Nanoparticles Deliver mRNA Therapy to the Lungs
Researchers at MIT have developed lipid nanoparticles that are highly efficient at delivering mRNA therapies to lung cells. Getting therapeutic agents into the lungs can be challenging, but there are a variety of medical challenges that could be addressed by efficiently targeting lung cells with nanoparticle technologies. These latest particles are highly efficient at delivering mRNA which can then encode therapeutically useful proteins in the lungs. So far, the researchers have demonstrated that the particles can deliver mRNA that codes for the CRISPR/Cas gene editing system, suggesting that the new method may be useful i...
Source: Medgadget - April 18, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Genetics Medicine Nanomedicine News mit Source Type: blogs
Tiny Cylinders for Controlled Drug Release
Researchers at Rice University have developed a new type of microparticle for drug delivery, made from a polymer called PLGA that has already been extensively explored as a component in drug delivery systems. However, what makes these new particles different is the method of loading and sealing them, which appears to give them highly tunable release characteristics and may even allow the researchers to create particles that provide multiple doses of a drug, or continuous dosing, over the space of several months. The researchers have called their new particle creation method PULSED (Particles Uniformly Liquified and Sealed ...
Source: Medgadget - April 10, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine riceuniversity Source Type: blogs
Gelatin-Based Surgical Sealant for Rapid Sealing Inside the Body
Researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation in Los Angeles have developed a gelatin-based surgical sealant. The sealant is thermoresponsive, meaning that it will rapidly form a semi-solid bolus when it reaches body temperature. It is also bioadhesive, adhering to slippery, wet surfaces in the body with relative ease. The researchers achieved this by incorporating caffeic acid, a substance that is naturally found in coffee and olive oil, into the gelatin gel, which helped to increase the adhesive strength of the formulation.
Sealing incisions within the body can be challenging. The slippe...
Source: Medgadget - April 3, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Surgery Source Type: blogs
Smart Bandage Monitors and Treats Chronic Wounds
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have developed a smart bandage for chronic wounds, such as those sometimes experienced by patients with diabetes. The bandage is flexible and stretchy, but contains electronic components that can monitor the wound for signs of infection, including abnormal temperature, increased uric acid levels, and changes in pH. The bandage can transmit these data to a smartphone to alert a clinician, but cleverly it can also begin to administer treatment, including releasing antibiotics that are stored on-board and applying an electrical field to the wound bed to encourage tissue he...
Source: Medgadget - March 30, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Surgery Caltech chronic wounds WeiGaoLab Source Type: blogs
Nanoparticles Get Lymphatic Vessels Pumping
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a nanotechnological solution for lymphedema, a failure of the lymphatic system that results in uncomfortable and irreversible fluid retention. Previous research efforts have focused on trying to grow new lymphatic vessels, but these researchers have taken a different approach, and instead engineered a drug delivery technology that can directly target sluggish lymphatic vessels and kickstart their pumping action.
Near infrared video demonstrating enhanced lymphatic contractile activity in model delivered drug loaded nanoparticles.
To achieve this, the r...
Source: Medgadget - March 27, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Medicine Nanomedicine News Oncology Surgery Source Type: blogs
Levels Is Making Metabolism and Blood Glucose Tracking Accessible To Everyone
Levels has done something truly transformative: the company made continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) accessible to the general population and every day consumer.
In many circles, it seems the trend of bringing healthcare to the home and directly to the patient is continuing, but understanding metabolism and lifestyle habits through this new tech trend of smart, wearable devices adds another important component to enjoying improved health and well-being.
If you imagine your body as a well-oiled machine that needs to be maintained, the sources of fuel and nutrition that you provide it are paramount for its efficiency an...
Source: Medgadget - March 23, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Alice Ferng Tags: Exclusive Medicine Sports Medicine CGM glucose Levels Source Type: blogs
CRISPR Combined with Glowing Proteins for Viral Detection
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 bioluminescent signal. The r...
Source: Medgadget - March 23, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Genetics Medicine Public Health CRISPR TUeindhoven Source Type: blogs
Imagene Profiles Cancer Biomarkers in Real Time
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 developed AI-based image analysis software...
Source: Medgadget - March 22, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Diagnostics Exclusive Oncology Pathology biomarkers cancer biomarkers molecular profiling Source Type: blogs
Imaging Technique Reveals Contraction Patterns During Labor
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 labor and help clinicians to d...
Source: Medgadget - March 22, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Ob/Gyn Radiology Source Type: blogs
Biomimetic Construct Models Burn Injuries
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 collagen hydrogel that is seeded with fibroblasts, supportive cells that normally help ...
Source: Medgadget - March 21, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Surgery Source Type: blogs
Empowering Stroke Survivors: Interview with Kirsten Carroll, CEO at Kandu Health
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 personalized guidance, educat...
Source: Medgadget - March 20, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Neurology Rehab kanduhealth stroke rehab Source Type: blogs
Empowering Stroke Survivors: Interview with Kirsten Carroll, General Manager at Kandu Health
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 personalized guidance, educat...
Source: Medgadget - March 20, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Exclusive Neurology Rehab kanduhealth stroke rehab Source Type: blogs
Moving Cells Using Ultrasound
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 within the body using external ultrasound. The s...
Source: Medgadget - March 20, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Genetics Materials Medicine Pathology Radiology Caltech Source Type: blogs
Printing Bacteria to Make Bone-Like Structures
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 requirements for bioinks, but still c...
Source: Medgadget - March 17, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Orthopedic Surgery 3d printing additive manufacturing EPFL Source Type: blogs
Scientists Grow Electrodes Inside The Body
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 not well match...
Source: Medgadget - March 17, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Materials Neurology Neurosurgery bci bci brain computer interface Source Type: blogs
