Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle

Archive for August 2023

Leave a comment

Scientists find clues to tissue regeneration and aging in Hydractinia

Most complex animals, like humans, lack the ability to regenerate. In contrast, some simpler life forms are able to regenerate tissues and sometimes their whole body, if necessary. In a new study published in Cell Reports, scientists discover clues to tissue and whole-body regeneration in cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus. They discovered that aging cells send out signals that transform neighboring cells into stem cells. These stem cells are then able to […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Leaf extract shows promise in model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 1 in 9 adults (10.7%) over the age of 65 years (Alzheimer’s Association). Oxidative stress and the progressive loss of cholinergic neurons, which produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, are thought to be a major cause of memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s Disease. For this reason, current treatments include efforts to increase levels of acetylcholine in the brain. Medications known as cholinesterase inhibitors help treat memory loss by […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Meet the honey possum

Meet the honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). These animals are small and rather unusual marsupials with few teeth and a specially adapted tongue to aid in the consumption of a diet consisting of only nectar and pollen. Because they feed primarily at night, rely on fresh flowers, and tend to stress easily, they are difficult to study. In fact, their adrenal gland, which produces the stress hormone cortisol, weighs about 1,600 […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Cardioprotective adaptations to high altitude

While studies have shown that Tibetans protect their tissues from damage caused by low oxygen levels at high altitude, other studies have shown that people adapted to life in the Andes mountains have genetic variations that protect their hearts. In a recent study presented at the 2023 American Physiology Summit, scientists discovered that 68% of Andean highlanders carry a single nucleotide variation in the gene responsible for encoding the protein […]

Continue Reading →

Leave a comment

Can carbon monoxide be a good thing at high altitude?

Although carbon monoxide inhalation is dangerous because it can cause blood poisoning, research suggests that production of carbon monoxide in the body may actually protect cells during exposure to hypoxic environments as well as during ischemic-reperfusion injuries. Carbon monoxide is produced in the body by the enzyme heme oxygenase. This enzyme is responsible for converting heme into biliverdin and generates carbon monoxide in the process. Interestingly, carbon monoxide levels are […]

Continue Reading →