The Most Promising Scientific Discoveries of 2017 | Reader’s Digest – Reader’s Digest

A therapy that reverses aging in mice

olivialazer/ShutterstockAs we age, senescent, or damaged,cells build up in our tissues, possibly promoting age-related diseases. Scientists from the Netherlands developed a molecule that purges those cells. When tried on elderly mice, their fur regrew, their kidney function improved, and they could run twice as far as untreated mice.One scientist called it a landmark advance in the field of aging. Since we're not mice, try eating these foods to add years to your life.

via renovacareinc.comIf a burn victim's wounds are severe, home remedies for burns aren't nearly enough. So biomedical scientists have created a device that sprays stem cells onto wounds, helping them grow a new, healthy layer of skin in as few as four days. Biotech firm RenovaCare recently obtained a patent for the SkinGun and has used it to successfully treat dozens of burn patients in trials. While the device still needs FDA approval, its a game changer that could help eliminate the painful and scarring process of skin grafting.

Auscape/UIG/ShutterstockA bite from an Australian funnel-web spider could kill you in 15 minutes if not treated promptly. But scientistsdiscovered that a peptide found in the venom of one speciesmay protect brain cells from being destroyed by a stroke, even whengiven eight hours after the event. If the treatment fares well in human trials, it may become the first drug that can protect against stroke-induced brain damage. These are signs of a stroke you might be ignoring.

via imdb.comScientists in Toronto identified a new species of dinosaur and named it Zuul, after the doglike monster in the 1984 film Ghostbusters. Like its namesake, the dinosaur hadhorns behind its eyes, spikes on its face, and a barbed, sledgehammer-like tail. The dinosaurs fossilized skeleton, unearthedin Montana, is one of the most complete ankylosaursarmored, lizard-like dinosaursever found, with skull and tail club intact.

LARRY-W.-SMITH/EPA/ShutterstockScientists discovered that the slime covering the skin of a frog from southern India contains antimicrobial peptides that destroy bacteria and virusesincludingkeystrains of the human fluwhile protecting normal cells. So far, the therapy has been used only in the lab. These are 6 clear signs you have the flu.

Marko-Koni/imageBROKER/REX/ShutterstockScientists found a new antimicrobial compound in the blood of Komodo dragons, the worlds largest lizards. In the lab, the substancehealedinfected wounds on mice faster than existing options, potentially giving doctors a new tool to fight antibiotic-resistant infections. Not sure if your cut in infected?Look for these tell-tale signs.

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