Early but intriguing research on mice suggests a new mechanism of aging, and possibly a way to stall it. Drugs designed to target one aspect of aging also seem to help repair DNA damage and regulate gene activity, preventing them from going haywire with the stresses of time."In principle, we now could have a way of reversing the effects of aging," said David Sinclair, a Harvard University gerontologist and co-founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a company best-known for its development of an experimental drug called resveratrol. Resveratrol and similar compounds activate an enzyme called SIRT1. The enzyme rejuvenates mitochondria, the...
Cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease: All have stubbornly resisted billions of dollars of research conducted by the world's finest minds. But they all may finally be defied by a single new class of drugs, a virtual cure for the diseases of aging. In labs across the country, researchers are developing several new drugs that target the cellular engines called mitochondria. The first, resveratrol, is already in clinical trials for diabetes. It could be on the market in four years and used off-label as an all-purpose longevity enhancer. Other drugs promise to be more potent and refined. They might...
Everybody knows a forgetful stoner, but research suggests that low doses of marijuana could be good for memory, and even help prevent Alzheimer's disease. When given a compound similar to THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, rat brains displayed reduced levels of inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease. The drug also stimulated the production of proteins associated with memory formation and brain cell growth. "Everyone is aware that smoking too much marijuana impairs memory," said Ohio State University psychologist Yannick Marchalant. "Our work stays on the safe side — doses that we know are not going to impair memory, but...
A new system compares the brains of healthy individuals and dementia sufferers to help spot the characteristic features of the condition (full text available to subscribers)...
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A British Association of Dermatologists' study showed that the levels of nickel found in cell phones can cause dermatological problems for many cell phone users. As many as 33% of people are at least slightly allergic to nickel, and nearly half of the 22 cell phones tested had levels that could affect those poor souls. Luckily, the allergy causes friendly, non-fatal dermatitis: itchy skin and a mild rash, easily healed with a topical steroid cream. I feel like cell phones get a bad rap, since even jewelry can cause the same reaction, so here's an encouraging list of diseases you...
Link: http://radaronline.com/exclusives/200... John McCain still wants money, and if that means that blatantly accusing “Obama Democrats” of wanting to “hand victory to Al Qaeda,” then so be it. To be fair, the slanderous jab could simply be a sign of McCain’s early onset of dementia, but that’s not something to worry about until he’s in the White House. Contribute: Add an image, link, video or comment »...
Filed under: Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Mad Men(S02E10) This seemed an oddly structured episode, with the emphasis more on Betty than Don, with a splash of Pete and Kinsey thrown in. The idea that life was simpler in the old days, should anyone still think that adage applies, is disproved with every hour of Mad Men that unfolds.For Betty, the impending death of her father has shaken her to the core. A series of strokes has led to dementia and when Don accompanies Betty to visit him in her childhood home, she has to come to grips with not only the...
