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CRISPR Combined with Glowing Proteins for Viral Detection

March 23rd, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Public Health

Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a sensitive diagnostic test for viral pathogens that is suitable for use in low-resource regions. The test is based on CRISPR proteins that can detect viral genetic material but also incorporates luciferase proteins, which are bioluminescent proteins that are naturally found in fireflies and other creatures. Two CRISPR/Cas proteins are specific for different parts of the viral genome, and when they both bind to target nucleic acid sequences they join together, uniting two fragments of luciferase and initiating a...Read More

Imagene Profiles Cancer Biomarkers in Real Time

March 22nd, 2023 by Medgadget Editors

Exclusive

Cancer therapies have proliferated over the past few decades, improving outcomes for many patients. But this variety requires accurate diagnostics and appropriate decision making to choose the optimal course of therapy. The current gold standard of identifying which cancer mutation is present is new generation sequencing (NGS), which provides a comprehensive genetic report, but can take up to six weeks to complete, requires a significant tumor sample size, and can only be done in an advanced laboratory at a high cost. Imagene, a company headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, has...Read More

Imaging Technique Reveals Contraction Patterns During Labor

March 22nd, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Ob/Gyn

Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have developed a new imaging technique called electromyometrial imaging (EMMI) which clinicians can use to create 3D maps of uterine contraction patterns during labor. The non-invasive imaging method utilizes rapid MRI scanning with an electromyogram obtained through sensors placed on the skin of the belly. These data are then combined to create 3D maps that reveal how contractions are initiated and spread throughout the uterus. The data will allow researchers to better understand the process of...Read More

Biomimetic Construct Models Burn Injuries

March 21st, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Materials

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a model of burn injuries that will allow them to investigate the mechanisms underlying healing in such injuries and test out new approaches to enhance this process. Burns can take a long time to heal and can be prone to infection and complicated by the presence of large quantities of dead tissue at the injury site. Modeling these processes in vitro will allow researchers to improve on the current standard of care for burn patients and avoid using experimental animals. The model includes a...Read More

Empowering Stroke Survivors: Interview with Kirsten Carroll, CEO at Kandu Health

March 20th, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Exclusive

Kandu Health, a digital health company based in California, has developed a platform to assist stroke survivors with aftercare. Healthcare for stroke patients is primarily focused on acute care to limit the damage caused by the stroke. However, the company has identified that stroke survivors are frequently underserved after hospital discharge, and in many cases are left to cope with the psychological and physical fallout of the stroke with minimal support. The e-health platform developed by Kandu Health connects stroke survivors with specialists who provide them, and their caregivers, with...Read More

Moving Cells Using Ultrasound

March 20th, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Materials

Researchers at Caltech have developed a technique that lets them move groups of cells very precisely. It involves genetically modifying cells so that they express small protein air sacs in their interior. The sacs render the cells highly susceptible to manipulation using ultrasound waves, and the researchers can precisely move them into complicated shapes or patterns. The new technology could be very useful for sorting cells for cell therapies or arranging cells on biomaterial constructs to form complex tissue layers. The technique may also allow for control of cell movement...Read More

Printing Bacteria to Make Bone-Like Structures

March 17th, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Orthopedic Surgery

Researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have developed a method to 3D print mineralized constructs with a little helping hand from bacteria. The technique consists of printing a polymer bioink that contains bacteria that will produce calcium carbonate when exposed to a urea solution. The two-step process also involves printing a construct and then exposing it to urea for several days, over which time the bacteria naturally mineralize the structure. The approach allows researchers to accommodate some of the limitations of 3D printing, such as flow...Read More

Scientists Grow Electrodes Inside The Body

March 17th, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Materials

Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden have developed a method whereby the body can ‘grow its own’ electrodes. The minimally invasive technique involves injecting a hydrogel that is laden with enzymes into target tissues. The enzymes interact with molecules that are present in the tissue to change the structure of the gel and allow it to become electrically conductive. The approach could facilitate a variety of advanced medical systems, from pacemakers to brain-computer interfaces. Excitingly, the technology avoids the need for invasive surgery or conventional stiff electrical components that are...Read More

Smartphone Photos to Detect Anemia

March 9th, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Diagnostics

Researchers at University College London and at the University of Ghana have developed a smartphone-based system that can detect anemia through simple photos taken using the phone's camera. The technology is intended for use in low- and middle-income countries where access to routine medical diagnostics may be unreliable. The process involves obtaining images of areas of the body which are least pigmented, including the white of the eye, the lower eyelid, and the lip. The app then analyzes the color of the imaged tissue, and as hemoglobin absorbs light in...Read More

Ultrasound Catheter to Treat Hypertension

March 9th, 2023 by Conn Hastings

Medicine

Researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Université de Paris, France, have tested an ultrasound denervation catheter in its potential to treat hypertension. The technology is called the Paradise ultrasound denervation device and it has been developed by ReCor Medical, a medtech company with offices in California and the UK. The concept is based on the phenomenon whereby overactive neural activity in the kidney can lead to increases in sodium and water retention, underlying hypertension. The device is a catheter that can be advanced through the vasculature until...Read More

Alpha TAU Killing Tumors With Highly Targeted Alpha Radiation

March 2nd, 2023 by Medgadget Editors

Exclusive

Radiation is commonly employed in hospitals around the world to treat tumors, typically using gamma ray beams of high energy photons, with a relatively long range, that penetrate all the tissues on the way to and from the tumor. This leads to substantial damage to healthy tissues and too often results in poor outcomes. An alpha particle, consisting of two protons and two neutrons bound together and akin to a helium-4 nucleus, is much trickier to work with in medicine because it is extremely powerful, yet has a very short...Read More

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