3D-Printed Human Cells Used In Ear Transplant Surgery
The astonishing advance, reported in The New York Times, represents a clinical trial of some breakthrough technology, in this case used to help a young woman born with a misshapen ear. In other news, drinking coffee may lower your risk of dying, advances in pregnancy test tech, and more.
The New York Times:
Doctors Transplant 3-D Printed Ear Made Of Human Cells
A 20-year-old woman who was born with a small and misshapen right ear has received a 3-D printed ear implant made from her own cells, the manufacturer announced on Thursday. Independent experts said that the transplant, part of the first clinical trial of a successful medical application of this technology, was a stunning advance in the field of tissue engineering. (Rabin, 6/2)
In other research —
The New York Times:
Coffee Drinking Linked To Lower Risk Of Dying, New Study Finds
That morning cup of coffee may be linked to a lower risk of dying, researchers from a study published Monday in The Annals of Internal Medicine concluded. Those who drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee per day, even with a teaspoon of sugar, were up to 30 percent less likely to die during the study period than those who didn’t drink coffee. Those who drank unsweetened coffee were 16 to 21 percent less likely to die during the study period, with those drinking about three cups per day having the lowest risk of death when compared with noncoffee drinkers. (Blum, 6/1)
Stat:
Scientists Win Kavli Prize For Discovering Genes Underlying Brain Disorders
Four neuroscientists who discovered the genes involved in a host of serious brain disorders on Wednesday won this year’s $1 million Kavli Prize in neuroscience, honoring arduous work undertaken long before sequencing of the human genome accelerated investigations of what goes wrong in the brain. Together, research by the four winners — Jean-Louis Mandel of France, Harry Orr of the U.S., Christopher Walsh of the U.S., and Huda Zoghbi of Lebanon and the U.S. — revealed the genetic underpinnings of Fragile X syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia, Rett syndrome, and rare forms of epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder. (Cooney, 6/1)
Stat:
Can Wearables Turn Temperature Into A Pregnancy Test?
Your smartwatch can ping you about an irregular heartbeat. Your phone can assess your fall risk. And now, research suggests temperature trends picked up by wearables can tell you if you’re pregnant before you even think to take a test. Looking at temperature data from 30 women who became pregnant while wearing an Oura ring, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that nightly maximum temperatures were noticeably higher two to nine days after sex that ultimately led to conception. Retrospectively, they showed how that temperature shift could have been used as a passive pregnancy notification — one that, for these users, would have popped up about nine days before they received a positive test. (Palmer, 6/2)
Fox News:
Is Love At First Sight Really Determined Within The First Two Minutes?
Finding true love may actually be due to how well your body synch’s up with your partner, according to researchers from Jerusalem. A recent study shows that mutual romantic interest and sexual attraction during a first date may not be left up to fate, but rather up to the couple’s bodies being in tune with each other, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports. "We found that successful dates are characterized by increased electrodermal synchrony in the first two minutes," researchers stated in the published study. (McGorry, 6/1)
