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Biology & Medicine

 
 
 
   
 
 

14th March 2024

Mammoth de-extinction moves a step closer

The first creation of induced pluripotent stem cells for the Asian elephant is reported by Colossal Biosciences, a key step towards de-extinction of the woolly mammoth.

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15th February 2024

New cells may cut lab-grown meat costs

A breakthrough in cultured meat has been reported at Tufts University, Massachusetts. Bovine muscle cells can now be made to produce their own growth signals, removing the costly ingredients from the production process.

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27th January 2024

World's first cultured eel

Israeli startup Forsea Foods is on a mission to save wild eel populations from extinction by developing cell-cultured seafood.

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20th January 2024

Israel becomes third country to approve sale of lab-grown meat

Aleph Farms, an Israeli food technology company, has been granted regulatory approval for "Aleph Cuts", the world's first cultivated beef steaks to be commercially saleable.

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2nd January 2024

AI finds new antibiotic candidates

MIT has used deep learning to identify a new class of antibiotic candidates, able to kill the methicillin-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

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15th November 2023

Gene therapy cuts cholesterol by up to 55%

A new gene-editing therapy dramatically reduced bad cholesterol (LDL-C) in people at high risk of early heart attack, according to interim results from Verve Therapeutics in Boston.

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4th November 2023

New treatment reverses epigenetic age of rats by 67.4%

A groundbreaking study into anti-aging has reported significant rejuvenation effects using exosomes, tiny particles which can be extracted from biological fluids. In laboratory tests, elderly rats treated with exosomes derived from young pigs showed dramatic improvements in a range of epigenetic biomarkers.

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27th October 2023

Breakthrough in treatment of cervical cancer

A significant breakthrough in treating cervical cancer is reported, with participants in a recent trial achieving a five-year survival rate of 80% – up from the previous average of 70%. The study used a combination of existing, cheap drugs ahead of usual radiotherapy treatment.

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27th September 2023

Genetically modified bacteria break down plastics in saltwater

A genetically engineered marine microorganism is shown to break down PET in saltwater. This plastic, used in everything from water bottles to clothing, is a significant contributor to microplastic pollution in oceans.

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25th September 2023

Palm oil alternative is better for health and environment

A new palm oil substitute called PALM-ALT is shown to be healthier, as well as 70% better for the environment than conventional palm oil and is described as "the holy grail to replace it."

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2nd August 2023

Aging process slows when older mice share circulatory system of young

A process of surgically joining the circulatory systems of a young and old mouse slows the aging process at the cellular level and lengthens the lifespan of the older animal by up to 10%.

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28th July 2023

Frozen worm revived after 46,000 years

The longest known cryptobiosis in a nematode is reported, with an organism revived after 46,000 years in permafrost.

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20th July 2023

Cryopreservation breakthrough: mammalian kidney transplanted

The first successful transplant of a functional cryopreserved mammalian kidney is reported. This occurred after 100 days of storage at below –140°C.

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17th July 2023

Gene-edited trees are more sustainable and can boost fibre production

Scientists have used CRISPR gene editing to reduce the lignin content in poplar trees by as much as 50%, offering a potentially more sustainable and efficient method of fibre production.

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30th June 2023

Three new drugs for weight loss

In a significant advance for the treatment of obesity, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly has announced positive outcomes in trials of three different therapeutic molecules, one of which produced a staggering 24.2% weight loss.

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21st June 2023

AI finds potential anti-aging molecules

A machine learning model has been trained to recognise the key features of chemicals with senolytic activity. It recently found three chemicals able to remove senescent cells, without damaging healthy cells.

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16th June 2023

Synthetic human embryo created for first time

Scientists report the creation of the first synthetic human embryo from stem cells, without the need for sperm or egg cells.

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9th June 2023

Taurine may boost lifespan by over 10%

Taurine given to a range of animal species is found to boost health and extend lifespan. It should be considered for use in a potential anti-aging drug for humans, according to the study authors.

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31st May 2023

Universal flu vaccine begins human trials

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has begun a Phase 1 trial of an mRNA-based universal influenza vaccine, enrolling 50 volunteers.

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10th May 2023

AI detects Parkinson's disease with 96% accuracy

An algorithm to detect Parkinson's disease, years before the onset of symptoms, has been demonstrated by the University of New South Wales and Boston University. CRANK-MS can achieve 96% accuracy, using neural networks to analyse biomarkers in bodily fluids.

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7th May 2023

New drug slows Alzheimer's by 35%

Drug company Eli Lilly reports that donanemab can slow the pace of Alzheimer's disease by 35%, following a Phase 3 study in human patients.

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5th May 2023

AI generates mRNA in just 11 minutes

A new algorithm developed by Chinese company Baidu Research is dramatically faster than prior methods and shown to boost the antibody response of mRNA vaccines by up to 128 times.

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29th April 2023

ChatGPT outperforms human doctors in medical advice

When measured on quality and empathy, OpenAI's ChatGPT is shown to outperform human doctors in responding to patient queries.

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26th April 2023

World's first cultivated grouper fillet

An Israeli company has successfully 3D printed the first ready-to-cook cultivated grouper fish product.

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6th April 2023

Micro-robot can target, capture, and move individual cells

A new robot just 10 microns across is able to navigate in a physiological environment and perform a variety of tasks both autonomously or through external control by a human operator.

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2nd March 2023

Newly found cell mechanism involved in aging

A previously unknown cell mechanism involved in the aging process has been discovered, which explains how cells "remember" their identity when they divide – the cells' so-called epigenetic memory.

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22nd February 2023

"Longevity Science Caucus" formed by US politicians

Two U.S. congressmen have announced the formation of a bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Longevity Science.

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17th February 2023

First cultivated beef tenderloin steak

A Swiss company has perfected a new technique that allows the cultivation of thick tender steaks.

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4th February 2023

Gene editing company plans to resurrect the dodo

Colossal Biosciences, a genetic engineering company focused on the de-extinction of past species, has announced $150m in Series B funding, which it plans to use for bringing back the iconic dodo.

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30th January 2023

Gene therapy for angina shows promise in Phase 2 trial

U.S. biotech company XyloCor has announced positive results from its latest trial of XC001, a novel gene therapy for patients with refractory angina.

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25th January 2023

Anti-aging gene rewinds heart age by 10 years

A gene called BPIFB4, discovered in a population of centenarians, could help to reverse the aging of human hearts.

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