Passing on protection

A woman who had Covid-19 while pregnant (but not when she gave birth) had a baby born with antibodies against the virus, even though she no longer does. How long will they last in little Aldrin*? What does it mean for getting the vaccine during pregnancy? You know the mantra: Further study is needed.

* If he doesn’t go by “Buzz” he’s really missing an opportunity.

CRISPR vs AIDS

Scientists at Temple University have used the CRISPR gene-editing technique to — get this — edit out the SIV from infected monkey cells. SIV is the simian version of HIV, so this technique could be a precursor to using CRISPR as a treatment, or even a cure, for AIDS.

Who gets the vaccine first?

It’s up to the states.

The Trump administration is leaving it up to governors to decide who gets the vaccine and when. It’s an ultimate test of federalism and of each state’s executive’s ability to act decisively at warp speed as the deaths pile up and struggling businesses face desperate circumstances.

A different cholesterol danger

What if it’s not cholesterol but triglycerides — or, rather, the remnants of triglycerides — that are the major factor for heart disease? Spanish researchers think that might be the case.

So-called “remnant cholesterol” is left over when triglyceride-rich lipoproteins pass through arterial walls. The proteins are degraded, but the remnants in the arteries “may play a causal role in atherosclerosis development.” In fact…

In a new study, levels of triglycerides and remnant cholesterol — but not LDL or HDL — were associated with major CVD outcomes, independent of lifestyle and other risk factors.

Green tea, grapes, and chocolate vs Covid

Certain foods, it seems, have chemicals that can block one of the enzymes the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to infect the body. At least, that’s what plant biologists at North Carolina State University think.

Specifically, “chemical compounds from green tea, two varieties of muscadine grapes, cacao powder and dark chocolate” were able to bind to the virus’s “main protease” or Mpro.

“Mpro has a portion that is like a ‘pocket’ that was ‘filled’ by the chemical compounds. When this pocket was filled, the protease lost its important function.”

In case you’re going shopping, keep in mind that green tea and grapes (the skin and seeds) had the biggest effect.

Glow-in-the-dark infection detector

If you want to detect an infection, sending a sample to a lab is sooooo 2020. German researchers have a better way, combining buzzwords as only the Germans can. Their new technique can detect pathogens using fluorescent nanosensors build with carbon nanotubes.

“Explain like I’m five,” you say. Sure thing: Germans made tiny particles that glow when they find certain bacteria.

One cool use: Implants that glow if they become infected.

A silver lining … with a cloud

The first blood test to help detect Alzheimer’s is now available, even if it’s still awaiting FDA approval. At the moment it’s intended for older people who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s.

But here’s the scary thought: If it becomes available to everyone, would you take it, knowing there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s?

It’s not easy being green

The thing about organic veggies is that organic fertilizer can make you sick. In fact, it keeps making people sick.

The [CDC] currently has three open investigations on Escherichia coli outbreaks—two directly linked to leafy greens and the other involving a bacterial strain that caused an outbreak in 2018 linked to romaine lettuce. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration had issued four separate safety alerts for recalled salad fixings this month.

Vitamin D gets more complicated

Two facts that seem contradictory:

  1. People with lower levels of vitamin D are more susceptible to all sorts of diseases.
  2. Taking vitamin D supplements doesn’t seem to help.

Researchers at UC San Diego think they have the answers.

Why does having enough vitamin D keep you healthy? It seems to increase the diversity of the gut microbiome, especially bacteria that produce butyrate, “a beneficial fatty acid that helps maintain gut lining health.”

But why do supplements (and even sunlight) fail? Because it doesn’t matter how much vitamin D you take in, it matters how well the body can metabolize it. So “maybe that’s what clinical trials need to measure in order to get a more accurate picture of the vitamin’s role in health.”

It looks like the writers are teasing the next season

“Sun-Like Star Identified As the Potential Source of the Wow! Signal“. (An amateur astronomer thinks he’s discovered the source of a mysterious signal detected in space in 1977. )

“Scientists Confirm Entirely New Species of Gelatinous Blob From The Deep, Dark Sea“.

Ants can build their own body armor.