Research has shown that the length of telomeres, which form a “cap” on the end of chromosomes, play a major role in aging. Shortened telomeres are a hallmark of many “premature aging” diseases. Several studies have shown exercise can preserve telomere length in humans, particularly as humans get older, and thus theoretically slow the aging process. Slowing aging is very different than actually reversing aging, however, but a recent study at Harvard has shown aging can indeed be reversed – in mice.

At Harvard, they bred genetically manipulated mice that lacked an enzyme called telomerase that stops telomeres getting shorter. Without the enzyme, the mice aged prematurely and suffered ailments, including a poor sense of smell, smaller brain size, infertility and damaged intestines and spleens. But when DePinho gave the mice injections to reactivate the enzyme, it repaired the damaged tissues and reversed the signs of ageing.

“These were severely aged animals, but after a month of treatment they showed a substantial restoration, including the growth of new neurons in their brains,” said DePinho.

You may be asking yourself, “If telomerase reverses aging, why aren’t we all taking regular telomerase injections?” While telomerase is very active in embryonic and infant humans, leading to rapid cell division, telomerase becomes less active in most cells as humans get older. As a result, the activation of telomerase in adults can cause these cells to become cancerous and lead to tumor growth. Mice, on the other hand, who continue to produce telomerase throughout their lifetimes, don’t appear to be subject to increased cancer risk.

The next steps for this study will measure whether the newly rejuvenated mice will live longer, healthier lives when compared with their control group brethren. Ultimately, while this study provides fascinating insights into one of the causes of aging, scientists have a long way to go before they might apply these findings toward practical anti-aging therapies for humans.

While physicians have been using robotics to assist with surgery for years, a Canadian man is the first in the world to undergo successful surgery in which the entire procedure was performed by robots – from administering anesthesia via a robot nicknamed “McSleepy” to operating with a DaVinci surgical robot:

Specialists at the McGill University Health Centre at the hospital said the all-robotic surgery could deliver the most modern and accurate patient care.

Dr A Aprikian from MUHC, said: ‘The DaVinci allows us to work from a workstation operating surgical instruments with delicate movements of our fingers with a precision that cannot be provided by humans alone.’

He and his team of surgeons operated the robotic arms that can rotate 360 degrees from a dedicated workstation via video control with 3D high definition image quality.

They removed part of the patient’s prostate gland, which sits at the neck of the urethra and produces the fluid part of semen.

(Via Engadget)

However, new research shows too much of a good thing may not be so good, after all. A study from Michigan State University shows “high doses” of fish oil can lead to scary symptoms in mice, including colitis and colon cancer.

The findings were surprising, specifically because DHA has been shown to have some anti-inflammatory properties, according to Fenton: “We hypothesized that feeding fish oil enriched with DHA to mice would decrease the cancer risk; we actually found the opposite. These mice were less equipped to mount a successful immune response to bacteria that increased colon tumors.”

Fenton cautions people may not need to avoid fish oil; what the research shows is needed are guidelines on dosing. With any nutrient, there is a “bell curve” effect. On the left of the curve are those deficient in a nutrient; on the right are those in excess.

She said people already receiving enough omega-3 fatty acids through their normal diet and foods have no need for added supplementation.

While these findings may be alarming for those of us who supplement with fish oil, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, without purchasing the study I can’t comment on what qualifies as a “high dose” given to the mice. In many animal studies, the amount of a substance administered to an animal is far, far beyond levels that are realistically consumed by humans. (If anyone has read the study and would care to enlighten me, I would appreciate it!)

Second, evidence indicates humans evolved to have a roughly 1:1 to 2:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in our diets. Current “Western diets” contain about 15 times the level of omega-6 than we should be consuming. This overabundance of omega-6 can lead to a number of diseases, including cancer, inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases. Taking a regular dose of high quality fish oil, in addition to reducing your consumption of foods high in omega-6, can correct this ratio and may help protect against these diseases.

Third, physicians already do not recommend high doses of fish oil due to potentially unpleasant side effects, including increased risk of bleeding and reduced immune system activity, particularly among those with impaired immune systems to begin with. Therefore, it’s not surprising that this study found high doses of fish oil had a negative effect on immune system function. That said, human studies have administered up to 12 grams per day and beyond, and some health experts advise higher doses than that, at least temporarily.

Ultimately, those of us who regularly supplement with fish oil, even in doses beyond that recommended by the NIH, should have nothing to fear from this study.*

*Note. I’m no doctor. If you’re nervous about any supplement, including fish oil, talk to a qualified professional.

Many people around the world (and in the United States) do not have reliable access to medical care. This may be due to geographical factors, financial factors, cultural factors, or a combination thereof. However, mobile phone adoption continues to grow rapidly in both developed and underdeveloped countries.

With fast rates of adoption and increasing levels of computing power available through mobile phones to people around the world, the X PRIZE Foundation is looking to “inspire creation” of “The AI Physician X PRIZE,” which would use artificial intelligence to “diagnose patients better than board certified doctors.”

While this technology would certainly be a boon for many, a diagnosis is only the first part in healing a patient. Those without access to care would still be left without a means of actual treatment due to the same three factors that would prevent them from getting diagnosed. Gotta crawl before you walk, though, I suppose.

(Via Scope)

This video has gone viral, but it’s worth linking here. The expression on eight-month old Jonathan’s face when he hears for the first time, due to a Cochlear implant, is priceless. A reminder of how technology enhances our lives – and a promise of what’s to come.

(Via Neatorama)

Who can forget Isabelle Dinoire, the French woman who received the world’s first successful partial face transplant in 2005 after being mauled by her dog? Prior to the transplant, which included a new nose and mouth, she had difficulty eating or speaking – the transplant has enabled her to do both.

