Latest news with #LUCA
Korea Herald
27-06-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Drug-Free Nasal Spray LUCA V-Defense Creates a Protective Shield Against Viruses and Allergies
SEOUL, South Korea, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, influenza, and Mycoplasma pneumonia continue to spread, the need for safe, non-pharmaceutical prevention options is growing. South Korea–based biotech firm LUCA AICELL has developed LUCA V-Defense Nasal Spray, a drug-free nasal spray designed to form a protective barrier on the nasal lining—offering a modern solution in the post-mask era. A Physical Barrier, Not a Medication Unlike traditional nasal sprays that rely on steroids or antihistamines, LUCA V-Defense forms a non-medicated barrier across the nasal mucosa, the body's first line of defense against airborne pathogens. Instead of using steroids, antihistamines, or vasoconstrictors, LUCA V-Defense relies on lambda carrageenan, a natural compound extracted from red algae, and antimicrobial lipids. These ingredients coat the nasal lining, helping to prevent viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and influenza from binding to mucosal cells. Recent studies have also shown that lambda carrageenan not only possesses antiviral properties but also exhibits anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, helping to reduce allergic reactions in nasal tissues and inhibit histamine release, which may contribute to the prevention of allergic rhinitis. Using LUCA's proprietary lipid nanocoating technology, the nasal spray demonstrated 99.7% antiviral efficacy within one minute in an in vitro third-party COVID-19 lab study overseas. This suggests potential across a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses. Rapid Adoption and International Certifications LUCA AICELL reports that sales of LUCA V-Defense more than tripled in the most recent quarter, signaling increasing consumer interest in preventive nasal sprays. This demand is especially strong among parents and travelers, given that no vaccine currently exists for Mycoplasma pneumonia, a common threat to children. LUCA V-Defense is classified as a medical device, not a pharmaceutical. It holds: These credentials validate its safety for daily use and its alignment with international regulatory standards. Safer than Steroid and Decongestant Sprays Many popular nasal congestion sprays contain steroids or vasoconstrictors like methazoline, which can offer fast symptom relief but are linked to rebound congestion, mucosal thinning, and reduced efficacy with long-term use. LUCA V-Defense addresses these issues with a plant-based, non-pharmaceutical formulation that's free from steroids, antihistamines, and methazoline. It is gentle enough for children, pregnant women, and individuals who suffer from seasonal allergies or chronic rhinitis. Its ease of use, a simple mist inside each nostril, makes it ideal for travel, commutes, or high-exposure environments like offices, schools, or public transit. As the world transitions away from masks and into a new phase of pandemic management, personal preventive tools like LUCA V-Defense are gaining relevance. Whether navigating crowded airports, allergy season, or cold and flu outbreaks, this daily-use nasal spray offers a chemical-free alternative for respiratory defense. "The pandemic changed how we think about personal protection," said a LUCA AICELL spokesperson. "LUCA V-Defense was developed not just for short-term response, but for long-term respiratory wellness. We see it as a smart, science-backed addition to modern health routines."
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
One Single Ancestor Gave Rise to All Life on Earth. Even You.
