Articles

Cellular technologies

Stem selection

Having "reprogrammed" a skin cell into a stem cell, scientists insisted that medicines for all diseases would be selected individually. Expectations were met: from the skin of a baby suffering from a rare fatal disease, it was possible to create a cell line that allowed us to find the right drugs. However, the doctors did not have time to help the child.

22.12.2008

Nanotechnology

Nanoparticles for medicine

Attaching magnetic nanoparticles to antibodies instead of fluorescent dye molecules increases the sensitivity of detecting marker proteins by about a hundred times. And ultra-fine polishing with the help of liquid suspensions of quartz nanoparticles, which are used for the same purposes in the semiconductor industry, makes the enamel so "slippery" that bacteria cease to stay on it.

22.12.2008

Biomedicine

How a blood clot grows

Russian scientists from the Hematology Research Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences have learned to measure the growth rate of a blood clot, and now anyone can calculate the risk of their own heart attack.

22.12.2008

Healthy skepticism

Telematics

There are no words, only interjections: all this is not even the Middle Ages, but the times of primitive tribes. For professional scientists, showing the film "Water" or broadcasting a dispute with the "resurrectionist" of the dead Grabovoi is the same as hearing swearing from the screen. Who plans such "educational" programs on television? Who is responsible for their content?

22.12.2008

Controversial

Cholesterol, statins and (inflated?) sensationalism

The authors of another study on the benefits of statins propose to reduce the recommended cholesterol level several times more, and to save the population from vascular diseases, everyone should take statins for life (for only 2000 rubles a month), or even better ... add them to tap water.

22.12.2008

Grants and competitions

Young scientists of Russia for a healthy lifestyle

The winners will be awarded during the First All-Russian Congress "Healthy lifestyle as a condition for sustainable development of the state and a source of business competitiveness" (January 29-30, 2009).

22.12.2008

Other life sciences

Discoveries of the Year: from stem cells to genome decoding

The top ten scientific breakthroughs of the year according to the journal Science were led by the method of creating artificially induced pluripotent stem cells. Completing the list is the acceleration and cheapening of the gene sequencing process, thanks to which, in particular, 80% of the mammoth gene was deciphered in the outgoing year and preliminary results of decoding the Neanderthal genome were obtained.

19.12.2008

Your health

About flu vaccination

There is no doubt that annual vaccination against influenza is the only real measure to prevent this infection. Without vaccination, it is impossible to prevent an epidemic of influenza and reduce the number of severe complications, as the World Health Organization wants. Moreover, influenza vaccines are the safest and most effective among other vaccines on the modern market.

19.12.2008

Healthy skepticism

Aphrodisiacs: deception or panacea?

Despite the lack of scientific evidence that any of the aphrodisiacs sold can be used to increase libido, as well as information that some aphrodisiacs are not only ineffective, but sometimes dangerous, people continue to look for a magic drug that will make them sexually irresistible.

19.12.2008

Genetics

Genetic aspects of skin diseases

Hereditary skin diseases have evolved in recent years from a secondary topic to an important focus of basic and clinical research. There is no doubt that genetics has an important role in solving the pathogenesis of many common skin diseases with a family predisposition, as well as in the development of new ways to treat these diseases.

18.12.2008

Genetics

Fingerprinting of love

Genetic fingerprinting is used both in criminology and medicine, but the greatest flow of examinations for biological kinship still concerns purely domestic problems related to inheritance, alimony and other material benefits.

18.12.2008

Bioethics

Mercy Terminal

In St. Petersburg, the tradition of the "church circle" is being revived, when money for godly deeds is collected from the world by a thread. Only the mug has now been replaced by payment terminals.

18.12.2008

Nanotechnology

Careful, nanoparticles!

The most frightening example: sunscreen creams contain titanium oxide nanoparticles that easily penetrate into the skin and are found in the epidermis within 8 hours after applying the cream. Since the beginning of the mass use of such creams, the incidence of skin cancer in the United States has increased by 90%!

18.12.2008

Controversial

Seven unexplained mysteries of medicine

Allergy to water, chimera people, foreign accent syndrome, Morgellonian disease, King George madness, stinking finger and tree man.

18.12.2008

Healthy skepticism

Pharmacists

Perhaps the criminal case of the pharmaceutical workers from Obolensk will become a turning point in the fight against the "black" production of medicines in Russia.

18.12.2008

New in Gerontology

Menopause: another possible reason

One of the most unpleasant and incomprehensible events in a woman's life — menopause — has received a new explanation. Scientists blame the stopping of the "birthing mechanism" of daughters-in-law who fought for power in a primitive family.

17.12.2008

Innovative Russia

The weight of innovation: "competent" numbers versus common sense

Is it possible to successfully and in a short time to transfer the Russian economy to the "innovative rails" without clearly defining the key benchmarks? In a conversation between Konstantin Kiselev, Executive Director of the Open Economy Foundation, and Gennady Shepelev, Head of the Department of Programs and Projects of Rosnauki, some likely arrows of the main movement "towards innovation" are outlined.

17.12.2008

Healthy skepticism

Careful, diet!

How many times have they told the world: there are no safe extreme diets! The death of British Jacqueline Henson was recognized as an accident. And the poor mother of five children just wanted to lose weight...

17.12.2008

Biomedicine

Anti-cancer filter implant

Scientists from the University of Rochester have built and tested a prototype of an unusual blood filter, which, being built into the human bloodstream, cleanses the body of cancer cells, reducing the likelihood of metastasis.

17.12.2008

Healthy skepticism

Dietary supplements do not cure!

An Australian man was sent to prison for treating a seriously ill daughter with dietary supplements.

17.12.2008