Although a handful of similar procedures have been performed throughout the world, today Spanish surgeons revealed details of a face transplant that is said to be the “most complex” such transplant performed to date. The patient had been the victim of a shooting accident that left him unable to “breathe, swallow or talk properly.” Surgeons transplanted facial skin, muscles and bone, including cheekbones, jaw, nose, lips and teeth, and have reinforced the new facial structure with metal plates. Due to the severity of his injuries, reconstructive surgery was not an option:

He was considered for a full face transplant after nine previous operations failed.

A team of 30 experts carried out the operation on 20 March at the hospital in Barcelona.

The man has since seen himself in the mirror and was calm and satisfied, the leader of the medical team, Joan Pere Barret, told a news conference.

Despite the fact that the patient will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life, this surgery gives him a chance at a dramatically higher quality of life than he would have had otherwise. Ten years ago, such a procedure would have been science fiction. Today, it’s medical fact.

(Source: BBC News)

After some adjustments to a sophisticated computer program that acts as the brain of the system, all 11 adults in the study had good blood sugar control without experiencing hypoglycemia, even after eating three high-carbohydrate meals.

“This is the first artificial pancreas device that has used both insulin and glucagon,” said Dr. Steven Russell of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, who helped lead the study.

The finding is the latest in what has become a race to develop a fully functioning artificial pancreas that can give patients with type 1 diabetes an automated way to control their blood sugar.

Now if they can only shrink it to an implantable size…

(Kyle) Binder and colleagues dissolved human skin cells from pieces of skin, separating and purifying the various cell types such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes.

They put them in a nutritious solution to make them multiply and then used a system similar to a multicolor office inkjet printer to apply first a layer of fibroblasts and then a layer of keratinocytes, which form the protective outer layer of skin.

The wound on the mouse was completely closed by three weeks, they reported. Experts say victims of massive burns usually die of infection within two weeks unless they receive skin grafts, and normal grafting often leaves severe scars.

The sprayed cells also incorporated themselves into surrounding skin, hair follicles and sebaceous glands, probably because immature cells called stem cells were mixed in with the sprayed cells, the researchers said.

The device has been mounted on a frame that can be used on patients confined to hospital beds, but has not yet been used on humans.

My grandfather suffered from age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), which causes loss of vision over time. By the time he passed away in his late 70s, he was almost blind. ARMD progresses from the “inside” of your visual field to the outside, so those affected are unable to see that which they are looking at directly. In some ways, the effects are the opposite of an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which causes sufferers to lose peripheral vision first, creating a “tunnel vision” effect once the disease is sufficiently advanced.

Because I have a relative that suffered from ARMD, I’m at a 50 percent risk of developing the condition sometime in my life – as do my father, brother, aunts and uncles.

Based on my grandfather’s experience, macular degeneration can be especially frustrating because, although otherwise in good shape both mentally and physically, it becomes difficult or impossible to read, drive, easily watch television or recognize faces. I’m sure other progressive diseases that lead to vision loss are similarly frustrating.

In part because I have a personal stake in seeing treatments and workarounds developed for diseases like ARMD, I was glad to hear that Australian researchers have developed a retinal implant for people with ARMD and RP that will enable them to at least recognize faces and read large-type print:

The device, which is currently undergoing testing, consists of a miniature camera mounted on glasses that captures visual input, transforming it into electrical signals that directly stimulate surviving neurons in the retina. The implant will enable recipients to perceive points of light in the visual field that the brain can then reconstruct into an image.

The research team will next focus on development of a commercial implant that can be placed in the back of the eye and “respond to wireless transmission of vision.”

(Source: ScienceBlog / Image: Bionic Vision Australia)

The da Vinci Surgical System was revolutionary when it was debuted by Intuitive Digital in 1999. The system consists of several components, including a console that is situated near the operating table. This console allows the surgeon to control the three to four robot arms that replace the traditional surgeon’s tools.

The robotic arms are quite large, and wouldn’t look out of place at an industrial plant. Despite its size, the da Vinci is used to perform minimally invasive, or laparoscopic surgeries, referred to as “keyhole” surgeries due to the small incision they require. The benefits of laparoscopic surgery can be dramatic, leading to far shorter recovery times, less post-operative pain, and reduced bleeding. Many physicians agree that the da Vinci system can be very helpful for performing minimally invasive hysterectomies, gallbladder surgeries, prostectomies and more.

Although this system could lead to, as some have said, a new “standard of care,” some doctors aren’t happy with the da Vinci. It’s not necessarily due to inherent flaws with the system, but rather a lack of competition in the space that has stifled innovation:

“People have been disappointed in how slowly the robot is evolving,” says Jon Einarsson, a gynecological surgeon at Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston. “There hasn’t been a lot of evolution or improvement in the articulation at the tip of the instrument.” Some innovations that Einersson would like to see are haptics–a sense of touch that can be translated from the robotic instruments to the surgeon–and a way to incorporate data from magnetic resonance imaging.

Some surgeons and engineers argue that a much smaller and cheaper device could provide the same visual advantages and flexibility, but that no one has been able to move this forward. “The da Vinci robot looks like it was designed to make automobiles–it’s great big clunky gear,” says Kirby Vosburgh, an engineer with the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), in Boston, who previously designed medical technology for General Electric.

At least one inventor who has tried to create an alternative design for a robotic surgery system has seen his efforts hit a wall due to existing patent claims by Intuitive.

Despite this setback, the very fact that the market is dominated by one company is as much an opportunity as it is an obstacle. Anyone who could come up with an original design for a system that was smaller, cheaper or easier to use would be able to make a huge splash in the world of robotic surgery, and immediately kick-off a race for innovation, which would benefit the industry, hospitals, and most of all, patients.

(EDIT 3/25/10: Minor grammar edits)