The events of the COVID-19 pandemic have largely upended how we perceive and respond to global viral threats. One positive change is the technology that has been developed throughout the pandemic’s course and the promise it holds for the future of vaccine development. For example, fears of new pandemics, and experiences with past ones, are …
Discovery: Pupal Ants Produce Milk for Their Colonies
Pupating ants produce milk — and scientists have only just noticed. Research published in Nature in November describes researchers observing for the first time that during their otherwise inactive pupal stage, ant pupae secrete a nourishing, milk-like secretion that not only helps increase the chances of the pupae’s survival but also provides nourishment for the …
The Resurgence of Strep A and the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic
An unexpected increase in cases of streptococcal A (strep A) infection in the United Kingdom is troubling for families, healthcare practitioners, and researchers. Although strep A infections typically peak sometime in the spring and summer, the case counts continued to climb through the fall of 2022. The abnormal surge resulted in the deaths of 13 …
Pigs Could Solve the Organ Transplant Crisis
2022 held a number of significant breakthroughs in researchers’ ongoing efforts to solve the organ transplant crisis. Many of those breakthroughs were in xenotransplantation, or the use of animal organs in humans, and most of that research has looked specifically at using genetically modified pig organs in humans. As research continues and scientists’ understanding grows, …
The Unlikely Role of Hops in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease
A team of Italian scientists from the University of Milan-Bicocca have recently discovered a possible use of hops, the flowers used to enhance both the aroma and flavor of beer, as a means of preventing the biological changes that eventually result in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Headed by Cristina Arioldi and Alessandro Palmioli, …
Costly, Life-Changing Type 1 Diabetes Drug Delays Disease, Receives FDA Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved teplizumab-mzw (TZIELD™), a drug developed by New Jersey-based Provention Bio to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D). T1D, also known as insulin-dependent, juvenile, or childhood-onset diabetes, is marked by deficient insulin production and affects an estimated 8.4 million people globally. Teplizumab is the first and …
A Breakthrough in Converting Brain Waves to Speech
A new pilot study conducted by Chang Lab at UC San Francisco has demonstrated the ability to use new neurotechnology to enable paralyzed individuals to speak whole words using only their thoughts. This groundbreaking study marks the first time that a person with severe speech impairments has been able to use an implant to translate …
The Modern Quest for the Fountain of Youth
Quests for anti-aging solutions, usually the stuff of science fiction, have been revived with research into cellular reprogramming. More than 15 years ago, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan identified a series of four proteins that seemed to transform aged cells into younger stem cells. Now termed Yamanaka factors, these proteins have inspired several biotech …
Attacking KRAS Proteins to Kill Cancer
Recent advancements have led to the development of new cancer therapies that target mutations in KRAS proteins, which were once considered untreatable. In 2021, the FDA approved the first KRAS-targeted cancer therapy, sotorasib (LumakrasTM). And while researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry continue working to develop ways to improve their approach, recent research may …
Offering Pain Relief Without Opioids, Vertex’s Sodium Channel Blocker Advances
Opioid pain relievers are highly addictive, contributing to high rates of opioid use disorder and overdose. According to the World Health Organization, opioid use is responsible for more than 70 percent of the deaths worldwide attributable to drug use. Amid soaring rates of opioid use and overdose, an effective non-opioid solution for treating pain would …
