🧬 Now prescribing: cancer fighting smoothie and the electric sleeping pill 🥤⚡️

Welcome to The Splice! Blending up the latest in biotech and longevity to supercharge your week. Ready? Let’s shake things up.

In this fortnight’s issue

• A probiotic smoothie to treat cancer? 🥤🦠🔬

• From Zzzzz to Zzzzap: Meet the electric sleeping pill 🌙⚡

• Nuralink without the brain surgery? Brought to you by the team behind Stephen Hawking’s brain-computer interface 🧠💻

• Harvard scientists get to work on the real question: how old is Keanu Reeves really? 🚀🕰️

The Next Big Thing in Cancer Treatment? Bacteria. Yep, You Read That Right.

We've been throwing CAR-T cells (think of them like immune system assassins) at blood cancers like leukemia with some serious success for years. But solid tumors? Not so much. The problem is that CAR-T cells are like if Liam Neeson from 'Taken' had a crossover with 'Dora the Explorer.' They've got the 'I will find you, and I will kill you' vibe down pat, but just like Dora, they often need a little help spotting what's right under their nose. Enter the bacteria, ready to guide them in the right direction.

Bacteria to the Rescue!

Columbia Engineering's synthetic biologists have a new game plan: using probiotics (fancy term for good bacteria - like in yogurt) to make tumors glow in the dark for CAR-T cells. Prof. Tal Danino's team teaches these bacteria to tag tumors with a marker that CAR-T cells can't resist. It's like giving your dog a scent to track – and these cells are on it!

One Smoothie to Rule Them All

Traditionally, every tumor type and every patient needed a custom CAR-T solution. Think of it like needing a different key for every lock. But this? This is like having a master key. Rosa Vincent, one of the brainiacs behind the study, says, "We're using bacteria to set the target, and the T cells are going in for the takedown."

Safety First, People

While this might sound straight out of a sci-fi movie, the ProCAR platform (as they call it) isn't just incredible—it's safe. They've tested it across multiple cancer models, the results: human T cells get an extra kick from these bacteria buddies.

What's next: A Smoothie to Battle Cancer?

Not quite, but with all the good bacteria in yogurt, who knows what's next on the menu? Prof. Danino and team are still in the lab, but things are looking up. With a culture (get it?) of collaboration, this cancer-fighting concoction could be closer than we think. So, the next time you sip on that probiotic drink, give a nod to these cancer-fighting champs. Cheers to the future! 🥤🦠🔬

From Zzzzzz to Zzzzap: Meet the Electric Sleeping Pill

In our sleep-deprived world, where one in three adults struggles to get the recommended 7 hours of rest, a groundbreaking solution might be on the horizon. Forget conventional sleeping pills, which come with a host of side effects and dwindling efficacy. Scientists have zoned in on an electrifying alternative: transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

Researchers recruited 25 participants to test this non-invasive electrical brain stimulation. The study was designed around two tACS approaches: one with a fixed stimulation pattern and the other personalized based on an individual's unique brain frequency profile. Participants donned a custom-designed headband, applying stimulation for 15 minutes right before sleep. The results? Personalized tACS extended sleep by 22 minutes compared to the control group and outperformed the fixed stimulation approach by 19 minutes. Moreover, it helped participants fall asleep 6 minutes faster.

This approach especially shines for those with clinical insomnia. Among participants with severe sleep issues, personalized tACS boosted sleep duration by 33 minutes compared to fixed stimulation.

With zero harmful side effects and the possibility to cater the treatment to individual brain profiles, tACS offers a promising alternative to traditional sleep aids. Not only could this be the dawn of a new era in sleep therapy, but it might also provide hope for the 30% of the population battling insomnia.

In a nutshell, think less of popping pills and more of plugging into better sleep. The future of rest is electric. 🌙⚡

Nuralink is cool and all, but do I really need brain surgery?

Brain-decoding trailblazers Arctop have bagged $10 million in Series A funding to fast-track their next-level tech that reads our minds using wearable devices. Think headbands and earbuds that decode your brain's electric signals, diving deep into your feelings and intentions. Co-founded by the brains behind Stephen Hawking's non-invasive communication system, Dr. Dan Furman, Arctop is working to make our lives better, from improving sleep to decoding thoughts into actions. They're already making waves in the medical world, teaming up with big names like Stanford Medicine. And for those concerned about brain privacy (yes, it's a thing), the company ensures users remain in control of their data. Investors like Fifth Growth Fund and Supermoon Capital are betting big on Arctop, believing in its transformative potential for human-centered tech.

How Old Are You Really? Harvard’s New Tech Has Some Answers

Keanu Reeves might hold the secret to immortality. But, the DNA detectives at Harvard and TruDiagnostic have just supercharged their age-calculating tech, and it's about to reveal why some of us age like Keanu and others... not so much. On top of that, they're dishing out insights for future treatments to curb age-related ailments.

The Nitty-Gritty:

Age is, sadly, the VIP pass to most chronic diseases. And while old-school DNA clocks could give you a glimpse of your biological age, they couldn't explain why some age faster than a ripe banana in the sun and others like fine wine. But that's about to change.

Dr. Jessica Lasky-Su from Harvard's expert squad shared, "Aging's a beast. So, we compiled one of the most badass aging datasets around" (ok, maybe not in those exact words). They combined proteomics, metabolomics, medical histories, and DNA methylation to craft their perfect clock.

So how good is it anyway?

Here's the kicker: this shiny new age clock, the OMICm Age clock, can predict if you're kicking the bucket within the next 10 years with 90% accuracy. Compare that to a mere 75.6% when going by how many candles are on your birthday cake.

Feeling a year younger? According to the study, if your OMICm Age drops a year, you could add 1.7 years to your time on Earth.

Looking deep inside:

While we're busy marveling at Keanu's ageless looks, these gene genies have made headway in something even more fascinating: predicting which of our organ systems might be aging faster than others. We're talking about the chance to spot-check your heart, liver, or lungs for some advanced wear and tear. This kind of deep dive not only shines a light on individual aging biology but also paves the way for timely interventions or strategies.

TruDiagnostic's Varun Dwaraka adds, "With our new predictors, we can tell you more about what's happening inside your body than ever before, just from a tiny blood sample."

To summarize, this groundbreaking work isn't just about making you feel old (or young!). It's about clearly understanding how and why we age and which factors speed up that clock paving the way for future treatments. 🚀🕰️

Shorts:

• Lab experiments show that espresso shots help to break down plaques that cause Alzheimer's. If that gives me an excuse for another coffee - so be it.

• The market for single-use bioreactors is growing at a whopping 17%. Check it out.

• Scientists have used stem cells to model a two-week-old human embryo without going through the whole sperm-in-egg thing. Opening the door to life's first moments, all without ethical quandaries!

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