Cancer Rates Rise Across Generations and SpaceX Private Spacewalk Delayed

Scientists Alarmed by New Cancer Process and Autonomous Space Pushed Back

By Rachel Feltman, Kelso Harper & Fonda Mwangi

Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners. Let’s start the first full week of August by reading science news. For Scientific American Science Fast, By Rachel Feltman.

Last Wednesday, researchers from the American Cancer Society published a study that suggests that for many types of cancer, the rate of cases is increasing from one generation to another. They found that, for eight of the 34 cancers studied, the number of cases increased during the five-year period they looked at from 1920 to 1990. In other words, the group born in 1965 had higher values ​​than the group born in 1960, but lower values. than the class of 1970, and so on. In the other nine cancers, when the levels had decreased for some time, they started to rise again in small groups. The researchers emphasized that they do not yet have a complete explanation of the process. Although headlines tend to point to a sedentary lifestyle and high body weight as the main cause, especially for the late development of colorectal cancer in young people, other experts desperate to say that these factors alone cannot explain the spike.

But we got some good news in that regard. Last Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new blood test for colorectal cancer. Guardant Health’s test, called the Shield, was previously available as a diagnostic tool for doctors, with an out-of-pocket price of about $900. The Shield does not replace colonoscopies, which are important for detecting—and even removing—polyps that can lead to colon cancer, as well as detecting the cancer itself. Research suggests that the non-invasive blood test is 83% effective in detecting colon cancer, but is most effective in the later stages of the disease. However, because colonoscopies are notoriously time-consuming due to the need to prepare the bowel—which is often uncomfortable—the hope is that this blood test will fill in some of the diagnostic gaps.

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A recent cancer study highlighted the increasingly apparent importance of a healthy microbiome. Scientists have found that certain oral bacteria appear to offer some benefits to people with head and neck cancer, leading to better outcomes. The researchers also found that the type of bacteria in question, the common inhabitant of the mouth is called Fusobacteria, it can kill other cancer cells in the petri dish.

On a completely different health topic, let’s talk about cat poop. Maybe many people have heard about Toxoplasma gondii, parasitic protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis. This virus reproduces in the intestines of cats and infects other mammals through contact with their feces. People can also get it by eating raw or undercooked meat. This virus is notorious for causing infected mice to lose their fear of cats, and for raising the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women. Last week researchers published a new study which suggests that the parasite can be hijacked with good intentions. In short, the scientists used the virus’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is notoriously tricky when it comes to drug delivery. The research is still in its early stages, but it looks like it Toxoplasma gondii can be made to deliver therapeutic proteins to the brain. Scientists have had some success using mouse models.

Now let’s move on to bird flu. Listen, there’s a lot of life this week! I don’t know what to tell you, just news.

Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a $5 million project to vaccinate farm workers against seasonal flu. Although this vaccine does not target H5N1, which is one of the viruses that cause bird flu, it does reduce the risk of catching the flu that is common in humans. The idea is to reduce the risk of people getting the flu to one in two and carrying H5N1 bird flu at the same time as the common flu strain. When viruses stay inside a person, they get a chance to exchange genes. That could lead to a new strain of bird flu that can jump from person to person. Only about half of the US population is susceptible to seasonal flu, so this type of intervention can make a difference. However, some people argue that the US should also vaccinate farm workers against H5N1 itself, as the Finnish government reportedly plans to do. But CDC officials say they are still weighing the benefits and risks.

Okay, that’s enough health stuff for us. We don’t enjoy junk food.

SpaceX is set to send billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman on the first private space flight – but not as much as they had hoped. Backed by Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission was originally scheduled to launch aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in 2022, and the company had just said a liftoff could happen as soon as last Wednesday. At a July 26 press conference, SpaceX pushed the launch to sometime in mid-August. Hopefully everyone involved dips into a Scrooge McDuck-style pool of money to feel better about it.

Finally, we are used to hearing about the discovery of new planets, the discovery of new species, etc. But what about the new one—wood? Scientists say they found that. So generally when we talk about types of wood, we draw a line between hardwood and soft wood. This is not really about the depth of the wood. Hardwoods often come from trees that have flowers and seasonal changes in their leaves. Softwood trees are usually derived from conifers.

In a new study, scientists looked at two existing nanoscale models Liriodendron genus, the Tulip Tree and the Chinese Tulip Tree, and found wood that is not the same size as the mold. This “midwood” structure may help explain why trees grow faster and are better at sequestering carbon. Understanding that process may help scientists choose the best trees for sequestering carbon—and perhaps even engineer plants better suited for the job.

That’s all for this week’s news release. We’ll be back on Wednesday with a little bit of science news for you to chew on. And don’t forget to tune in on Friday for the final installment in our ongoing Fascination miniseries about the wildest aspects of archeology research.

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Science in a Hurry produced by myself, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck watch our show. Our theme music is composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for up-to-date and in-depth scientific content.

For Scientific American, This is Rachel Feltman. Have a great week!