Doctors Treat Deadly Cancerous Disorders with Gene-Guided, Targeted Therapy

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

Genomic testing of biopsies from patients with deadly, treatment-resistant cancerous blood syndromes called histiocytoses allowed doctors to identify genes fueling the ailments and use targeted molecular drugs to successfully treat them. Researchers from the Cincinnati Children's Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute report their data in Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight (JCI Insight). They recommend the regular use of comprehensive genomic profiling at diagnosis to positively impact cl...

NASA’s technology transfer for robotic surgery to assist surgeons in non-invasive, endoscopic procedures.

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

Operating rooms are stepping into the 21st century thanks to a robotic arm that can assist surgeons in non-invasive, endoscopic procedures. Computer Motion, Inc., in Santa Barbara, California, originally performed research under a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop AESOP,® (Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning). NASA hopes to make use of the technology powering the robotic arm of AESOP to service satellites and ...

Fidmi Medical has developed a new enteral feeding device that overcomes some of the limitations, downsides, and hassles of existing solutions

Posted on February 14, 2017 by

Fidmi Medical a company based in Misgav, Israel, has developed a new enteral feeding device that overcomes some of the limitations, downsides, and hassles of existing solutions. Feeding tubes have to be changed every few months to prevent clogging, address dislogdgements, and get ahead of the device breaking up. Fidmi Medical was founded in 2014 with IP from Hadassah tech-transfer company Hadasit. The PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) device from Fidmi was originally envisioned by ...

UC Davis Cancer Center research suggests cancer affects different people differently

Posted on February 14, 2017February 14, 2017 by

Researchers and clinicians in UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Population Sciences and Health Disparities Program are dedicated to understanding why Cancer affects different people differently, and are working in different ways to eliminate disparities and improve outcomes for everyone. At UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, researchers are working to understand the biological mechanisms that may be at work in certain cancers that disproportionately affect different populations. They...

University of Melbourne has developed matchstick-sized device called a ‘stentrode’ that will allow paralyzed patients to walk with the power of thought by controlling the exoskeleton

Posted on February 13, 2017 by

A group of paralysed patients will soon undergo a revolutionary procedure that could allow them to walk with the power of thought.The key to returning mobility is a tiny, matchstick-sized device called a stentrode. It will be implanted into a blood vessel next to the motor cortex, the brain’s control centre – bypassing the need for complex brain surgery. From there it will pick up brain signals and allow patients to move a robotic exoskeleton attached to their limbs simply by thinking about i...

Study Conducted by professor Kirsi Pietiläinen of University of Helsinki Finland suggests, mitochondrial dysfunction likely results in excess weight that is difficult to lose

Posted on February 13, 2017 by

Professor Kirsi Pietiläinen has located the impact of obesity in the mitochondria of fat tissue. Mitochondrial dysfunction likely results in excess weight that is difficult to lose. Kirsi Pietiläinen, a recently appointed professor at the Faculty of Medicine, has studied obesity since the early 90s. Professor Jaakko Kaprio’s extensive twin study data is central to her research. After studying the genetics and epidemiology of obesity as well as conducting extensive surveys, she is now study...

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam research suggests happiness and depression might be partially genetic

Posted on February 12, 2017February 12, 2017 by

For the first time in history, researchers have isolated the parts of the human genome that could explain the differences in how humans experience happiness. These are the findings of a large-scale international study in over 298,000 people, conducted by VU Amsterdam professors Meike Bartels (Genetics and Wellbeing) and Philipp Koellinger (Genoeconomics). The researchers found three genetic variants for happiness, two variants that can account for differences in symptoms of depression, and eleve...

MIT researchers have developed ingestible electronic devices that can harness stomach acid to power it and could monitor physiological conditions or deliver drugs

Posted on February 11, 2017February 11, 2017 by

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed and demonstrated a small voltaic cell that is sustained by the acidic fluids in the stomach. The system can generate enough power to run small sensors or drug delivery devices that can reside in the gastrointestinal tract for extended periods of time. This type of power could offer a safer and lower-cost alternative to the traditional batteries now used to power such devices, the researchers say. “We need to come up with ways to...

Northwestern research suggest too much time indoors may trigger myopia

Posted on February 10, 2017 by

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered a cell in the retina that may cause myopia when it dysfunctions. The dysfunction may be linked to the amount of time a child spends indoors and away from natural light. Near-sightedness, also known as short-sightedness and myopia, is a condition of the eye where light focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. This causes distant objects to be blurry while close objects appear normal. Other symptoms may include headaches and eye strain. S...

KTH Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm, Sweden research shows that in principle any protein raw material could be used to make the artificial silk.

Posted on February 8, 2017February 8, 2017 by

KTH Royal Institute of Technology research shows that in principle any protein raw material could be used to make the artificial silk. Silk from milk? New method binds proteins into threads By all appearances, cows have little in common with spiders. Yet despite the two species’ obvious differences, new research shows that ordinary milk can be used to spin artificial silk – a breakthrough that could open new doors for alternative plastics and regenerative medicine. Researchers from Sweden...

