Medical

  The development and supply of a 24mm diameter fixed focus non-browning lens to a market leader in radiotherapy equipment, has been reported by Resolve Optics.

Researchers in Singapore have developed a protein that can alter DNA in living cells with much higher precision than current methods. The ability to alter DNA accurately will open more doors in the development of personalised medicine that could help to tackle human diseases that currently have few treatment options. Examples of diseases that have unmet therapeutic needs include neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's disease, muscular ...

Individual cells within a tumor are not all the same. This may sound like a modern medical truism, but it wasn't very long ago that oncologists assumed that taking a single biopsy from a patient's tumor would be an accurate reflection of the physiological and genetic make-up of the entire mass. Researchers have come to realise that cancer is a disease driven by the same "survival of the fitter" forces that Darwin proposed drove the evolution...

Throughout history, humans have continuously made efforts to heal and eradicate diseases. In early, less modern times, this process was considered both difficult and strenuous, but with the advancement of technology and bioengineering, humans are developing faster, more effective measures for treating and eradicating diseases.

In the developing world, anemia—a blood condition exacerbated by malnutrition or parasitic disease—is a staggeringly common health problem that often goes undiagnosed. In hospitals everywhere, children and adults with leukemia and other disorders require frequent blood draws to determine if they need blood transfusions. In both cases, doctors are interested in measuring hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells.

Chemists from Trinity College Dublin, in collaboration with RCSI, have devised a revolutionary scanning technique that produces extremely high-res 3D images of bones - without exposing patients to X-ray radiation. The chemists attach luminescent compounds to tiny gold structures to form biologically safe 'nanoagents' that are attracted to calcium-rich surfaces, which appear when bones crack - even at a micro level.

Cardiovascular diseases account for around 30% of adult deaths in the 30−70 year age group, which is greater than the combined deaths from all types of cancer. The ability to diagnose cardiac disease is therefore of utmost concern to doctors. When someone has a heart attack, certain chemicals are released into their bloodstream in elevated amounts, and blood tests are therefore the key to diagnosis.

A group of researchers at Chalmers University of Technology has discovered a completely new way of using lasers to accelerate ion beams. In time, the new technique could possibly give more people access to advanced cancer treatment. The results were recently published in the high impact journal Physical Review Letters. Advanced ion technology may in some cases be used to treat otherwise inoperable tumors, such as brain tumors.

Scientists have built a sensor that can detect the potentially deadly E.coli bacteria in 15-20 minutes, much faster than traditional lab tests. E.coli can be transmitted in contaminated food and water, posing particular risks to children and the elderly. In the late spring of 2011 a serious outbreak of E.coli bacteria sickened thousands of people in Germany and killed more than 50.

Veronica Yoko Plebani is ready for the Rio Paralympics. Fabrizio Passetti is preparing for the ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship in La Jolla, California. They are two Italian athletes with a rich history of trophies and success. They also both use Prosthesis 3D printed by Marco Avaro, Biomedical Engineer who is part of the WASPmedical team.