Medicine Medical Science Thread

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Graphene based neural implants get around problems with metallic brain computer interface chips. Tested in large animals they are beginning tests in humans.

Next-Gen Brain Implant Uses a Graphene Chip

A brain-computer interface from the startup Inbrain could be used to treat Parkinson's disease

spectrum.ieee.org

 

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For more than 30 years stem cells have promoted as being a potential cure for many ills. Sadly the results have fallen miles behind the hype. This recent breakthrough uses stem cells to produce insulin and has kept an insulin dependent diabetic off insulin for 12 months.

"Functional cure" for diabetes restores insulin production with stem cells

A patient with type 1 diabetes has been functionally cured of the disease, requiring no insulin doses for over a year. The treatment involves growing and transplanting new insulin-producing cells from the patient’s own stem cells.

newatlas.com

There is a down side, life long immunosuppression is required.

 

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Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun the guys who discovered microRNA while studying worm growth have won the 2024 Nobel Prize for medicine. A very well deserved award because the discovery of microRNA changed everything and has led to a much better understanding of how genes are controlled and cells divide, grow and specialise. Many of the treatments for cancer we sill see through this century will be based on this knowledge.

Nobel prize in medicine awarded for discovery of microRNAs, the molecules that control our genes

US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun changed our understanding of how the body works and opened up a new area of science.

theconversation.com

 

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Membrane-less organelles didn't exist when I did biology as a youngster, the cells organelles were all wrapped up snug as a bug in a rug in a hearty membrane. This ain't so, in the early 2000's it was recognised 'biomolecular condensates' were actually functional elements. It’s has been difficult to figure out what biomolecular condensates do, although a few have clear roles. However, many others don’t have clear functions. The discovery may alter significantly our understanding of the phase of chemical evolution that went on to form 'life'. It's always been assumed cell membranes were essential in the early RNA world but this may not be so. The medical implications are unknown but could be enormous, there are papers suggesting biological condensates are important in neurodegenerative disease - this paper discusses it, though it's one for the scholars. The topic is covered very well in this article from The Conversation written by a scientist involved in the research.

Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals

Membraneless organelles, also called biomolecular condensates, are changing how scientists think about protein chemistry, various diseases and even the origin of life.

theconversation.com