Lifeboat Foundation

A multi-university research team co-led by University of Virginia engineering professor Gustavo K. Rohde has developed a system that can spot genetic markers of autism in brain images with 89 to 95% accuracy.

Their findings suggest that doctors may one day see, classify and treat autism and related neurological conditions with this method, without having to rely on or wait for behavioral cues. And that means this truly personalized medicine could result in earlier interventions.

“Autism is traditionally diagnosed behaviorally but has a strong genetic basis. A genetics-first approach could transform understanding and treatment of autism,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in the journal Science Advances.

Scientists are working on a “breakthrough” cancer vaccine after discovering how the body’s immune system targets cells devastated by the disease.

A study led by researchers from the University of Southampton found the body’s natural “killer” cells – from the immune system which protects against disease and infections – instinctively recognise and attack a protein that drives cancer growth.

The scientists believe that by using this protein – known as XPO1 – they may be able to activate more killer cells to destroy the disease, paving the way for new and less invasive forms of cancer treatment.

Like a highway system, the vagus nerve branches profusely from your brain through your organs to marshal bodily functions, including aspects of mind such as mood, pleasure and fear.

This new technology will give doctors a closer look. Introducing Pillbot: a tiny disposable robot that you swallow to let doctors see inside your body. In a live demo on the TED Talk stage, creators Alex Luekbe and Vivek Kumbhari show how this pill-sized device navigates the inside of your stomach with a camera, giving a direct view of the entire organ — without the discomfort of invasive procedures — paving the way for further exploration of the human body. “Inside each and every one of us holds mysteries and wonders that if unlocked, lead to better health, performance and longevity,” says Luebke. Visit the link in bio to watch the full talk.’

During her PhD research at Johns Hopkins University, Klein learned how sex hormones can influence the brain and behavior.

A handful of immunologists are pushing the field to take attributes such as sex chromosomes, sex hormones, and reproductive tissues into account.

A new automated device can diagnose glioblastoma in under an hour using a novel electrokinetic biochip that detects active EGFRs from blood.

Published in Cell Reports Medicine, the research from the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Metabolism involved 53 healthy adults for up to 12 weeks. Participants followed either a moderate sugar diet (control), a low-sugar diet (less than 5% of calories from sugar), or a ketogenic (keto) low-carbohydrate diet (less than 8% of calories from carbohydrates).

Key findings include:

Increased Cholesterol: The keto diet raised cholesterol levels, particularly in small and medium sized LDL particles. The diet increased apolipoproteinB (apoB), which causes plaque buildup in arteries. In contrast, the low-sugar diet significantly reduced cholesterol in LDL particles.

Gold does not readily lend itself to being turned into long, thin threads. But researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have now managed to create gold nanowires and develop soft electrodes that can be connected to the nervous system. The electrodes are soft as nerves, stretchable and electrically conductive, and are projected to last for a long time in the body.

Some people have a “heart of gold,” so why not “nerves of gold”? In the future, it may be possible to use this precious metal in soft interfaces to connect electronics to the nervous system for medical purposes. Such technology could be used to alleviate conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, paralysis or chronic pain. However, creating an interface where electronics can meet the brain or other parts of the nervous system poses special challenges.

“The classical conductors used in electronics are metals, which are very hard and rigid. The mechanical properties of the nervous system are more reminiscent of soft jelly. In order to get an accurate signal transmission, we need to get very close to the nerve fibres in question, but as the body is constantly in motion, achieving close contact between something that is hard and something that is soft and fragile becomes a problem,” says Klas Tybrandt, professor of materials science at the Laboratory of Organic Electronics at Linköping University, who led the research.

A new vaccine designed to prime the immune system to recognise and fight lung cancer has been tested on UK patients for the first time.

Researchers leading the trial have said that BioNTech’s BNT116 vaccine could improve survival rates among people with the disease, and hope that it could eventually become the standard of care worldwide.

It works by presenting the immune system with tumour markers from non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease, to prime the body to fight cancer cells expressing these markers.