GMO Tomatoes to Improve Your Health
Researchers in the UK have genetically engineered a tomato to produce anthocyanins--the compounds that give some berries and a handful of other fruits and vegetables their purple-red colors. However, anthocyanin aren't just about pretty colors. They are thought to provide significant health benefits. In fact, when the tomatoes were developed several years ago, testing showed that the provided some protection against tumors in cancer-prone mice....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - February 19, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Acid-Bath Stem Cell May Be Washed Up
You may have heard about the sensational study a couple weeks ago which showed that certain type of stress can turn normal adult cells into stem cells. Many news stories fixated particularly on the finding that simple acid was enough to generate pluripotent stem cells from regular mouse blood cells. Such an easy way to produce stem cells would be a phenomenal achievement. In the last several days, however, concerns about the integrity of these novel findings have begun to replace much of the initial excitement....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - February 17, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Protein That Eliminates Plaque-Forming Amyloids Associated with Alzheimer's
It's been known for over 100 years that dark sticky deposits known as plaques form in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. These are caused by fragments of a protein known as amyloid. For some reason, normal amyloid sometimes folds up incorrectly and the misfolded molecule then clumps together to form these plaques between nerve cells. Alzheimer's seems to start as soon as the amyloid clumps begin to accumulate and disrupt brain cell function. The large visible plaques occur late in the process....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - February 10, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Valentine's Day: A Holiday for the Heart
There are heart transplants and artificial hearts but they are poor substitutes for the one you are born with. While the heart has been a symbol of love and desire since ancient times, it's pumping actions does truly sustain our lives from minute to minute. In fact, keeping your cardiovascular system fit may be the most important thing you can do for your personal health....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - February 9, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Why Is Drug Development So Expensive
Discovering and developing new therapeutics is incredibly expensive. Analysis shows that each new drug costs several billion dollars to develop and launch. Why is it so expensive to develop new drugs? What drives this cost?...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - January 31, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
The Changing Drug Development Environment
An increased understanding of disease, escalating healthcare costs, and informed patient groups are having a transformative impact on the development and approvals of new therapeutics. What do pharmaceutical and biotech companies need to do to account for these changes to maximize the success of their drug development programs?...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - January 22, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
New Biotech Developments Anticipated This Year
The start of the New Year has me wondering about the biomedical and biotech developments the next 12 months might bring.
The accuracy of last year's 2013 list is mixed. Some predictions like expected advances in stem cell research and cancer occurred as expected. These weren't very specific though. Also, there was the Supreme Court ruling on gene patenting. On the other hand, approval of the first GMO animal for human consumption, the AquaAdvantage Salmon, has still not occurred....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - January 8, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Metabolism Boosting Hormone Found
Most everyone is aware that regular exercise improves your body's metabolism--the rate at which you is burn calories to produce energy. The more energy you have, the more energetic you feel, and the faster your body recovers and heals....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - January 3, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Some GMOs Contain Pesticides. So What?
Many groups concerned about environmental health issues express concern that genetically modified crops have been engineered to express insecticide. For example, here is a blog from Generation Green. In fact, it is true that some crops have been modified to produce a protein lethal to some insects. Is this a reason for concern though? Only if you are an insert larva....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - January 3, 2014 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Do GMOs Cause Allergies?
Opponents of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) often express concern that they cause allergies. In fact, this is a reasonable concern. Certainly allergenic genes inserted into food crops could increase their allergenicity....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - December 21, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
The Past Year in Biotech
Several exciting biotech development occurred in 2013. The year saw the first cloning of human embryos and a decision by the Supreme Court on patenting genes. Researchers worked out important details about the development of Alzheimer's disease, medicine learned to appreciate the microbes living all over each of us, and researchers discovered a new fast approach for gene engineering. Finally, Google also started an anti-aging venture. ...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - December 21, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Are GMOs All the Same?
I recently saw an article in our local paper surveying all the possible dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The piece argued for GMO labeling. Unfortunately, though, it was so full of inaccuracies about what GMOs are, what research has been done with them, and what impact they have had on agriculture, that any conclusions about how they should be managed or labels was completely undermined....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - November 22, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
Can Aspirin Prevent Memory Loss from Pot?
Memory loss has been linked to marijuana use for...well...as long as I can remember. A recent report suggests common pain killers may limit this side-effect. However, they might also reduce pot's high too....Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - November 13, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
New MERS Case Supports Camel as Source of Infection
The virus for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has been found in the pet camel of a man from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia that was diagnosed with the disease last ...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - November 7, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
"Jaw-Dropping" CRISPR Technology
Have you heard of the new genetic engineering tool that's the current rage in biotech labs--CRISPR? The headline in today's Science section of the British newspaper The Independent, 'Jaw-dropping' breakthrough hailed as landmark in fight against hereditary diseases as Crispr technique heralds genetic revolution,...Read Full Post (Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical)
Source: About.com Biotech Biomedical - November 3, 2013 Category: Biotechnology Source Type: news
