Touchpoint 1
Heart Regeneration Induced by FDA-Approved Antibiotics
What is it?
Human hearts don’t easily repair themselves after a heart attack or other heart damage. But small newborn animals can repair their hearts if damaged if the animal is less than 7 days old. Scientists think the agility to repair our heart turns off as we get older. And the use of a couple antibiotics may turn that repair function on again.
Potential message to students:
Do you know anyone who had a heart attack? Do they now have to take it easy? Do you think drugs can block something that prevents human hearts from healing faster? Do you think drugs may be used in other organs to speed up healing?
Touchpoint 2
Blood Test Detects 24-Hour of Sleep Deprivation
What is it?
A very accurate blood test can be used to identify someone who has been awake for 24 hours.
Potential message to students:
Do you think blood testing can be expanded to someone who is not getting good sleep over a week or more? If the blood test becomes easy to administer, do you think we should test surgeons, pilots, truck drivers and others on a random basis?
Touchpoint 3
Revolutionizing prostate cancer diagnostics with 3d pathology and deep learning
What is it?
250,000 men get prostate cancer each year. Urologists will take a biopsy and analyze it to get a score for the prostate cancer. This test destroys the biopsy and may not give accurate results. A new 3D imaging biopsy method can be used that does not harm the biopsy tissue and uses technology to better score the prostate cancer.
Potential message to students:
Can this new 3D technology be used for all cancers? Can it be used for any tumor or anything biopsied from the human body? Do you think this will change how quickly we can diagnose cancer? Do you think this technology will lead to new treatments?