World holds its breath as second dying man is given a pig’s heart

A 58-year-old man with terminal heart disease has gone under the knife, becoming the second patient to ever receive a pig heart in a complicated, high-risk xenotransplant. Lawrence Faucette was ineligible for a human heart due to pre-existing periphera… Continue reading World holds its breath as second dying man is given a pig’s heart

Drug that mimics exercise triggers weight loss and builds lean muscle

As a new age of weight-loss therapeutics dawns, heralded by the likes of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), scientists are one step closer to creating a drug that can coax muscles into behaving as if they’ve just been put through a vigorous workout. Known … Continue reading Drug that mimics exercise triggers weight loss and builds lean muscle

Catastrophic avian influenza reaches the Galapagos for the first time

Almost 200 years on from when Charles Darwin observed his Galapagos Islands finches, which became the emblems of his theory of evolution, birds in the region are again in the news for what many scientists warn could be the source of the next pandemic.C… Continue reading Catastrophic avian influenza reaches the Galapagos for the first time

Bionic silkworms with spider genes spin fibers 6x tougher than Kevlar

For the first time, scientists have successfully produced full-length spider silk fibers using genetically modified silkworms. With high strength and toughness, this silk has the potential to provide a scalable, sustainable and better-quality alternati… Continue reading Bionic silkworms with spider genes spin fibers 6x tougher than Kevlar

With some 1,500 dead animals in its wake, Neuralink heads to humans

Following years of controversy, including whistleblowers reporting of rushed experimental “hack jobs” that resulted in as many as 1,500 animal fatalities, Elon Musk’s brain-chip implant company has begun recruiting for its landmark first human trial.Co… Continue reading With some 1,500 dead animals in its wake, Neuralink heads to humans

Calls to address overlooked ADHD in adults aged 50 and over

ADHD symptoms in older adults are often attributed to other conditions or the side effects of medication

There’s growing recognition that attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is not just a disruptive childhood condition, with conservative numbers estimating that 8.7 million adults in the US are living with it, both diagnosed and not. Yet older adults, aged 50 and over, are not only consistently absent from ADHD studies, but face roadblocks if they even try to seek help.

Continue Reading

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: , , , , , ,

Continue reading Calls to address overlooked ADHD in adults aged 50 and over

Simple test predicts Alzheimer’s risk, 20 years before symptoms show

Researcher Shankar Dutt with a new diagnostic tool that can isolate proteins from other biomolecules in the blood to search for signs of early neurodegeneration

Australian National University (ANU) physicists have combined nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and molecular biology to design a novel method that looks for Alzheimer’s disease protein markers in blood. These markers are tell-tale signs of early neurodegeneration, and early detection is so far the best defense we have in order to effectively intervene in Alzheimer’s progression. While there’s no cure for the disease, a 20-year jump on symptoms first appearing has the potential to significantly change health outcomes.

Continue Reading

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Continue reading Simple test predicts Alzheimer’s risk, 20 years before symptoms show

Common sweetener now linked to impaired memory and learning

Two months on from it being declared safe by the FDA, aspartame is again making headlines for the wrong reasons, this time for its potential negative impact on learning and memory.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, ScienceTags: Florida State University… Continue reading Common sweetener now linked to impaired memory and learning

Novel electrical therapy rebuilds muscles lost through natural aging

Sarcopenia affects up to 16% of the world’s aging population and is one of the leading factors in the loss of independence. Marked by a loss of both muscle mass and function or strength, it’s behind many age-related falls, poor mobility and functional … Continue reading Novel electrical therapy rebuilds muscles lost through natural aging

Parasite turns hapless ants into zombies at sunrise and sunset

Hijacking the body of a convenient host is nothing new in the opportunistic world of parasitism. Nor are zombie ants, thanks to the fittingly named zombie-ant fungus (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis), which has even claimed top prize in photography competi… Continue reading Parasite turns hapless ants into zombies at sunrise and sunset