Microneedle Patch for Antibiotic-Free Acne Treatment
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have developed a microneedle patch for the drug-free treatment of skin infections, such as acne. Acne is often treated using antibiotics, but these have limited effectiveness over the long term and can result in drug-resistant bacteria. In an effort to develop a drug-free alternative, these researchers have created a microneedle patch that is ultrasound responsive. The patch contains zinc-based nanomaterials that produce a substantial amount of reactive oxygen species when stimulated using ultrasound. These reactive oxygen species are highly effective at killing acne-causing bacte...
Source: Medgadget - August 1, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Dermatology Materials Medicine acne HKUniversity Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, July 31st 2023
In conclusion, an SBP level below 130 mmHg was found to be associated with longevity among older women. The longer SBP was controlled at a level between 110 and 130 mmHg, the higher the survival probability to age 90. Preventing age-related rises in SBP and increasing the time with controlled BP levels constitute important measures for achieving longevity. « Back to Top (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - July 30, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

The Repair Biotechnologies View of Cholesterol Pathology at the 2023 Foresight Longevity Workshop
I attended the Foresight Institute's 2023 Longevity Frontiers Workshop earlier in the year. This event series provides a chance to make connections with some of the longevity industry figures and academic researchers in the field of aging that are associated with the Bay Area venture and futurist communities. The format this year was rapid-fire seven minute presentations and longer discussions; the presentations are shared online. I presented an informal, abbreviated version of the Repair Biotechnologies viewpoint on the role of cholesterol in aging and disease, trying to cover at least the important points in the time all...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 27, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Longevity Industry Source Type: blogs

Closing the Gap: Why Healthcare Needs More Gender Diversity in Leadership
The following is a guest article by Dr. Erica Barnell, MD, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Geneoscopy Women comprise 70% of the healthcare workforce and 59% of medical, biomedical, and health sciences graduates, yet are the minority at leadership levels — holding only 25% of senior executive roles. As a result, the lack of women in significant decision-making positions is evident. According to U.S. Census estimates, no single ethnic or racial group will represent a majority of the U.S. population by 2055. The potential for more positive patient care experiences, greater innovation, and improved organizatio...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - July 26, 2023 Category: Information Technology Authors: Guest Author Tags: C-Suite Leadership Clinical Health IT Company Healthcare IT Dr. Erica Barnell Dr. Erica Barnell MD PhD Gender Bias Gender Diversity in Healthcare Leadership Geneoscopy Women in Healthcare Women in Leadership Women in STEM Women's H Source Type: blogs

Soft Coating Cools Wearable Devices
Scientists at the City University of Hong Kong have developed a coating for wearable technologies that can help to dissipate heat, reducing the chances of skin burns and increasing the life of such devices. Electronic devices can generate heat, but this can be problematic for wearables that are in constant contact with the skin. The heat may be uncomfortable, may overheat the device itself, and could even cause skin burns. The flexible coating designed by these researchers enables both radiative and non-radiative cooling and does not require electronic power to function. The coating is less than 1 millimeter thick and cons...
Source: Medgadget - July 25, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials CUHK Source Type: blogs

Wound Sensor Patch Indicates Healing Status
Researchers at the National University of Singapore have created a wound sensor patch that measures various wound biomarkers that can indicate would healing. Chronic wounds are an ongoing problem for many patients, and developing new ways to monitor and treat these painful lesions would be very useful. This battery-free wound patch contains five colorimetric sensors that change color in response to various wound biomarkers. These include temperature, pH, trimethylamine, uric acid, and wound moisture levels. The patch is intended to be imaged using a smartphone camera, where an AI-powered app analyses the color change to di...
Source: Medgadget - July 24, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Medicine Surgery NUSingapore Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, July 24th 2023
In this study, we tested the hypothesis that periodontal disease (PD) as a source of infection alters inflammatory activation and Aβ phagocytosis by the microglial cells. Experimental PD was induced using ligatures in C57BL/6 mice for 1, 10, 20, and 30 days to assess the progression of PD. Animals without ligatures were used as controls. Ligature placement caused progressive periodontal disease and bone resorption that was already significant on day 1 post-ligation and continued to increase until day 30. The severity of periodontal disease increased the frequency of activated microglia in the brains on day 30 by 36...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 23, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