Hey, Pop Mech readers! Welcome to the first episode of The Astounding Pop Mech Show, our weekly video podcast series where we unpack the weirdest, wildest breakthroughs and try to answer the biggest questions in science, tech, and human ingenuity—one mind-blowing discovery at a time. In this episode, hosts Andrew Daniels and John Gilpatrick dive deep into the mysterious origins of all life on Earth—and the ancient microbe that might be our great-great-great (times a billion) grandparent. A study suggests that LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, may have lived 4.2 billion years ago—earlier than we ever thought—and may have even had an immune system. Andrew and John break down what that means, how scientists figured it out, and why LUCA might just hold the key to understanding your very the full episode above now, and tune in for a new astounding installment every Friday on Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Pixar Announces New Original Film 'Gatto'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors While Pixar is now more well-known for franchises like "Toy Story," "Cars," and most recently "Inside Out," they have often found success with new projects. More Entertainment: Pixar Reveals New 'Toy Story 5' Villain Individual films like "WALL-E," "UP," "Ratatouille," "A Bug's Life," and "Elemental" remain beloved by Disney fans of all ages. And it's looking like "Elio" may continue that success. 🚨 Tickets are on sale NOW for Disney and Pixar's #Elio! 🚨 See it in theaters & 3D June 20 🎟️: — Pixar (@Pixar) May 27, 2025 Now, DisneyPixar CCO Pete Docter has revealed a new original film from the same team that created the underrated "Luca." LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: (L-R) CCO of Pixar Pete Docter, Enrico Casarosa, Andrea Warren, and General Manager/President of Pixar Jim Morris arrive at the world premiere for LUCA, held at the El Capitan... LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: (L-R) CCO of Pixar Pete Docter, Enrico Casarosa, Andrea Warren, and General Manager/President of Pixar Jim Morris arrive at the world premiere for LUCA, held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 17, 2021. More Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney Prior to the Annecy Animation Festival presentation of "Elio," Docter gave exclusive looks at multiple upcoming projects, including the previously announced "Toy Story 5" and "Hoppers." However, a ton of attention has been given to a new original film that is set to release in theaters in 2027: "Gatto." JUST ANNOUNCED: Coming to theaters in 2027 is Disney and Pixar's "Gatto.' 🐈⬛ From 'Luca' director Enrico Casarosa, the film returns to Italy, following a black cat named Nero. Indebted to a feline mob boss, Nero finds himself forced to forge an unexpected friendship that may… — Pixar (@Pixar) June 13, 2025 "Coming to theaters in 2027 is Disney and Pixar's 'Gatto,'" Pixar announced on social media. "From 'Luca' director Enrico Casarosa, the film returns to Italy, following a black cat named Nero. "Indebted to a feline mob boss, Nero finds himself forced to forge an unexpected friendship that may finally lead him to his purpose..." Specifically, Nero's friend is a street artist who seemingly adopts him against his will, per Kevin Giraud of Variety. The film is taking on a unique hand-painted look that will separate itself from other Pixar movies and will utilize Casarosa's keen ability to bring a beautiful Italian city to life. More Entertainment: Best Films to Stream in Summer 2025 on Netflix, Paramount+, Prime Video Casarosa made his directorial debut with "Luca," a heartwarming and gorgeous film that had the unfortunate timing to release during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, "Luca" became the first Pixar film to be released directly to Disney+. It became the most-viewed streaming film of 2021, garnering over 10.6 billion minutes watched. It would later have a short run in theaters and garner multiple accolades, including a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, eventually losing to fellow Disney film "Encanto." Needless to say, fans of "Luca" are ecstatic to see Casarosa bring the same kind of heart, fun, and artistry to another feature film. More Entertainment: 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Canceled Best Netflix Original Films to Watch June 2025 'How To Train Your Dragon' Director Defends Live-Action Remake Changes 'A Minecraft Movie' Hits HBO Max for Free Streaming in June: What to Know For more Disney and entertainment news, head on over to Newsweek Entertainment.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Life on Mars? It probably looks like something you'd find in your stomach
