Medical
Fibroblasts could provide target for treatment of RA
A study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham reveals the key role of different types of fibroblast cells in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), opening up an avenue for research into treatment of the disease. Synovial Fibroblasts (SFs) are cells that make up part of the connective tissue, or synovium, around human joints. In RA patients, SF cells cause damage by invading and attacking the cartilage and bone around the...
MRI and ultrasound produce 3D VR model of a fetus
Parents may soon be able to watch their unborn babies grow in realistic 3D immersive visualisations, thanks to technology that transforms MRI and ultrasound data into a 3D virtual reality model of a fetus, according to research being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). MRI provides high-resolution fetal and placental imaging with excellent contrast. It is generally use...
Secret phenotypes: disease devils in invisible details
When a microscopic lab worm grows an eye-popping oddity, scientists locate the mutated gene that caused it. It’s truly interesting. Yet, more important findings, medically relevant ones, may be hiding in traits invisible to the eye, even with the best microscope. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are exposing these secrets - micron-sized bumps and grooves - and the intricate web of gene mutations possibly behind them i...
Tool uses UV light to control inflammation
Black light does more than make posters glow. Cornell researchers have developed a chemical tool to control inflammation that is activated by ultraviolet (UV) light. The method will allow scientists to study inflammation and the immune system, and may one day prove effective as a targeted therapy for inflammatory diseases, while minimising side effects to healthy tissues.
Prototype smart cane transforms lives of the blind
An enterprising researcher from The University of Manchester has developed a prototype tool that could help transform the lives of the blind and visually impaired. Vasileios Tsormpatzoudis has upgraded the white cane - which has been used as a mobility tool for centuries – by adding a low-cost embedded computer that functions in a similar way to a car parking sensor.
Computer modelling could lead to prostate cancer detection
Research coauthored by Brigham Young University researchers may lead to a more accurate system for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of prostate cancer. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, details a computer model that uses medical images to reproduce the growth patterns of prostate cancer on the anatomy of a patient's prostate.
Biomarker could help guide cancer therapy
MIT biologists have identified a biomarker that can reveal whether patients with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer will be helped by paclitaxel (commercially known as Taxol), one of the drugs most commonly used to treat this cancer. The findings could offer doctors a new way to choose drugs for this type of breast cancer, known as triple-negative because it lacks the three most common breast cancer markers: estrogen receptor, p...
Pluripotent stem cells grow human intestines in a lab
Scientists report in Nature Medicine using human pluripotent stem cells to grow human intestinal tissues that have functioning nerves in a laboratory, and then using these to recreate and study a severe intestinal nerve disorder called Hirschsprung's disease. The findings describe an unprecedented approach to engineer and study tissues in the intestine - the body's largest immune organ, its food processor and main interface with th...
Researchers create living bio-hybrid system
One of the biggest challenges in cognitive or rehabilitation neurosciences is the ability to design a functional hybrid system that can connect and exchange information between biological systems, like neurons in the brain, and human-made electronic devices.
Medical series now has seven year warranty option
The series of medical open frame products released last year by EOS Power have been a global success due to their power densities and specifications. To further enhance the appeal of the MWLP225 and MWLP350 to EOS’ medical customers, EOS Power is now offering an extended warranty option of seven years on both the 225 and 350 MWLP product series.