The brightest take on this week’s science
We’ve got some exciting health discoveries to share with you this week!
A low-key genius breakthrough gets us closer to an osteoporosis treatment.
Plus – an in-depth analysis of one of the world’s oldest people hints at what it takes to live for 117 years.
Also in this issue:
🤯 A mind-blowing science fact (not all barnacles cling to the outside)
🔬 A microscope mystery
Keep scrolling for more!
LOW-KEY GENIUS
New Breakthrough Could Reverse Osteoporosis
(Science Photo Library/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images)
Human bones are in a constant state of renewal, but those with osteoporosis are losing bone faster than they can make it.
Scientists have now discovered a way to increase bone strength in mice, and they hope that one day, it could translate to a much-needed treatment for bone loss in humans.
When the GPR133 gene is activated, cells that create bone work harder.
Mice without this gene show signs of earlier osteoporosis, similar to humans.
But when the gene is present, bone production and strength are improved.
Molecular biologist Juliane Lehmann says the findings highlight “the great potential” this drug target holds for an aging population.
HEADLINES
What Else We're Watching
🏅This week’s most read: After 60 Years, Diabetes Drug Found to Unexpectedly Impact The Brain
LOOK IN
117-Year-Old Woman Reveals Clues to Long Life
Maria Branyas in 1925. (Wikimedia Commons/PD)
When Maria Branyas passed in 2024, she was the oldest living person in the world, with 117 years under her belt.
A thorough evaluation of her health data now suggests that Branyas lived for so long in part because of her exceptionally young genome.
She possessed rare gene variants linked to longevity, immune function, and a healthy heart and brain.
The supercentenarian’s immune system and gut microbiome both matched much younger cohorts.
She had extremely low levels of 'bad' cholesterol and very high levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.
Strangely though, her telomeres, which are linked to a higher risk of death, showed "huge erosion". But there may be a good reason for that …
ZOOM ZONE
Microscope Mystery: What Do You See?
(Rozzychan/CC BY-SA 4.0)
A) Neurons
B) Uterine lining
C) Breast cancer
D) Bone cells
Answer at the bottom.
LOOK OUT
Fish Buttholes Are Linked to Your Fingers?
(kuritafsheen/RooM/Getty Images)
Fish buttholes and human fingers have a lot in common... genetically speaking.
Scientists have now found evidence that the genes behind digit formation first originated to control the formation of fish cloacas, some 380 million years ago.
Comparing the genomes of zebrafish and mice, researchers found that the DNA machinery behind the buttholes of ancient fish was later repurposed to form fingers in four-legged species.
Fish fingers, anyone?
WOW FACTOR
Science Fact of the Week
(Chase Dekker Wild-Life Images/Getty Images)
Not all barnacles cling to the outsides of their hosts. Some burrow right through, creating internal, root-like networks within the bodies of other animals.
These long parasitic tendrils allow the barnacle to pull the strings of its host, like a hidden puppeteer.
Barnacles that grow inside of crabs, for instance, trick their host into thinking they’re pregnant. That way, the crabs protect and promote the growing mass inside of their bodies as they would a clump of eggs.
DOPAMINE HIT
Before You Go…
Did you know our Sun is becoming more active? Solar flares like the one below are ramping up, and scientists don’t know why.
Microscope answer: Breast cancer
Not all breast cancers grow in clumps. This particular type, called MCF-7, mostly expands in flat, cobblestone-like arrangements. Similar to brain cells, these cancer cells probe their surrounding environment with long, finger-like tendrils.
That’s all for today… see you next week!
- Carly
