Welcome everybody to Episode 41, be sure to visit stemcellpodcast.com for current and past episodes and to sign up for our newsletter. We begin as always with our Science Roundup sponsored by Thermo Fisher. In this episode we discuss topics ranging from, the c. elegans worm that can detect cancer in urine samples, a new autism gene, germ line genetic modifications, stem cells from sheep for face cream, a new way to make 3D mini-lungs in the dish and a new protein involved in making neurons from stem cells. Then we bring on Dr. Eirini Papapetrou, an associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai where she discusses her work and latest paper on using stem cells to model blood diseases containing a chromosomal deletion. We then finish off the show with a rant on the company refrigerator rules.
Below are all of the papers mentioned on the show. We are working on a way to categorize all of the research papers we mention and possibly even provide audio summaries. Enter in your name and e-mail address below, and we will notify you of when this feature is available.
Resources, Links and Research Papers Mentioned In This Session Include:
Sushi Parasite Inspires Worm Test For Cancer – In this article, Japanese researchers have discovered that Caenorhabditis elegans worms can detect cancer in people's urine.
New Genetic Variant That Causes Autism Identified By Johns Hopkins-Led Team – This article reveals that a Johns Hopkins-led team of researchers has identified a new genetic cause of the disorder using a novel approach that focuses on rare families severely affected by autism.
Bad Gene Cripples Flu Defenses – This article describes how a girl nearly died from flu because of mutated genes.
High-Fat Diet Alters Behavior And Produces Signs Of Brain Inflammation – According to this article, there is a great possibility that a high-fat diet produces changes in health and behavior, in part, by changing the mix of bacteria in the gut, also known as the gut microbiome.
NASA's Opportunity Rover Just Completed An 11-Year Marathon On Mars – In this article, NASA confirmed this week that the six-wheeled robot has now traveled more than 26.219 miles in 11 years and two months.
Apple's New ResearchKit: 'Ethics Quagmire' Or Medical Research Aid? – According to this article, Apple's ResearchKit is designed to let medical researchers create iPhone apps for their studies that will help them recruit participants — without said participants ever setting foot in the lab.
Woolly Mammoth DNA Inserted into Elephant Cells – This article describes the attempt of scientists to bring extinct species back from the grave through a process known as de-extinction.
Surprise Finding Heightens Concern Over Tiny Bits Of Plastic Polluting Our Oceans – In this article, a team of scientists’ accidental finding of plastic in the skin of both farmed and wild fish adds to already growing environmental and public health concerns about the plastic particles or microplastics pervading our oceans and waterways.
Altering Brain Chemistry Makes Us More Sensitive To Inequality – According to this article, researchers finds that giving a drug that changes the neurochemical balance in the prefrontal cortex of the brain causes a greater willingness to engage in prosocial behaviors, such as ensuring that resources are divided more equally.
Engineering the Perfect Baby – In this article, a group of scientists try to edit the DNA of human germ line to correct disease genes and to pass those genetic fixes on to future generations.
Don’t Edit The Human Germ Line – According to this article, heritable human genetic modifications pose serious risks, and the therapeutic benefits are tenuous, warn Edward Lanphier, Fyodor Urnov and colleagues.
Industry Body Calls for Gene Editing Moratorium – In this article, gene-editing companies say research on altering the DNA of human reproductive cells is dangerous and unethical.
