The Iron in Our Blood That Keeps and Kills Us
In this search for the origin of one of the world’s most common genetic diseases, emerging research in evolutionary medicine raises new questions about our history, development, and future as a species.
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Stem Cell Method Allows Blind Mice to See Again
Blind mice can see again, after Oxford University researchers transplanted developing cells into their eyes and found they could re-form the entire light-sensitive layer of the retina. Videos show the nocturnal mice, which once didn’t notice the difference between light and dark at all, now run from the light and prefer to be in the…
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Cheap, Easy Technique to Snip DNA Could Revolutionize Gene Therapy
A simple, precise and inexpensive method for cutting DNA to insert genes into human cells could transform genetic medicine, making routine what now are expensive, complicated and rare procedures for replacing defective genes in order to fix genetic disease or even cure AIDS. Jennifer Doudna, Martin Jinek, and Emmanuelle Charpentier published a paper in Science…
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Earthworms Roped Into Making Quantum Dots
Ordinary earthworms are proving to be a sophisticated chemistry lab: they can put together substances with unusual light-emitting properties. It is the first time organisms other than fungi and bacteria have been seen to do this. Mark Green at King’s College London has spent his career making quantum dots – nanometre-sized chunks of semiconducting metals…
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Researchers Unlock Ancient Secret of Chinese Medicine
For over a millennium the Chinese have used an herb known as Chang Shan to treat fevers associated with malaria. While its effectiveness in treating the disease has long been confirmed by modern medicine, its exact function has remained mystery. However, in a recent study, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) say they have…
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Fat Influences Production, Survival Decisions Taken By Brain Cells
Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified two molecules that play an important role in the survival and production of nerve cells in the brain, including nerve cells that produce dopamine. The discovery, which is published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, may be significant in the long term for the treatment of several…
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Source of Evolutionary Differences Among Species Uncovered
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine researchers have uncovered a genetic basis for fundamental differences between humans and other vertebrates that could also help explain why humans are susceptible to diseases not found in other species. Scientists have wondered why vertebrate species, which look and behave very differently from one another, nevertheless share very similar…
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Human Wellbeing Can Strengthen Case for Conservation
The growing evidence linking green spaces to human wellbeing could help strengthen the case for conservation, a conference has been told. Professor Ken Norris from Reading University said green spaces improved wellbeing, so that meant “they can also be linked to our health”. Ecologists need to do better when it comes to convincing people about…
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Ancient Bones That Tell a Story of Compassion
While it is a painful truism that brutality and violence are at least as old as humanity, so, it seems, is caring for the sick and disabled. And some archaeologists are suggesting a closer, more systematic look at how prehistoric people — who may have left only their bones — treated illness, injury and incapacitation….
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New Form of Cell Division Found
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center have discovered a new form of cell division in human cells. They believe it serves as a natural back-up mechanism during faulty cell division, preventing some cells from going down a path that can lead to cancer. “If we could promote this new form of cell…