Must reads

• A May 5, 2014 Forbes article reported that "In the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), four distinguished scientists make an urgent case for reforming how biomedical research is funded and carried out in the United States." According to the article, "Reforming the system to favor creativity and basic research that stands the best chance of yielding important clinical applications will hopefully help the US maintain what the authors refer to as the Golden Age of biomedicine."

• A May 4, 2014 New York Times article reported that "Two teams of scientists published studies on Sunday showing that blood from young mice reverses aging in old mice, rejuvenating their muscles and brains." According to the article, "The experiment indicated that there were compounds in the blood of the young mice that could awaken old stem cells and rejuvenate aging tissue. Likewise, the blood of the old mice had compounds that dampened the resilience of the young mice…In a second study in Science, the team reported that parabiosis spurred the growth of blood vessels in the brain. The new blood supply led to the growth of neurons and gave older mice a sharper sense of smell."

• A May 4, 2014 CBS 60 Minutes broadcast segment reported on a "a groundbreaking study that has revealed some unexpected findings" about individuals that live past 90.