Tiny robots in the human body, mRNA science for peanut allergies, prescribing Nature, do you have an earworm? Science of mindset
The Full Panel meets your TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) needs by delivering the latest medicine & health news in a nutshell. 🥜
Tiny robots and their role in medicine 🤖
Gist: A groundbreaking micro-motor robot has been developed, capable of identifying, trapping, and transporting individual cells. The device can be controlled by both electric and magnetic fields, with the latter essential for potential deployment within the human body.
Nitty-Gritty: Inspired by biological micro-swimmers like bacteria and sperm cells, the micro-motor robot has a diverse range of capabilities, including identifying different cell types, recognizing cell health, transporting cells, and applying drugs or genes to a cell. This tiny robot, ranging from 5 to 27 micrometers across (to put that into perspective, a human hair is about 70 microns across), is made from a polystyrene sphere coated with chromium, nickel, and gold. The researchers have successfully used the robot to capture single blood cells, cancer cells, and bacteria (“in vitro”/in the lab).
Big Picture: This invention holds great promise for single-cell analysis, drug delivery, and liquid biopsies. Although it has not yet been tested within the human body, the ultimate goal is to develop micro-robots that can serve as precise drug carriers targeting specific locations within the body. Stay tuned!
Original article: here.
Hope on the horizon for those with peanut allergies🥜
Gist: In a newly published study, immunologists from UCLA have developed a first-of-its-kind nanoparticle that delivers mRNA* to specific liver cells, teaching the body to tolerate peanut proteins, potentially reversing and preventing peanut allergies. The breakthrough, inspired by COVID-19 vaccines and previous research, could also be applied to other allergens and autoimmune conditions.
*mRNA— or messenger RNA— is a molecule that contains the instructions or a recipe that directs a cell to make a protein using its natural machinery.
Nitty-Gritty: The liver was targeted due to its natural ability to tolerate foreign substances and the presence of antigen-presenting cells that train the immune system. The nanoparticle was designed with a sugar molecule on its surface that binds to these cells and carries an mRNA payload (i.e., instructions) encoding selected epitopes (i.e., specific regions or parts on a foreign substance that can be identified by the body). Tests on mice demonstrated milder allergy symptoms and increased tolerance for peanut protein.
Big Picture: This approach could potentially be adapted for other allergies and autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes. With further successful lab studies, the nanoparticle could enter clinical trials within three years.
Original article: here.
Rx: Get outside! 💊
Gist: A study by researchers from UNSW Sydney and the University of Wollongong found that nature prescriptions provided both physical and mental health benefits. Analyzing 28 studies, the researchers found that spending time in nature lowered blood pressure, depression, and anxiety scores while increasing daily step counts.
Nitty-Gritty: Contact with nature can help prevent issues like loneliness, depression, and cardiovascular disease by reducing harms from poor air quality, heatwaves, and chronic stress. Although there is growing public interest in nature prescriptions, there are no large-scale programs in many countries. Here in Canada, B.C. has a health care professional-led initiative to do just that— See more here at PaRx.
Big Picture: Ensuring accessibility to all, especially low-income communities with limited access to green spaces, is crucial. Researchers aim to make nature prescriptions a national scheme, available as a supplement to standard medical care.
Original article: here.
ICYMI: The Lancet also published a systematic review and meta-analysis with similar results suggesting we can all benefit from more exposure to nature.😎
Song stuck in your head? Maybe you have an earworm! 🎧
Gist: Earworms are those songs that get stuck in our heads and play on a loop. A 2020 study published in the journal Psychology of Music has found that 97% of American college students had experienced an earworm in the past month, with 20% experiencing it more than once a day.
Nitty-Gritty: Earworms usually last 10-30 minutes, but 8.5% of people report them lasting more than 3 hours. Earworms originate from the auditory cortex and deep temporal lobe areas of the brain, which are responsible for perceiving music and retrieving memories. Emotions also play a role in earworm formation.
Big Picture: To stop a simple earworm, try mixing up your playlist, taking breaks from music, walking at different tempos, listening to the song all the way through, distracting yourself, or chewing gum (really?). Earworms are typically harmless, but in rare cases, they can supposedly indicate medical conditions like OCD, seizures, or depression.
Original article: here.
Beyond Text: In this snippet, Andrew Huberman talks about the science behind mindset and its effect on physiology and performance. Click to learn more in this 4 minute clip (at time stamp 1:02:39).
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