Cellular Therapies and Research Models – the Powers of MSCs
We gave you an introduction to mesenchymal cells (MSCs) in one of our earlier Cell of the Month posts. Staying with the theme of recapitulating in vivo development processes (check out our most...
What’s All the Fuss About Organoids?
In the modern fast-paced worlds of research and medicine, disease models that take us closer to the real-life situation are highly desirable. While we can’t discredit the power of in vitro cell...
Can Genetics Explain Schizophrenia?
In one of our recent posts, we addressed the types of genetic variability that exist in humans and why a greater understanding of these is critical in diagnostics, for predicting our response to new...
Genetic Variability in Humans – Why Does It Matter?
Genetic variability can be defined as the genetic differences that exist within or between populations of individuals, and explains the remarkable differences between humans, despite the fact that...
Alzheimer’s Disease – Hypotheses Old and New – Part Two
In our last post, we walked through some of the canonical hypotheses surrounding Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), but what about all the other hypotheses that are knocking around? Since AD’s discovery over...
Alzheimer’s Disease – Hypotheses Old and New – Part One
The Discovery of Alzheimer’s Disease The Alzheimer’s story began when the German physician Dr. Aloysius Alzheimer reported distinctive plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of deceased...
Neurotoxins: how we test chemical hazards
“I’m on a juice only diet to flush out the toxins in my body.” Living in California has many perks, from the sun, to the food, to the diversity of people you meet. One phenomenon I could probably do...
Your cells’ midnight snack: what is autophagy?
You come home from a weekend away. You can’t wait to jump into your slippers, put your feet up and settle down with your favourite show. *sniff sniff* You start to notice a weird smell and after a...
What is Mitochondrial Dysfunction?
Every middle school biology student is told the same lies. Well, perhaps it’s more fair to say the same, “incredible oversimplifications of the truth”. In biology 101, I was told that the nucleus is...