Science and Health News

Scientists at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet have managed to build a fully functional neuron by using organic bioelectronics. This artificial neuron contain no ‘living’ parts, but is capable of mimicking the function of a human nerve cell and communicate in the same way as our own neurons do.

Emulate, Inc. wants to miniaturize our bodily functions. The tech company is commercializing Harvard-pioneered technology known as Organs-on-Chips — a method of simulating organ systems on tiny microchips — and it now has used the technique to turn deadly blood clots into chip form, as well.

Painful insulin injections could become a thing of the past for the millions of Americans who suffer from diabetes, thanks to a new invention from researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who have created the first “smart insulin patch.” Though it has thus far only been tested in an animal model, the patch has been shown to detect increases in blood sugar levels and secrete doses of insulin into the bloodstream whenever needed.

Want to lose abdominal fat, get smarter and live longer? New research led by USC’s Valter Longo shows that periodically adopting a diet that mimics the effects of fasting may yield a wide range of health benefits. Benefits demonstrated in mice and yeast; piloted in humans

The research drew on data from almost every twin study across the world from the past 50 years. One of the great tussles of science – whether our health is governed by nature or nurture – has been settled, and it is effectively a draw.

The secret to preventing HIV infection lies within the human immune system, but the more-than-25-year search has so far failed to yield a vaccine capable of training the body to neutralize the ever-changing virus. New research from The Rockefeller University, and collaborating institutions, suggests no single shot will ever do the trick. Instead, the scientists find, a sequence of immunizations might be the most promising route to an HIV vaccine.

Research focuses on select tissues injured through disease, surgery and transplants, but early findings indicate potential for broad applications

A new study published online in Laboratory Investigation on April 13, 2015, found that a daily dose of aspirin was effective at blocking breast tumor growth. Previous studies have already shown a similar effect on colon, gastrointestinal, prostate, and other cancers.