People with heart disease have a lower risk of heart attack and strokes if they eat a Mediterranean-style diet

Posted on February 8, 2017 by

Mediterranean dietary pattern has been associated with lower cardiovascular (CV) mortality. People with heart disease have a lower risk of heart attack and strokes if they eat a Mediterranean-style diet. After recruiting more than 15,000 people with heart disease from 39 countries, researchers scored their diets for Mediterranean elements such as eating plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, some alcohol, and some meat. They also scored diets for Western diet elements, suc...

HEATEX technology FROM Kolon Glotech Inc. is a heat-generating textile for clothing that uses a conductive polymer to create heat.

Posted on February 7, 2017 by

HEATEX technology FROM Kolon Glotech Inc. is a heat-generating textile for clothing that uses a conductive polymer to create heat. 'Heatex' is a cutting edge self-heating textile that can generate heat up to 200 degree with a conductivity high molecule laminating technology, this product can used as a sports wear, medical and industry usage as well as clothes with electron circuit composition through computer simulation. Heatex' is a cutting edge self-heating textile that can...

Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva Switzerland has developed a brain-computer interface device that can decipher the thoughts of people who are unable to communicate

Posted on February 6, 2017 by

A brain-computer interface that can decipher the thoughts of people who are unable to communicate could revolutionize the lives of those living with complete locked-in syndrome according to a new paper published in PLOS Biology. Counter to expectations, the participants in the study reported being “happy” despite their condition. In the trial, people with complete locked-in syndrome, who were incapable of even moving their eyes to communicate, were able to respond “yes” or “no” via though...

Engineers At Caltech and ETH Zurich have Created Artificial Skin That “Feels” Temperature Changes

Posted on February 6, 2017February 6, 2017 by

A team of engineers and scientists at Caltech and ETH Zurich have developed an artificial skin capable of detecting temperature changes using a mechanism similar to the one used by the organ that allows pit vipers to sense their prey. The material could be grafted onto prosthetic limbs to restore temperature sensing in amputees. It could also be applied to first-aid bandages to alert health professionals of a temperature increase—a sign of infection—in wounds. A paper about the new materia...

Qloudlab has developed Sceptre, a remote test device that enables at “home” blood cholesterol test or measure urea in urine.

Posted on February 5, 2017 by

Perform blood tests with your smartphone screen SCEPTRE uses a patented & modular architecture to offer you a personalized diagnostic device. Each module delivers a unique set of diagnostics, and whether you want to perform a blood cholesterol test or measure urea in urine. Qloudlab has developed Sceptre, a remote blood test device that enables at “home” blood monitoring; cloud linked to your doctor,empowering him/her to remotely monitor and improve your care through optimization of...

Keio University Japan and Washington University are researching anti ageing drug ‘nicotinamide mono nucleotide’ (NMN)

Posted on February 4, 2017 by

Much of human health hinges on how well the body manufactures and uses energy. For reasons that remain unclear, cells’ ability to produce energy declines with age, prompting scientists to suspect that the steady loss of efficiency in the body’s energy supply chain is a key driver of the aging process. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that supplementing healthy mice with a natural compound called NMN can compensate for this loss of energy prod...

Scientists at MIT have developed a new material that can temporarily protect and tighten skin, and smooth wrinkles.

Posted on February 4, 2017 by

Scientists at MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital, Living Proof, and Olivo Labs have developed a new material that can temporarily protect and tighten skin, and smooth wrinkles. With further development, it could also be used to deliver drugs to help treat skin conditions such as eczema and other types of dermatitis. The material, a silicone-based polymer that could be applied on the skin as a thin, imperceptible coating, mimics the mechanical and elastic properties of healthy, youthful skin....

Medtronic received FDA approval for its cardiac mapping system which is a non-invasive mapping system for beat-by-beat, multichamber, 3D mapping of the heart.

Posted on February 3, 2017 by

Medtronic wins FDA clearance for CardioInsight 3D mapping tech ... Medtronic's 3D cardiac mapping system employs a 252-electrode sensor ... for common and complex arrhythmias, The Medtronic CardioInsight® Cardiac Mapping System is a non-invasive mapping system for beat-by-beat, multichamber, 3D mapping of the heart. The CardioInsight Cardiac Mapping System displays cardiac maps and virtual electrograms from real-time chest ECG signals (measured by a Sensor Array placed on the torso) and CT sc...

‘Wyss Center’ is in process of developing a bionic implant that will bypass damaged optical cells and restore lost vision by directly stimulating the optic nerve.

Posted on February 1, 2017 by

Most forms of blindness, including macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, result from the degeneration of light sensing receptor cells at the back of the eye. The neural pathways that convey information from the eye to the brain however, often remain intact. The Wyss Center is supporting development of a bionic implant that will bypass damaged optical cells and restore lost vision by directly stimulating the optic nerve. Led by Professor Diego Ghezzi, in collaboration with Professo...

University of Borås Sweden has built smart textiles that work as an artificial muscle

Posted on January 31, 2017January 31, 2017 by

Researchers have coated normal fabric with an electroactive material, and in this way given it the ability to actuate in the same way as muscle fibres. The technology opens new opportunities to design “textile muscles” that could, for example, be incorporated into clothes, making it easier for people with disabilities to move. The study, which has been carried out by researchers at Linköping University and the University of Borås in Sweden, has been published in Science Advances. Developm...

