Archive for October, 2006

Mark of the Vampire

Sunday, October 29th, 2006

Bat saliva has an enzyme that may help prevent brain damage in stroke victims.

By Regina Nuzzo
Special to The Times

Los Angeles Times — Health Section
October 30, 2006

Vampire Bat

JUST for the record, vampire bats don’t suck. They lap.

Under the cover of darkness, the mouse-sized Desmodus rotundus flies out from rocky caves to find a sleeping horse or cow. Its razor-sharp incisors carve out a tidy crater of flesh, no bigger than a Halloween M&M, usually without waking its prey.

Then, perched over the welling wound, the vampire bat laps up about a tablespoon of blood — its sole source of nourishment — with a delicate, bright-pink tongue.

Normally, wounds like these would start to heal within minutes. But dinnertime for a vampire bat lasts as long as half an hour. Its saliva contains a special enzyme that immediately liquefies blood clots, keeping the vampire bat’s meal smooth and fresh.

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Of spiders and stitches and more

Sunday, October 29th, 2006

By Regina Nuzzo
Special to The Times

Los Angeles Times — Health Section
October 30, 2006

Spider Silk

Vampire bats aren’t the only ghoulish creatures carrying around potential health treats. Now researchers are eyeing spider webs for a tricky new biomaterial that could be used in various medical applications.

How it’s made:

A typical spider spins six different kinds of silk, says Randy Lewis, professor of molecular biology at the University of Wyoming. Some silks get woven into specific patterns for a web; other kinds become a death shroud for trapped insects. All are bouncy and super-tough. “Typical spider silk is actually five times stronger than steel,” Lewis says.

He and his team have genetically engineered bacteria with synthetic spider silk genes. The bacteria can make spider silk proteins on demand, with varying degrees of strength and elasticity. Lewis collects the protein fibers and then spins his own spider silk in the lab. One Canadian company, Nexia Biotechnologies Inc.’s BioSteel, has also tested other large-scale production mechanisms — in the mammary glands of goats.

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Beyond condoms: male hormonal contraceptives may finally be on track

Monday, October 16th, 2006

Researchers are still optimistic about the ultimate feasibility of a male contraceptive.
By Regina Nuzzo
Special to The Times

Los Angeles Times — Health Section
October 16, 2006

FOUR offspring is plenty for 37-year-old Glen Magdaleno of Los Angeles. “Children are grand, but they’re a bit of a hassle too,” he says. “I love my kids, but I just can’t have any more and still be a good parent.”

Glen Magdaleno of Los Angeles

Not only would Magdaleno, a nursing attendant in a hospital orthopedic ward, be happy to share contraceptive responsibility with his wife, he’d also like for all men to have options beyond condoms, withdrawal or a vasectomy. To those ends, he recently volunteered at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to test one of several male birth control drugs being developed around the world.

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