The immune system normally defends the body against everything from microscopic viruses to meters-long parasitic worms. But sometimes, it sets its sights on the wrong target: the body’s own cells. Autoimmunity problems cause many different diseases, depending on which cells are targeted. In Type 1 diabetes, it’s beta cells. Beta cells are located in the… Read More »
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects one in 10 women of reproductive age. It is characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, facial hair or acne and an increased number of eggs arrested in development. Many women also suffer from weight gain, Type 2 diabetes and depression. While first characterized by the medical community in the mid-1930s, few… Read More »
A toddler puts her hand on a hot stove and swiftly withdraws it. Alas, it’s too late — the child’s finger has sustained a minor burn. To soothe the pain, she puts the burned finger in her mouth. Withdrawing one’s hand to avoid injury and soothing the pain of that injury are two distinct evolutionary… Read More »
Japanese researchers said Friday they have transplanted stem cells into the brain of a patient in the first stage of an innovative trial to cure Parkinson’s disease. The research team at Kyoto University injected induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells — which have the potential to develop into any cell in the body — into the… Read More »
Tests reveal both tap water and bottled water1 contain microplastics, as does your household dust2 and many foods, especially seafood3,4 and sea salt,5 but also any food that has been stored in plastic packaging. The suspicion that we’re consuming our own plastic pollution was recently reconfirmed when researchers reported the discovery of microplastic particles in… Read More »