Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Next-Gen Gene Editing Tool 'PASTE' Could Replace Broken Genes
The Boston Globe: MIT Scientists Invent Technology To Replace Broken Genes Or Upload New Ones
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new gene editing technology that they say can “drag-and-drop” large sequences of DNA into the human genome. (Cross, 11/24)
In other science and research —
CNN: Improve Memory As You Age By Eating More Flavonols, Study Says
Eating more flavonols, antioxidants found in many vegetables, fruits, tea and wine, may slow your rate of memory loss, a new study finds. The cognitive score of people in the study who ate the most flavonols declined 0.4 units per decade more slowly than those who ate the fewest flavonols. The results held even after adjusting for other factors that can affect memory, such as age, sex and smoking, according to the study recently published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. (LaMotte, 11/28)
CNN: Secrets Of 'SuperAgers' With Superior Memories Into Their 80s
Despite volunteering and working out at the gym several days each week, socializing frequently with friends and family, reading all manner of books and doing daily crossword puzzles, 85-year-old Carol Siegler is restless. “I’m bored. I feel like a Corvette being used as a grocery cart,” said Siegler, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Palatine. (LaMotte, 11/27)
The Boston Globe: The Secret To Longer, Healthier Life? Ambitious New Trial Focuses On ‘Super Agers’ And Seeks Thousands Of Families
Dr. Thomas Perls has for decades studied so-called super agers, people who live deep into their 90s and beyond, essentially unburdened by the typical diseases of old age. He is convinced that the secret to this remarkable longevity is buried in people’s genes and passed down through generations. (Lazar, 11/27)
The Washington Post: Can Exercise Keep Parkinson's Disease At Bay?
Retired running coach Bob Sevene, 79, struggled after his 2019 Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. The longtime runner suddenly began leaning to the right and was unable to straighten up. He started wearing a back brace and using a walker. A year ago, Sevene began twice-weekly exercise classes designed for Parkinson’s patients that include high-intensity bouts of noncontact boxing. He also started daily 25-minute speed sessions on a stationary bike and running brief sprints in the hallway outside his apartment. (Cimons, 11/26)
USA Today: A Step Toward Figuring Out Migraines? Scans Show How The Condition Affects The Brain
When analyzing the results of the scans, researchers noticed those with chronic or episodic migraines had much enlarged perivascular spaces – the fluid-filled spaces that surround blood vessels in the brain and clear the area of waste – compared to those that don't have migraines. (Mendoza, 11/24)
The Boston Globe: Point32Health Evaluating Blood Test Benefit To Screen For 50 Types Of Cancer
Susan Downard’s father died of lung cancer; one of her grandfathers was also diagnosed with the disease. Then, about 12 years ago, doctors found a node on one of Downard’s lungs. It wasn’t cancerous, but given her family history, she was concerned. “You have that in your head forever,” she said. (Johnston, 11/27)
