Science and Health News

Aging is one of the most mysterious processes in biology. We don’t know, scientifically speaking, what exactly it is. We do know for sure when it ends, but to make matters even more inscrutable, the timing of death is determined by factors that are in many cases statistically random.

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and University of Iowa scientists have used a new gene-editing technology called CRISPR to repair a genetic mutation responsible for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), an inherited condition that causes the retina to degrade and leads to blindness in at least 1.5 million cases worldwide.

University of Iowa researchers reveal how cancer cells form tumors

Electrochemical neuromodulation of the spinal cord, whereby specific neurones are artificially made to function using electrical and chemical stimulants via an implant placed on the spine, has previously been shown to improve motor control and restore movement after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, while this work has produced very promising trials in animals, so far no team has found a method that provides long term results in keeping with natural body movements. Where previous tests have fallen down is that electrical or chemical impulses have been provided continuously at one given spot, which, although resulting in movement, does not replicate the way that the motor system functions in mammals or give the level of speed and precision required for every day life.

Researchers measured the intelligence of 700 family members who had at least one relative carrying the same genetic mutation on chromosome 16, which is known to predispose to autistic spectrum disorders. Even in study participants whose IQ was considered to be normal, the researchers found a substantial 25 points IQ drop induced by 16p11.2 gene deletions.

A miniature handheld microscope being developed by University of Washington mechanical engineers could allow neurosurgeons to differentiate cancerous from normal brain tissue at cellular level in real time in the operating room and determine where to stop cutting.

Chinese scientists have developed a new bioartificial liver that can help liver failure patients survive long enough for an organ transplant. Designed to be attached outside a patient’s body, the bioartificial liver is based on human liver cells, according to research findings published in the new issue of international science magazine Cell Research on Friday.

Neutered strain of rabies virus maps brain activity in real time; can shed light on how brain cells guide behavior