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. María Rosa Pino Otín is a Professor and researcher of Microbiology, Universidad San Jorge We often forget how wonderful it is that life exists, and what a special and unique phenomenon it is. As far as we know, ours is the only planet capable of supporting life, and it seems to have arisen in the form of something like today's single-celled prokaryotic organisms. However, scientists have not given up hope of finding what they call LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor, the ancestral cell from which all living things we know are descended) beyond the confines of our planet. Since humans started dreaming about Martians, scientific understanding has changed significantly. The most recent vehicles to have traversed the Red Planet's surface – the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers – have identified compounds and minerals that suggest its conditions may once have been habitable, but that is the extent of it. Right now, Mars is a reddish desert landscape – attractive but dead, and certainly not home to any little green men. Other nearby planets offer even less hope. Mercury is a scorched rock too close to the sun, Venus' atmosphere is dry and toxic, and the others in our solar system are either made of gas or very far from the sun. So, apart from Mars, the search for other forms of life is focused on satellites, especially those orbiting Jupiter and Saturn. Europa and Enceladus – moons of Jupiter and Saturn, respectively – appear to have large oceans of water under a thick crust of ice that could potentially harbour organic molecules, the building blocks for the origin of life as we know it. These would be nothing like E.T. – they would look more like the simplest terrestrial single-celled organisms. Looking further afield, more than 5,500 planets have been detected orbiting stars other than the sun. Only a few are considered potentially habitable and are currently being researched, but as Carl Sagan said in Contact, "the universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space." Before the 1960s, the conditions on the solar system's most promising satellites would have seemed impossible for life. The prevailing belief until then was that life could only occur under the conditions where we saw multi-cellular organisms survive. Water, mild temperatures between 0⁰ C and 40⁰ C, pH in neutral ranges, low salinity, and sunlight or an equivalent energy source were considered essential for life. However, in the mid-20th century, microbiologist Thomas D. Brock discovered bacteria living in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, where temperatures exceed 70⁰C. Though unrelated to the search for extraterrestrial life at the time, his discovery broadened its scientific possibilities. Since then, organisms known as extremophiles have been found inhabiting a range of extreme conditions on Earth, from the cold of cracks in polar ice to the high pressures of the deep ocean. Bacteria have been found attached to small suspended particles in clouds, in extremely saline environments such as the Dead Sea, or extremely acidic ones, such as Rio Tinto. Some extremophiles are even resistant to high levels of radiation. What was most surprising, however, was finding them inside ourselves. In the 1980s, two Australian doctors, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, began studying gastroduodenal ulcers. Until then, the condition had been attributed to stress or excess gastric acid secretion, which did little to help cure the condition. Warren was a pathologist, and having identified bacteria in gastric biopsy samples from patients, he realized that they had to be considered a cause of the disease. However, he had to fight against the dogma that microorganisms could not grow in the highly acidic environment of the human stomach. Warren conducted his research alone until 1981, when he met Barry Marshall, a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He approached Marshall and asked if he would like to work alongside "that crackpot Warren who's trying to turn gastritis into an infectious disease." In 2005, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastric diseases, a discovery that revolutionized the field of gastroenterology. H. pylori has an amazing array of factors that help it survive in hostile environments, such as flagella that allow it to surf stomach fluids to get close to the stomach wall, breaking through the protective mucus layer and attaching itself to it. Using the enzyme urease, H. pylori degrades urea in the stomach into ammonia and CO₂, creating a higher pH microclimate that allows it to reproduce. As its numbers increase, it releases exotoxins that inflame and damage gastric tissue in the stomach. This is how ulcers eventually develop, as the underlying connective tissue is exposed to the acidity of the stomach. RELATED STORIES: — If Mars has microbe fossils, a laser and rock quarry in Algeria could help find them — Extremophiles on Mars could survive for hundreds of millions of years — We finally know where to look for life on Mars Their discovery showed that even tucked away in our innards – in the walls of our stomachs, subjected to vinegar-like pH levels, total darkness, the violent movements of our digestive systems, harmful enzymes and churning tides of food – life is able to resist and proliferate. The study of extremophile micro-organisms offers the hope that on other bodies in the solar system, or on one of the 5,500 known exoplanets, even in extreme conditions, the extraordinary phenomenon of life may be present. The Martians we dream of today might look more like H. pylori than anything else. Originally published on The Conversation.