Researchers at the University of Tokyo are making artificial cells behave like soap bubbles

Posted on January 30, 2017 by

Researchers at the University of Tokyo used MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technology to produce spherical vesicles (asymmetric giant lipid vesicles/liposomes) surrounded by a membrane that, like the membrane of our cells, has an inner and outer layer composed of different phospholipids. In contrast to conventional methods of creating vesicles, this new method leaves little trace of organic solvents inside the vesicle and is an important contribution as a fundamental technique for devel...

Ohio State University research suggests, anti-inflammatory diet could reduce risk of bone loss in women

Posted on January 30, 2017 by

With age, people tend to lose bone mass, and postmenopausal women in particular are at a higher risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture. However, there are things we can do to prevent this. A new study suggests that a diet rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients may reduce bone loss in some women. Study also found diet linked to fewer hip fractures in younger white women Anti-inflammatory diets – which tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, fish and whole grains – could boost bone health and preven...

Ugandan engineers have created a “smart jacket” that can diagnose pneumonia faster than a doctor by measuring breathing patterns, temperature and breathing rate simultaneously.

Posted on January 30, 2017 by

Ugandan engineers have created a “smart jacket” that can diagnose pneumonia faster than a doctor by measuring breathing patterns, temperature and breathing rate simultaneously, then sending the information to a mobile app. The Mama-Ope (Mother’s Hope) kit was born when Olivia Koburongo, 26, had the idea after her grandmother was transferred from hospital to hospital until she was finally diagnosed with pneumonia. By the time of diagnosis, it was too late to save her. Koburongo thought the dia...

PixelOptics’ emPower! Self focusing glasses that can switch focus electronically.

Posted on January 29, 2017 by

PixelOptics has invented the first dynamic electronic spectacle lens, emPower!™ If you wear bifocals or progressive lenses, this technology will revolutionize the way you see and use your eyeglasses. emPower!™ Presbyopia is a condition associated with aging of the eye that results in progressively worsening ability to focus clearly on close objects. Symptoms include a hard time reading small print, having to hold reading material farther away, headaches, and eyestrain. Different people will h...

UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI FINLAND Study Suggests, Mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause of many diseases bewildering in their variety and complexity

Posted on January 28, 2017 by

Mitochondrial dysfunction is the root cause of many diseases bewildering in their variety and complexity. They include rare genetic disorders in children, some forms of heart disease, and most likely many cases of Parkinson’s disease. Research on mitochondria started already in the late 19th century, but there are still many unsolved issues concerning their composition, their function and their relevance to health and disease. Director Howy Jacobs and his research group at the Institute of ...

‘Magic Leap’ may help people with color blindness be treated through augmented reality

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

South Florida technology developer Magic Leap has filed a patent application describing a wearable device that uses augmented reality to treat color blindness. Magic Leap is combining that inherent visual ability with mobile computing – giving you visual output equivalent to when you step outside into the world, but powered by the mobile tech you carry around. Using Dynamic Digitized Lightfield Signal™, imagine being able to generate images indistinguishable from real objects and then being a...

Headset that can help boost your athletic performance using pulses of energy

Posted on January 26, 2017 by

Forget powders, pills, or shots — the fastest, most reliable way to boost your athletic performance might be inside your skull. The Halo Sport Neuropriming Headset uses pulses of energy to improve your training. Called neuropriming, it lets your motor cortex send stronger, more easily read signals to your muscles, so more fibers are activated with each rep, and strength is gained faster. Halo Neuroscience has released the first headphones for athletes. Research says sending targeted signals t...

Medication Mix-Up Is A Big Challange

Posted on January 25, 2017 by

A 69-year-old man with chronic kidney disease and essential hypertension was admitted to the hospital with chest pain, headache, and accelerated hypertension. Of note, he had missed taking several days of his regular medications. Upon admission, his blood pressure was 218/126 mm Hg with a heart rate of 90 beats per minute. Physical examination revealed a patient in mild discomfort, but no distress, presence of an S4 (indicating reduced ventricular wall compliance), and otherwise normal cardiopul...

Northwestern University Research Suggests, Exposure To Bright Light Could Affect Your Metabolism

Posted on January 25, 2017 by

Exposure to bright light could affect your metabolism, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study. Northwestern scientists found bright light exposure increased insulin resistance compared to dim light exposure in both the morning and the evening. In the evening, bright light also caused higher peak glucose (blood sugar) levels. Insulin resistance is the body’s inability to adequately move glucose out of the bloodstream, resulting in a buildup of blood sugar. Over time, the excess blood glu...

‘Candida auris’ is a fungal infection that is evolving rapidly and is often multidrug-resistant

Posted on January 25, 2017 by

Candida auris is an emerging pathogen, and understanding of this organsim continues to evolve rapidly. CDC is concerned about C. auris for three main reasons: It is often multidrug-resistant, meaning that it is resistant to most antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections. It is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it can be misidentified in labs without specific technology. Healthcare facilities in several countries have reported that a type of yeast cal...