Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Starting in Space, Ending in Gas
Cardiff researchers claim that they've found strong evidence to support the panspermia theory of life's origins on Earth. They say that comets contain all kinds of hydrocarbons and organic compounds necessary to life, and also lots of radiation and clay particles to catalyze reactions and keep everything 'warm' enough to survive. I'm inclined to buy into panspermia, as it makes the probability math of life's beginning on earth just that much less terrifying. But who knows?
Having come in to this life, one way or another, all organisms (especially humans) are rather keen on staying alive longer. One way to do that, according to Japanese researchers, may be to drink more coffee. They found that women who drank three or more cups a day had half the risk of developing colon cancer as did non-drinkers. They did not find an effect in men, but I'm still calling it one more excuse for me!
And for those with joint problems, help may be on the horizon. Canadian researchers claim that injections with hyaluronic acid speed and improve sprained ankle recoveries. The stuff is also supposed to slow aging and make life better in general, and until it's approved in medicinal form, you can get it by eating huge quantities of sweet potatoes.
Life has to end, so it may as well go up in smoke, right? A biotech startup in the US claims that they've convinced bacteria to produce hydrocarbons which could be used to make gasoline. The upside? No more oil crisis. The down side? Unending smog, global warming, and, yeah, gasoline-producing bacteria.
Having come in to this life, one way or another, all organisms (especially humans) are rather keen on staying alive longer. One way to do that, according to Japanese researchers, may be to drink more coffee. They found that women who drank three or more cups a day had half the risk of developing colon cancer as did non-drinkers. They did not find an effect in men, but I'm still calling it one more excuse for me!
And for those with joint problems, help may be on the horizon. Canadian researchers claim that injections with hyaluronic acid speed and improve sprained ankle recoveries. The stuff is also supposed to slow aging and make life better in general, and until it's approved in medicinal form, you can get it by eating huge quantities of sweet potatoes.
Life has to end, so it may as well go up in smoke, right? A biotech startup in the US claims that they've convinced bacteria to produce hydrocarbons which could be used to make gasoline. The upside? No more oil crisis. The down side? Unending smog, global warming, and, yeah, gasoline-producing bacteria.
Labels: aging, biotech, coffee, colon cancer, comets, fuel, gasoline, health, hyaluronic acid, Japan, joints, medicine, panspermia, pollution, science, space
Monday, April 09, 2007
Expanding
We all know that being too fat is bad for you, and a UCSD study may help understand pert of why. The researchers found that human colon cancer cells have leptin receptors which, when activated, cause the cancers to grow. The more body fat you have, the more leptin you have, which could explain why obesity is such a strong risk factor for colon (and maybe other types of) cancer.
Another problem with being too fat is the likelihood of developing the beetis. Well, if you do, there may be good news: New Zealand doctors say that a man who had piglet islet cells injected into him ten years ago to help control his diabetes still has some of them alive and producing insulin in him. This result is quite promising for future xenotransplantation procedures, which could perhaps actually cure, rather than merely reduce the symptoms of, disease.
But, if taking insulin remains necessary, that drug may soon be cheaper and easier to get: a Canadian firm claims that it's gotten safflower plants to produce human insulin in their oil. If true, this would be a massive breakthrough. And yes, I understand the environmental concerns (and am very wary of corporatizing food production), but I think this is worthwhile.
Speaking of plants, it appears that an herbal remedy may be helpful in clearing urinary tract infections: Duke researchers found that high doses of forskolin (which agonizes c-AMP receptors in the bladder) seem to force E. coli out of hiding to be cleared. Now remains the question of whether this works in humans too. And of course the question of what side effects such potent c-AMP agonism might have.
Another problem with being too fat is the likelihood of developing the beetis. Well, if you do, there may be good news: New Zealand doctors say that a man who had piglet islet cells injected into him ten years ago to help control his diabetes still has some of them alive and producing insulin in him. This result is quite promising for future xenotransplantation procedures, which could perhaps actually cure, rather than merely reduce the symptoms of, disease.
But, if taking insulin remains necessary, that drug may soon be cheaper and easier to get: a Canadian firm claims that it's gotten safflower plants to produce human insulin in their oil. If true, this would be a massive breakthrough. And yes, I understand the environmental concerns (and am very wary of corporatizing food production), but I think this is worthwhile.
Speaking of plants, it appears that an herbal remedy may be helpful in clearing urinary tract infections: Duke researchers found that high doses of forskolin (which agonizes c-AMP receptors in the bladder) seem to force E. coli out of hiding to be cleared. Now remains the question of whether this works in humans too. And of course the question of what side effects such potent c-AMP agonism might have.
Labels: Beetis, bladder, bladder cancer, c-AMP, colon cancer, diabetes, GM crops, infection, insulin, leptin, obesity, UTI