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
What life on Mars would probably look like – and it's not little green men
We often forget how wonderful it is that life exists, and what a special and unique phenomenon it is. As far as we know, ours is the only planet capable of supporting life, and it seems to have arisen in the form of something like today's single-celled prokaryotic organisms. However, scientists have not given up hope of finding what they call LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor, the ancestral cell from which all living things we know are descended) beyond the confines of our planet. Since humans started dreaming about Martians, scientific understanding has changed significantly. The most recent vehicles to have traversed the Red Planet 's surface – the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers – have identified compounds and minerals that suggest its conditions may once have been habitable, but that is the extent of it. Right now, Mars is a reddish desert landscape – attractive but dead, and certainly not home to any little green men. Other nearby planets offer even less hope. Mercury is a scorched rock too close to the Sun, Venus' atmosphere is dry and toxic, and the others in our solar system are either made of gas or very far from the Sun. So, apart from Mars, the search for other forms of life is focused on satellites, especially those orbiting Jupiter and Saturn. Europa and Enceladus – moons of Jupiter and Saturn, respectively – appear to have large oceans of water under a thick crust of ice that could potentially harbour organic molecules, the building blocks for the origin of life as we know it. These would be nothing like E.T. – they would look more like the simplest terrestrial single-celled organisms. Looking further afield, more than 5,500 planets have been detected orbiting stars other than the Sun. Only a few are considered potentially habitable and are currently being researched, but as Carl Sagan said in Contact, 'the universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space.' Before the 1960s, the conditions on the solar system's most promising satellites would have seemed impossible for life. The prevailing belief until then was that life could only occur under the conditions where we saw multi-cellular organisms survive. Water, mild temperatures between 0⁰ C and 40⁰ C, pH in neutral ranges, low salinity, and sunlight or an equivalent energy source were considered essential for life. However, in the mid-20th century, microbiologist Thomas D. Brock discovered bacteria living in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park, where temperatures exceed 70⁰C. Though unrelated to the search for extraterrestrial life at the time, his discovery broadened its scientific possibilities. Since then, organisms known as extremophiles have been found inhabiting a range of extreme conditions on Earth, from the cold of cracks in polar ice to the high pressures of the deep ocean. Bacteria have been found attached to small suspended particles in clouds, in extremely saline environments such as the Dead Sea, or extremely acidic ones, such as Rio Tinto. Some extremophiles are even resistant to high levels of radiation. What was most surprising, however, was finding them inside ourselves. In the 1980s, two Australian doctors, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren, began studying gastroduodenal ulcers. Until then, the condition had been attributed to stress or excess gastric acid secretion, which did little to help cure the condition. Warren was a pathologist, and having identified bacteria in gastric biopsy samples from patients, he realised that they had to be considered a cause of the disease. However, he had to fight against the dogma that microorganisms could not grow in the highly acidic enivronment of the human stomach. Warren conducted his research alone until 1981, when he met Barry Marshall, a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He approached Marshall and asked if he would like to work alongside 'that crackpot Warren who's trying to turn gastritis into an infectious disease'. In 2005, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastric diseases, a discovery that revolutionised the field of gastroenterology. H. pylori has an amazing array of factors that help it survive in hostile environments, such as flagella that allow it to surf stomach fluids to get close to the stomach wall, breaking through the protective mucus layer and attaching itself to it. Using the enzyme urease, H. pylori degrades urea in the stomach into ammonia and CO₂, creating a higher pH microclimate that allows it to reproduce. As its numbers increase, it releases exotoxins that inflame and damage gastric tissue in the stomach. This is how ulcers eventually develop, as the underlying connective tissue is exposed to the acidity of the stomach. Their discovery showed that even tucked away in our innards – in the walls of our stomachs, subjected to vinegar-like pH levels, total darkness, the violent movements of our digestive systems, harmful enzymes and churning tides of food – life is able to resist and proliferate. The study of extremophile micro-organisms offers the hope that on other bodies in the solar system, or on one of the 5,500 known exoplanets, even in extreme conditions, the extraordinary phenomenon of life may be present. The Martians we dream of today might look more like H. pylori than anything else.
