SCI-THINK

  In landmark research, scientists from Northwestern University have successfully used "dancing genes" to repair spinal cord injuries. Summary is below. "Researchers have developed an injectable therapy based on nanofibers that has enabled paralyzed mice with severe spinal cord injuries to regain the ability to walk." Using paralyzed mice, scientists injected them one time and, after 14 days, the mice were able to walk again. The injection is given near the spinal cord and sends bioactive signals to trigger cells to repair and regenerate. The best news is that once the injectable therapy is done, the ingredients break down and provide nutrients for the cells before being expelled from the system with no noticeable side effects. Researchers are immediately sending results to the FDA for approval to test human subjects. This could lead the way to help those with limited or no movement due to spinal cord injuries. Click below to read the full article. CLICK HERE FOR TH...

  The thought of millions of almost palm-sized spiders would be a nightmare for many people. In North Georgia, USA, that nightmare has become a reality. The Joro spider is an invasive species that scientists believe traveled to the United States from Asia in a shipping container. And it has since taken over North Georgia and may spread even further. Summary is below.< Millions of giant spiders have invaded North Georgia, terrifying residents and spinning webs as thick as 10 feet (3 meters) deep. Also known as the orb weaving spider (because of their beautiful and orb shaped webs), the females can lay egg sacs containing around 300-400 eggs. In adolescence, the baby spiders can shoot a string of web and spread as they use the wind, hanging onto the web, to travel large distances. But it's not all bad news. These spiders eat a variety of pest insects and are not harmful to humans. According to Nancy Hinkle, an entomologist at the University of Georgia, Joro spiders kill off mosqui...

In the largest clinical trial to date, scientists have discovered that the psychodelic component of the commonly named magic mushrooms can be used to treat depression in patients. Summary is below. "Psilocybin, the hallucinogen found in "magic mushrooms," helped to relieve symptoms in people with hard-to-treat depression in the largest clinical trial of its kind to date." 233 people from 10 countries participated in the trial and were divided into three groups. Each group was then given doses ranging from 1 to 25 milligrams of the drug. The participants were taken off their prescribed medication prior to the study. The results were very encouraging as the group that received the highest dose had fallen an average of 6.6 on the MADRS (a common scale of clinical depression). This study has not yet been peer reviwed but the outcome is clearly a huge step in fighting depression and could provide a new natural form of treatment than is currently available. If you or some...

  If you've ever left fruit out past it's prime than you're probably familiar with these tiny buzzing insects. They can be considered a harmless but annoying pest. However, they are the most studied insect on earth and much can be learned from them that will have extremely beneficial consequences for humans. 75% of genes that cause disease in humans are also present in the fruit fly. When it comes to researching genes and how they interact in our system it's important to start with a simple organism. The fruit fly fits that bill when it comes to diseases such as ALS, parkinsons, and huntingtons disease. Summary is below. "The fruit fly allows us to research genetic effects of diseases such as ALS and apply the findings to medical research" Fruit flies are also wonderful at reproduction. A female can lay about 20-30 eggs per day and this means there are a steady stream of new test subjects always available. Their size is another factor. They only grow to approx...

  In a rare fossil find, scientists can go back millions of years and discover why elephants of Africa were the dominant feeders at that time. Summary is below A remarkably well-preserved fossil elephant cranium from Kenya is helping scientists understand how its species became the dominant elephant in eastern Africa several million years ago, a time when a cooler, drier climate allowed grasslands to spread and when habitually bipedal human ancestors first appeared on the landscape. Archeologists have found a cranium of an elephant dating about 4.5 million years ago and weighing around 6 tons. Not only is this the most well preserved cranium ever found of ancient elephants but it's 85% intact and allows scientists to see adaptations that would explain why they had the bigger chances of survival than some of their animal counterparts They found enhanced mouthparts for chewing and a large amount of protective elements on the giant teeth which would cause less grinding down as is ofte...

  The three-banded panther worm is something of a star when it comes to regenerating body parts. If you cut off it's head, it will grow another one complete with a mouth and a new brain. If you cut them into three pieces and come back in about eight weeks, you'll find three new worms. Pretty amazing already but, now, scientists have found a way to make them glow in the dark. Summary is below. The scientific way to say this is that the worms are now transgenic. Transgenesis is when scientists introduce something into the genome of an organism that is not normally part of that genome. "It's a tool that biologists use to study how cells or tissues work within the body of an animal," Srivastava said. With this transgenesis, scientists will be able to see very specific genes within the worm and help uncover the secrets of it's amazing regenerative process. This could lead to help for humans who have suffered the loss of a limb or digit. And, l...

  Mammals use a variety of things to inform us of danger. Sound, sight, and hearing are all used to help keep us safe. But, now, scientists have discovered that it's our sense of smell that produces the quickest response to a threat. Summary is below. The ability to detect and react to the smell of a potential threat is a precondition of our and other mammals' survival. Using a novel technique, researchers have been able to study what happens in the brain when the central nervous system judges a smell to represent danger. The study indicates that negative smells associated with unpleasantness or unease are processed earlier than positive smells and trigger a physical avoidance response. Up until now, we have believed that sensing danger through smell was a conscious effort on our part. This experiment has shown it is actually, in fact, an unconscious response and happens much quicker than previously thought. When we smell something that we associate with a dangerous situation, ...

Many people fail to be properly vaccinated due to the amount of disinformation and outright lies popularised on social media. While we still don't know exactly how long the vaccine will last or whether we can expect a yearly dose (like the flu shot) the one thing scientists can determine with a fair amount of accuracy is if there are long-term effects that haven't been shown yet. Since the 1960s with the first oral polio vaccine, major negative side effects have taken no longer than two months to appear. When these effects become apparent, it's up to the FDA and other agencies to determine if the numbers of these negative effects outweigh the benefits of a vaccine. if so, the vaccine is pulled and is not allowed to be used. Because of this, there are websites and even apps that allow people with side effects to report them. The effects of vaccines are studied for years after approval and, so far, not only are we far past the two month mark but the chances of experiencing se...