Further Work on Small Molecules that Can Induce Cell Reprogramming
In this study, we developed and utilized novel screening methods including a quantitative nucleocytoplasmic compartmentalization assay (NCC) that can readily distinguish between young, old, and senescent cells. We identify a variety of novel chemical cocktails capable of rejuvenating cells and reversing transcriptomic age to a similar extent as OSK overexpression. Thus, it is possible to reverse aspects of aging without erasing cell identity using chemical rather than genetic means. (Source: Fight Aging!)
Source: Fight Aging! - July 19, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs

CRISPR-Cas13 Test Inexpensively and Rapidly Reveals HIV Viral Load
Scientists at Penn State have developed an assay that lets them to directly measure HIV viral load in a drop of blood. The technology is also faster and less expensive than current approaches. At present, RT-PCR is typically used to assess HIV levels in a patient’s blood, requiring genetic material to be amplified before it can be measured. This is time-consuming and does not provide a direct measurement of viral loads, but rather a close estimate. This new technology, called Self-digitization Through Automated Membrane-based Partitioning (STAMP), aims to directly measure viral levels in just a drop of blood. It involves...
Source: Medgadget - July 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Medicine Public Health Source Type: blogs

Nanomagnet Patch Measures Muscle Movements
Researchers at UCLA have developed a wearable patch that can measure muscle movements in underlying tissues. The patch contains nanomagnets, and movements in underlying muscles can deform the resulting magnetic fields, creating an electric current. This both provides a readable signal for the system, and also means that the system is self-powered and does not require a battery. The rubbery patch is approximately the size of two postage stamps, and can be inexpensively made using a sewing machine. The system wirelessly transmits its movement data to a smartphone, and is water-resistant, helping it to stay functional even if...
Source: Medgadget - July 19, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology Materials Orthopedic Surgery Rehab Sports Medicine Source Type: blogs

Career Conversations: Q & A With Biomedical Engineer Elizabeth Wayne
Courtesy of Dr. Elizabeth Wayne. “It’s so fun to try to make meaning from a confusing experimental result and talk to other scientists who are excited by the same questions you are,” says Elizabeth Wayne, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We talked to Dr. Wayne about her career trajectory, research on immune cells, and belief that scientists can change the world. Q: How did you first become interested in science? A: I was introduced to atoms during 6th grade science class. The idea that we’re ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - July 19, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cellular Imaging Profiles Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, July 10th 2023
In conclusion, the examination of the GBA can aid in understanding the etiology and development of NDs, which may benefit the improvement of clinical treatments for these disorders and ND interventions. This review indicates existing knowledge about the involvement of microbiota present in the gut in NDs and potential treatment options. The Aging of the Enteric Nervous System https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2023/07/the-aging-of-the-enteric-nervous-system/ The enteric nervous system is the nervous system of the intestines, and likely an important part of the relationship between the gut microbiome ...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 9, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

Heart Valves Made in Minutes
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a technique that lets them create biomaterial heart valves in a matter of minutes. The approach, called ‘Focused Rotary Jet Spinning’, has been described by the researchers as ‘a cotton-candy machine with a hair dryer behind it.’ Essentially, the technique involves using jets of air to direct polymer strands onto a heart valve shaped frame. This results in a porous scaffold that allows cardiac cells to enter and grow. The formed constructs also have the mechanical properties to function as a one-way valve within the heart. The scaffolds contain nanoscale ...
Source: Medgadget - July 6, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiac Surgery Cardiology Materials Source Type: blogs

A Novel Scaffold Material Accelerates Bone Regeneration in Rats
In this study, we bypass these long-standing challenges by fabricating a cell-free multi-level implant consisting of a porous and hard bone-like framework capable of providing load-bearing support and a softer native-like phase that has been reinforced with nanosilicates. The system was tested with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and as a cell-free system in a critical-sized rat bone defect. Overall, our combinatorial and multi-level implant design displayed remarkable osteoconductivity in vitro without differentiation factors, expressing significant levels of osteogenic markers compared to unmodifie...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 4, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, July 3rd 2023
In this study, cultured adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were derived from subcutaneous white adipose tissue isolated from mice fed a normal diet. We performed senescence-associated-β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, real-time PCR, and Western blot to evaluate the levels related to cellular senescence markers. The mRNA expression levels of senescence markers were significantly increased in the later passages of ASCs. We show that light activation reduced the expression of senescent genes, and SA-β-Gal in all cells at passages. Moreover, the light-activated ASCs-derived exosomes decrease the expression of senes...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 2, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs