Medical

Researchers at Lancaster University found abundant magnetite nanoparticles in the brain tissue from 37 individuals aged three to 92-years-old who lived in Mexico City and Manchester. This strongly magnetic mineral is toxic and has been implicated in the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) in the human brain, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.

Changes in the genetic make-up of tissue samples can be detected quickly and easily using a method based on nanotechnology. This report researchers from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute, the University of Basel and the University Hospital Basel in first clinical tests with genetic mutations in patients with malignant melanoma. The journal Nano Letters has published the study.

A new technique invented at MIT can precisely measure the growth of many individual cells simultaneously. The advance holds promise for fast drug tests, offers new insights into growth variation across single cells within larger populations, and helps track the dynamic growth of cells to changing environmental conditions.

The Visual Assistant has been designed to help visually impaired users to adapt the presentation of the outside world optimally to the working parts of their visual system. This allows them to understand and interpret what is in front of them, whether this is a TV, smartphone, tablet, or when navigating in buildings or outdoor environments.

University of Michigan researchers have successfully demonstrated a technique that combines laser light with an FDA-approved fluorescent dye to monitor cell structure and activity at the molecular level. This could lead to improved clinical imaging and better monitoring of tumors and other cell structures. It could also be used during drug testing to monitor the changes that cells undergo when exposed to prospective new drugs.

A tool developed at EPFL can stretch and compress cells, mimicking what happens in the body. The aim: to study the role played by these mechanical forces in cases of cancer or lymphatic diseases. Complex mechanical forces are constantly at work in the human body, deforming our cells. In our blood vessel walls, for example, cells are stretched approximately once per second by the pulsing blood flow.

Results from an international, randomised study show that an implanted nerve stimulator significantly improves symptoms in those with central sleep apnea, without causing serious side effects. Dr. William Abraham, co-lead author and director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, presented findings from the study at the recent European Society of Cardiology Congress in Rome. The study i...

Cell models from stem cells serve an ever-increasing role in research of cardiac dysfunction. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have succeeded in producing cells which offer new insights into properties of the heart. They installed a molecular sensor into the cells which emits light, and not only makes the cells' electrical activity visible, but also makes it possible for the first time to quickly identify cell types.

Imagine a doctor trying to perform a life saving medical procedure in the middle of the wilderness. That's what it's like tackling medical emergencies in deep space. It's an issue that's become the focus of Tom Doyle's research. The McMaster Electrical and Computer Engineering professor and Director of the McMaster eHealth Program is among a team of experts working with NASA to determine what medial training and technology astronauts need to...

  Cyborg beast, phoenix, talon — although these names seem fitting for superhero characters, they are actually names for devices that make people feel like superheroes. These devices are 3D-printed hands that are designed for people who live without all or part of their arms.