease early, when patient survival rates are high.
Continue reading… “Optical Sensor Spots Oral Cancer”
Scientists have discovered a compound found in human saliva that can heal wounds quickly.
The Netherland scientists published this research in The FASEB Journal and believe that their studies will be able to help people suffering from chronic wounds related to diabetes and other disorders, in addition to traumatic injuries and burns.
Continue reading… “Licking Your Wounds May Help Them Heal Quicker”
