The brightest take on this week’s science
Welcome back to Spark!
You might not know it, but your brain may house a very common parasite that infects billions of humans worldwide.
Scientists once thought the parasite was dormant, but new research suggests it may not be so sleepy after all…
Also in this issue:
💊 A painful side effect of statins, explained
💩 Poop transplants and the fountain of youth
🔬 A microscope mystery
Read on!
LOOK IN
Brain Parasite Not So Sleepy After All
(Todorean Gabriel/Getty Images)
A brain parasite that quietly lives in the central nervous system of billions of humans is not as dormant as scientists once thought.
About a third of the world's human population is infected by Toxoplasma gondii.
The parasite usually lives in the brains of cats and rodents, but it can also infect humans and live within us for a lifetime.
Scientists always thought the parasite became dormant in our brains, but there may be more to the story.
In mice, researchers have found low-level activation of the parasite, even during its long-term dormant stage.
What is it up to in our own brains?
HEADLINES
What Else We're Watching
🏅This week’s most read: Roots of Many Miscarriages May Trace Back To Before The Mother Is Even Born
LOOK OUT
Painful Statin Side Effects, Explained
(Peopleimages.com/YuriArcurs/Canva)
Scientists think they have figured out why around 10 percent of people who take statins to lower their cholesterol end up experiencing a mysterious form of muscle pain.
It’s a common reason why many stop the medication. But perhaps there’s a solution.
In mouse models, statins seem to bind to a protein called RyR1, which triggers calcium ion flow into muscle cells.
If the flow is too great, it can lead to statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS).
Side effects include persistent pain, weakness, tenderness, and cramps.
Perhaps in the future, statins could be redesigned to avoid binding to RyR1.
Or maybe they can be combined with other drugs that close the leaky calcium gates. In mice, at least, that seems to work…
ZOOM ZONE
Microscope Mystery: What Do You See?
(Callista Images/Getty Images)
A) Fallopian tube
B) Comb jelly
C) The windpipe
D) Coral polyp
Answer at the bottom.
LOW-KEY GENIUS
Young Poop Makes Old Mice Youthful
(Sebastian Kaulitzki/Science Photo Library/Getty Images)
Few of us consider poop as medicine, but fecal transplants are emerging as a potential way to rejuvenate the gut.
A new study has now found that giving old mice young poop makes their intestines more youthful.
Stem cell activity increased, producing new intestinal tissue as if the cells were younger.
The effect essentially reversed a natural form of age-related decline in the gut. It was most effective in older mice, not younger mice.
While the results don’t guarantee success in humans, recent clinical trials have produced promising outcomes.
Protecting the gut may be a secret way to stay young and healthy.
WOW FACTOR
Science Fact of The Week
Sometimes orcas in the wild give each other smooches on the lips…
… and they even use tongue.
Scientists suspect the behavior could be used as a form of social grooming, to maintain social bonds, or even to beg.
DOPAMINE HIT
Before You Go…
Stay in control.
Microscope answer: Windpipe
The windpipe, or trachea, which connects the lungs to the larynx, is covered in tiny hairs, or cilia, that stop inhaled particles from infiltrating the bronchi. Only very small pathogens can slip past.
That’s all for today… see you next week!
- Carly
