How to Rewind the Clock on Arthritic Cartilage

knee cartilage
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new study in Aging Cell describes how a key protein called Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) might turn back the clock on aging cartilage that leads to osteoarthritis.

“STAT3 performs an astonishing repertoire of roles in development and regeneration, as well as inflammatory disease and cancer. In this study, we found an innovative chemical approach for reversing aging of joint-forming cells in a clinically relevant manner, because this intervention is simple and fully controlled,” said the study’s co-corresponding author Denis Evseenko, who is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at USC, and holds the J. Harold and Edna LaBriola Chair in Genetic Orthopedic Research.

“We wanted to ...

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Chance Discovery could Extend Battery Life by Replacing Tape that Causes Self‑discharge

Chance discovery could extend battery life by replacing tape that causes self‑discharge
Commercial battery cells contain tape—like Scotch tape—that holds electrodes together and chemical decomposition of it creates a molecule leading to self-discharge. Credit: Bram Van Oost/Unsplash

It happens far too often: you plug your laptop in and walk away only to return hours or days later to find it has lost some of its charge despite sitting idle and unused.

The phenomenon—called self-discharge—has frustrated users and industry alike, and puzzled manufacturers trying to determine why lithium-ion battery cells tend to lose some of their charge over time.

A researcher at Dalhousie has identified a surprisingly common culprit that, if replaced, could address an enduring problem for the industry.

“In commercial battery cells there is tape—like Scotch tape—that holds ...

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How did the Butterfly Nebula get its Wings? It’s complicated

A color rendition of NGC 6302, the Butterfly Nebula, created from black-and-white exposures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2019 and 2020. In the violet-colored regions, strong stellar winds are actively reshaping the nebular wings over the past 900 years. The other features range in age from 1200 to 2300 years.Bruce Balick/University of Washington/Joel Kastner/Paula Baez Moraga/Rochester Institute of Technology/Space Telescope Science Institute

Something is amiss in the Butterfly Nebula. When astronomers compared two exposures of this planetary nebula that had been taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009 and 2020, they saw dramatic changes in the material within its ‘wings...

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The ‘Guardian of the Genome’ Protects against Cardiovascular Disease

The 'guardian of the genome' protects against cardiovascular disease
The analysis of human samples and animal experiments demonstrate that the presence of p53 gene mutations in the blood increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis, the principle cause of cardiovascular disease. Credit: CNIC

A team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), working in collaboration with institutes in the U.S., has demonstrated that acquired mutations in the gene encoding the protein p53 contribute to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Known as the “guardian of the genome,” p53 helps to maintain the integrity of the hereditary material inside cells by regulating multiple cell functions in response to cellular stresses.

Every day, an adult person generates hundreds of thousands of blood cells...

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