Articles

Nanotechnology

Radiogenetics – a new way to control the activity of genes and cells

A group of scientists from the USA is developing a system that will allow using magnetic nanoparticles to remotely control biological targets in the body of living animals – quickly, without wires, implants and chemical compounds.

22.12.2014

New in Gerontology

mtDNA for early prediction of morbidity and mortality risk

The content of mitochondrial DNA in the blood can be a useful prognostic factor for assessing the overall risk of deterioration of health and death from any cause 10-15 years before the onset of symptoms.

22.12.2014

Biomedicine

Correspondence courses on "-omics" and personalized medicine

The first educational project for doctors, consisting of an online magazine "Personalized Medicine" and a training course of online lectures "Genomic and postgenomic technologies in medicine", is being launched in Russia.

22.12.2014

Cellular technologies

Parthenogenetic ESCs have defended their rights

The European Court recognized that an embryo obtained by parthenogenetic (without fertilization) activation of an oocyte, obviously unable to develop into a human being, cannot be considered a human embryo.

22.12.2014

Prolonging youth

Is ibuprofen able to prolong life?

The popular anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen is able to increase the life expectancy of a number of model organisms. However, from fruit flies to humans is a huge distance…

22.12.2014

Other life sciences

A cyber hand with ten degrees of freedom

The latest version of the system has learned to recognize three new patterns of behavior: stretching fingers, scooping and clamping. The developers of the technology assure that such a wide range of movements has been achieved for the first time.

19.12.2014

Controversial

The purpose of our life is the well–being of our microflora?

By "knocking out" aging individuals, the microflora (at least in part) created the demographic structure of Homo sapiens optimal for its own survival. But if earlier microbes killed old people, now, thanks to the achievements of civilization, they only reduce their quality of life.

19.12.2014

Prolonging youth

If we give up all bad habits, we will live an average of 86 years

Biologist Alexey Moskalev – about why, from the point of view of science, a healthy diet, physical activity and stress avoidance prolong life, as well as whether we need a cure for old age.

19.12.2014

Bioethics

A story about the real experience of bone marrow donation

There are currently 2,625 potential donors in the St. Petersburg Register. Six have already become real donors – they have shared their hematopoietic stem cells with patients with leukemia.

19.12.2014

Various

The European Court stood up for the fat men

How the ruling that obesity can be considered a disability will affect labor legislation will become clear in the coming months.

19.12.2014

Various

Forget about STAP cells

Riken University officially confirmed the information about the termination of attempts to prove the existence of STAP cells, because the author of the research was unable to recreate them during a specially arranged experiment.

19.12.2014

Innovative Russia

AI-diagnostician: the first in Russia, the second in the world

A similar system – IBM Watson – operates in America and is a supercomputer equipped with a question-and-answer system. Novosibirsk Aimedica became the first Russian and the second in the world development for the use of artificial intelligence in medicine.

18.12.2014

Various

Optimistic statistics of life expectancy growth

The average life expectancy in the world increased from 65.3 years in 1990 to 71.5 years in 2013. If this trend continues, then by 2030 the average life expectancy of women will reach 85.3 years, and men 78 years.

18.12.2014

Other life sciences

Low body mass index is not a guarantee against diabetes

Fat deposits may not be visible on the abdomen, thighs or sides, which is why a person looks slim, but fat can be deposited in significant amounts in the internal organs.

18.12.2014

Other life sciences

Will prostaglandin receptor blockers help with Alzheimer's disease?

Blocking the protein EP2 – the receptor of the pro–inflammatory hormone prostaglandin E2 - on microglial cells restores memory in mice with Alzheimer's disease.

18.12.2014

Various

Robodoctor – almost like a real one, only without hands

Patients of the St. Petersburg clinic of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are still surprised when a robot appears on the rounds instead of a doctor. But they already communicate with him without distrust, "as if with a professor whose hands are hidden in his pockets."

18.12.2014

Theories of aging

Alexey Moskalev – how to overcome aging

What should a person take from a naked digger to live 100 years, and what role genes play in longevity, says Alexey Moskalev, Doctor of Biological Sciences, head of the Department. Laboratory of Molecular Radiobiology and Gerontology of the Institute of Biology of Komi NC UrO RAS.

17.12.2014

Genetics

Hooligans are born first, and then become?

Scientists from Quebec have studied the genetic predisposition to antisocial behavior. It turned out that it is due to heredity and the influence of the environment.

17.12.2014

Biomedicine

The effectiveness of cancer treatment: testing on mice

Rodents are transplanted under the skin of a fragment of a tumor of a particular patient and then various options of chemotherapy are tested on animals.

17.12.2014

Note to the businessman

$100,000,000 for stem cells

One of the founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen, is donating $100 million for the first five years of a large–scale cell research project - the Allen Institute for Cell Science.

17.12.2014