Science Roundup: Recent Stem Cell and Biology Headlines

Guest: Dr. Andrew Cohen, Associate Professor at Drexel University, discusses his work on creating new software and programs to track stem cell lineages using time lapse video data. Resources and Links Antidepressants plus Blood-Thinners Slow Down Brain Cancer – Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne scientists found that combining antidepressants with anticoagulants slows down brain tumors in mice. Seasonal Body Clocks Are Controlled By 'Calendar Cells': Scientists Identify Proteins that Determine When Mammals Mate – According to this article, experts found that “calendar cells” in a structure called the 'pars tuberalis' respond according to how much daylight there is and can change dramatically over the year, driving the seasonal reproductive cycle. Wine's Darkest Secret Revealed - It's All in the Fungi – This article reveals that a type of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, makes a "small but significant" contribution to a wine's flavor and taste. Edges of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Colonies Display Distinct Mechanical Properties and Differentiation Potential – This article describes the results found after the live imaging of the differentiation process of human embryonic stem cells, and reveals that cells on the outer edge of the undifferentiated colony begin to differentiate first and remain on the perimeter of the colony to eventually form a band of differentiation. Orthostatic Hypotension May Indicate Neurological Disease – According to this article, orthostatic hypotension may be an early warning sign of a serious neurological disease and may be associated with an increased risk of premature death. Why People in 'Tall' Nations Are More Likely to Be Slim – Researchers from Australia looked at nearly 9,500 people in 14 European countries and found a strong connection between genes that boost height and those associated with lower amounts of body fat. Salsalate Drug Offers New Hope for Treating Alzheimer's Disease and FTD – Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes discovered that salsalate, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, effectively reversed tau-related dysfunction in an animal model of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). A Barrier against Brain Stem Cell Aging – Scientists from the University of Zurich identified a diffusion barrier that regulates the sorting of damaged proteins during cell division. New Study Finds Brain Disease in 95% of Deceased NFL Players – Researchers found evidence of brain disease in 95% of brains tested belongs to former NFL players with the repeated minor head trauma as the biggest risk to neurological health for footballers. Pinpointing Punishment – This study describes a new study co-authored by Joshua Buckholtz, an Assistant Professor of Psychology, René Marois, professor and chair of psychology at Vanderbilt and colleagues, explaining how a brain region called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex coordinates third party punishment decisions of the type made by judges and juries. UK Scientists Apply for License to Edit Genes in Human Embryos – Scientists from London’s Francis Crick Institute have asked for permission to edit the genomes of human embryos use CRISPR/Cas9 technology — a request that could lead to the world’s first approval of such research by a national regulatory body. New Technique Lets Scientists Better See, Study Interface Where Two Cells Touch – University of Buffalo researchers and their colleagues at other institutions conducted a study to better understand myelin and the fatty insulator that enables communication between nerve cells. They studied how damage to myelin occurs, and how that damage may be repaired. Sonogenetics Is a Non-Invasive Approach to Activating Neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans – Researchers demonstrate the use of low-pressure ultrasound as a non-invasive trigger to activate specific ultrasonically sensitized neurons in the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. Stem Cell Manufacturing Now Ready – This article announces the availability of ma...