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How a ‘sixth sense’ helps Simone Biles fly, and the rest of us walk
Posted on September 23, 2016 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: ND Final Project, ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

[describe image in words]Dmitri Lovetsky/AP

Scientists are finally beginning to understand proprioception, a sense that tells us where our body is in space. Much of what they’ve learned comes from a study of two girls with a rare genetic disorder. That study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Read more at NPR.org

News & Views: Scientists discover a 6th taste, and it’s quite a disgusting mouthful
Posted on August 3, 2015 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: MD Lesson1-5, MD Unit1, Metabolic Disease, ND Final Project, ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

Francisco Seco/AP

To the ranks of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, researchers have added a sixth: “oleogustus,” or the taste for fat. But nutrition scientist Rick Mattes says it’s far from delicious. Found in rancid food, it’s often an unpleasant warning. The finding was announced in the journal Chemical Senses last month.

Read more at NPR.org.

News & Views: The Gene for Sweet: Why we don’t all taste sugar the same way
Posted on July 27, 2015 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: MD Unit1, Metabolic Disease, ND Final Project, ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

Ryan Kellman/NPR

We know that a gene can determine how strongly we experience bitter flavors. Scientists wanted to know if this was also true for sweet. Their study shows genetics may affect our taste for sugar, too.

Read more at NPR.org.

News & Views: Genetic tweaks are restoring hearing in animals, raising hopes for people
Posted on July 22, 2015 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: ND Final Project, ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

Roy Scott/Ikon Images/Corbis

The latest accomplishment for gene therapy involves mice with inherited deafness. Meanwhile, the drugmaker Novartis is conducting the first trial of gene therapy for people with hearing loss.

Read more at NPR.org.

News & Views: A new therapy for colorblindness?
Posted on April 2, 2015 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

a simulation of what color blindness looks likeCourtesy of Neitz Laboratory

Six years ago, husband-and-wife scientists used gene therapy to cure colorblindess in monkeys. Now they’re trying to make it work for the millions of people with faulty color vision.

Read more at NPR.org.

News & Views: Human Embryonic Stem Cells Help Restore Vision
Posted on October 15, 2014 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

Steven Schwartz

A new study published in Lancet on Tuesday presents the first strong evidence that human embryonic stem cells are helping patients. Human embryonic stem cells, which can become any cell in the body, have long been thought of as a source for replacement tissue. In this study, stem cells were transformed into retinal pigment epithelium cells, and then injected into one eye of patients going blind. After injection, the patients were followed for an average of 22 months, and two of them for over three years. While the study was mostly designed to see if the treatment was safe, many of the patients were pleasantly surprised that their vision improved due to treatment. In fact, vision improved by what is considered to be a significant amount in eight of the eighteen treated eyes. The scientists caution though that this work is in its early stages, but are expanding the trial and following more patients.

Read more of New York Time’s coverage at NYTimes.com.

News & Views: Amputee feels in real-time with bionic hand
Posted on September 2, 2014 by Katherine Malanson | Categories: ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders | | Add comment |

Sorensen using bionic hand

Dennis Aabo Sorensen became the first amputee to feel sensory information in real-time from a prosthetic that had been wired the nerves in his upper arm. With the new prosthetic, Sorensen can grasp objects intuitively and can identify the shape and texture of objects by touch while blindfolded.

Read more and watch a video of Sorensen here.

News and Views: Got Smell? There’s An App For That
Posted on November 20, 2013 by Jane Newbold | Categories: ND Lesson1-4, ND Unit1, Neurological Disorders, News | | Add comment |

The Japanese company Scentee has created an attachment for the iPhone that can spray out scents ranging from flowers to cooked meats. In their commercial, the company makes it seem like smelling food can actually hold off cravings, yet scientists beg to differ. You’ll be able to test it yourself in late November 2013 when Scentee makes its debut in the United States. Read more at NPR’s coverage: A Japanese iPhone Gadget Teases The Tummy With Food Smells