Episode #782
News Items
Who's That Noisy
- Answer to last week: Pinball Machine
Science or Fiction
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Item #1
Science
Scientists were able to keep pancreas slices alive in culture for up to 10 days and demonstrate regeneration of the insulin-producing cells when stimulated by a growth factor. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17040-8
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Item #2
Fiction
Medical researchers successfully coaxed damaged adult mouse lungs to grow new air sacs, increasing lung capacity and oxygen exchange. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-stem-cell-identified-lung-tissue-regeneration
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Item #3
Science
Researchers were able to reprogram adult cells normally present in the inner ear into sound-sensing hair cells using only four transcription factors. https://stemcell.keck.usc.edu/usc-stem-cell-scientists-find-a-simpler-way-to-make-sensory-hearing-cells/
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
“Pulling bad science apart is the best teaching gimmick I know for explaining how good science really works.” ― Ben Goldacre, I Think You’ll Find it’s a Bit More Complicated Than That