DeepSummary
The podcast discusses two studies using ancient DNA to reveal insights about human history and health. One study analyzed the remains of child sacrifices in an ancient Maya city, revealing they were closely related boys, likely connected to a Maya myth. The other study traced the historical spread of malaria across the globe by detecting the disease in ancient human remains.
The episode also covers how dogs can act as sentinels for human health by sharing our living environments and being exposed to similar pollutants and chemicals. A proposed epidemiological study of dogs could help detect areas at risk and learn about disease progression. However, creating such a system would require standardizing data collection from veterinary practices.
A sponsored segment discusses the growing role of immunology in understanding and treating major diseases like cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. The guests highlight the importance of collaboration between researchers and clinicians, ethical considerations like treatment accessibility, and the potential for precisely controlling the immune system within the next decade.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Ancient DNA analysis is revealing new insights into historical human practices like child sacrifice rituals and the ancient spread of diseases like malaria.
- Dogs can act as sentinels for human health by sharing our living environments and exposures to pollutants, chemicals, and other factors.
- A proposed dog epidemiology study could help identify disease risks and understand disease progression by standardizing data collection from veterinary practices.
- Immunology is becoming increasingly relevant for understanding and treating major diseases beyond infectious diseases and allergies.
- Collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and disciplines is driving innovation in immunology and the development of new treatments.
- Ethical considerations like treatment accessibility and diversity in clinical trials need to be addressed as immunotherapies advance.
- Researchers envision achieving precise, programmable control over the immune system within the next decade based on current progress.
- Innovation often stems from applying existing technologies or methods to new disciplines in novel combinations.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Almost never in archaeology do you have something that's so clear a pattern. All of them were boys.“ by Andrew Curry
- “Down the road, beginning, absolute beginning of this. I mean, what we've seen in the last 15 years, if you think of the history of medicine, I mean, it's incredible where we're going. I think within ten years, I'm going to use this expression, total programmable control of the immune system, I think will be possible.“ by Brian D. Brown
- “The beauty of the immune system is that it will eliminate the cancer cells and recognize that the cells next to it is normal and it will spare that normal cell. So something that traditional therapy like chemotherapy, radiation, doesn't do well.“ by Marya Merad
Entities
Person
Organization
Product
Episode Information
Science Magazine Podcast
Science Magazine
6/13/24
On this week’s show: Companion animals such as dogs occupy the same environment we do, which can make them good sentinels for human health, and DNA gives clues to ancient Maya rituals and malaria’s global spread
Contributing Correspondent Andrew Curry joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss two very different studies that used DNA to dig into our past. One study reveals details of child sacrifices in an ancient Maya city. The other story is on the surprising historical reach of malaria, from Belgium to the Himalayas to South America.
Next on the show, using our canine companions to track human health. Courtney Sexton, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, talks about what we can learn from these furry friends that tend to be exposed to many of the same things we are such as pesticides and cleaning chemicals.
Finally, in a sponsored segment from the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office, Jackie Oberst, associate editor of custom publishing, interviews professors Miriam Merad and Brian Brown about the evolution of immunology in health care. This segment is sponsored by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy.
Authors: Sarah Crespi; Andrew Curry
Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zxgwbqo
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices