Engineering Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells to Activate Only When Ultrasound Energy is Applied
Providing a patient's T cells with a receptor to match the surface characteristics of the patient's cancer cells is proving to work quite well for some types of cancer. Unfortunately the match is never perfectly specific for cancerous cells, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) can do a lot of damage to healthy tissue in many of the desired scenarios for treatment. Researchers here report on one of a number of presently explored approaches to limit the activation of CAR-T cells to only the cancerous tissue of interest, thereby making the therapy more viable.
New work addresses a longstanding problem...
Source: Fight Aging! - August 31, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Some ECG simply require pattern recognition, followed by a bit of investigation
Brooks Walsh @BrooksWalsh helped with this post One of my partners showed me this series of ECGs, without any info:I said: " It ' s a normal variant. Young black male, right? "He said, " Yes, but look at this one recorded 2 hours later. It is different " :There is T-wave inversion in V4 that was not there before.I said: " Yes, small changes can happen even with normal variants. " And there might be a slight difference in lead placement. On the 2nd ECG, V4 is farther to the right -- notice there is more S-wave than on the first and the R/S ratio is smaller. There was also a 3rd ECG at 3.5 h...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - August 30, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Photoacoustic Carbon Nanotubes Reveal Dangerous Atherosclerotic Plaques
Researchers at Michigan State University have developed a system that allows the imaging and identification of inflamed atherosclerotic plaques, which are considered to be at risk of rupture. Their system involves administering carbon nanotubes that are preferentially taken up by macrophages and monocytes, which tend to accumulate at inflamed plaques. The researchers then illuminate the blood vessel of interest with light and the carbon nanotubes vibrate, producing a sound in response. This photoacoustic effect allows the researchers to locate and visualize the plaques.
Atherosclerotic plaque rupture forms the basis...
Source: Medgadget - August 18, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology Nanomedicine Radiology Vascular Surgery Source Type: blogs
Case of the Week 649
This week ' s fun case was donated by Dr. Chris Hartley. The following object was seen on from material obtained by endobronchial, ultrasound-guided biopsy (Giemsa-based stain). How would you sign this case out? (Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites)
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - August 10, 2021 Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs
Why do we liberally record ECGs? And what do you think the angiogram showed?
Discussion:This ECG is Aslanger ' s pattern, and the angiogram is exactly what you expect with this ECG pattern, including the inferior OMI attributed to circumflex (more often than RCA).This pattern was recently published in J Electrocardiology: Aslanger and others (including Smith). A new electrocardiographic pattern indicating inferior myocardial infarction. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32526537/This newly recognized ECG pattern is defined as:(1) any STE in III (with reciprocal STD in aVL), but not in other inferior leads, (2) STD in any of leads V4 to V6, (but not in V2) with a positi...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - August 10, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Classification of TAPVC
Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) has been classified into four types by Craig JM, Darling RC and Rothney WB in 1957 [1]. It is popularly known as Darling classification. According to this classification, TAPVC is divided into four types based on the anatomic site of the anomalous connection. Type 1 is a supracardiac, type 2 is an intracardiac, type 3 is infracardiac and type 4 a mixed variety. This is the most commonly used classification.
In the supracardiac variety, the four pulmonary veins drain into a common venous chamber which drains to the left brachiocephalic vein through a vertical vein. In typ...
Source: Cardiophile MD - July 31, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Prof. Dr. Johnson Francis Tags: Cardiology Source Type: blogs
Ultrasound Patch Monitors Blood Flow
Researchers at the University of California San Diego created an ultrasound patch that can measure blood flow in vessels as deep as 14 cm within the body. The stretchy patch can be applied to the skin and may help clinicians to monitor and diagnose various conditions, including blockages that could cause an infarct. The patch contains an array of ultrasound transducers that can measure blood flow in vessels directly beneath it and the ultrasound beam can also be steered to assess vessels that are nearby, but not directly below.
Monitoring blood flow in specific vessels can help clinicians to diagnose various cardiovascu...
Source: Medgadget - July 28, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Cardiology Diagnostics Materials Radiology Thoracic Surgery Vascular Surgery Source Type: blogs
AI and Multispectral Photoacoustic Imaging to Diagnose Thyroid Cancer
This study is significant in that it is the first to acquire photoacoustic images of thyroid nodules and classify malignant nodules using machine learning,” said Chulhong Kim, a researcher involved in the study, in a Pohang press release. “In addition to minimizing unnecessary biopsies in thyroid cancer patients, this technique can also be applied to a variety of other cancers, including breast cancer.”
“The ultrasonic device based on photoacoustic imaging will be helpful in effectively diagnosing thyroid cancer commonly found during health checkups and in reducing the number of biopsies,” ...
Source: Medgadget - July 13, 2021 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Diagnostics Oncology Radiology Source Type: blogs
3D Printing in Medicine And Healthcare – The Ultimate List In 2021
3D printing has demonstrated huge potential for the future of medicine in the previous years, and its development is unstoppable. Just look at the impressive list of 3D printed healthcare materials and medical equipment below!
How does 3D printing in medicine work?
3D printing in medicine is part of the innovative process called additive manufacturing, which means producing three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. How the technology works, we explained the technology in our article on bioprinting here.
As technology evolves, researchers work on various solutions. For example, engineers from the University of B...
Source: The Medical Futurist - July 13, 2021 Category: Information Technology Authors: berci.mesko Tags: 3D Printing Biotechnology Future of Medicine Healthcare Design Medical Education Personalized Medicine bioprinting Innovation Video GC1 3d printed biomaterial tissue engineering Source Type: blogs
Chest pain and ST Elevation.
A 42 year old presented with chest pain. Here is his triage ECG:What do you think?' This is a classic pattern of ST Elevation that everyone should recognize. There are QS-waves in V1-V4, with slight ST elevation in V1-V3. (QS-wave means a Q-wave with no R-wave at all, in contrast to a QR-wave or qR-wave). This is" Left Ventricular Aneurysm (LVA) " morphology and is due to Old Completed (Transmural) Anterior MI, which often results in an LV aneurysm and manifests on the ECG as " persistent ST elevation after old MI. "The T-wave may be upright or inverted. See 2 examples below.In...
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - July 7, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Future for Doctors: 5 Trends in Technology That Shape Medical Specialties
In our latest e-book, The Technological Future of Medical Specialties, we reflect on the major impact digital health and related technologies will have on 20 medical specialties. While technologies will play an important role in practically every medical specialty, they won’t all be as specifically intertwined with digital health technologies as the ones we focused on.
We not only individually analyse how advanced technologies will influence those 20 medical specialties but also explore how patient empowerment will shape the medical profession and the required skills needed for everyone working in this industry. To di...
Source: The Medical Futurist - July 6, 2021 Category: Information Technology Authors: Pranavsingh Dhunnoo Tags: imported Source Type: blogs
Ischemic ST depression maximal in V1-V4 (vs. V5-V6), even if less than 0.1 millivolt, is specific for Occlusion Myocardial Infarction (vs. subendocardial non-occlusive ischemia)
Conclusion: Among high-risk ACS patients, the specificity for OMI of suspected ischemic STDmaxV1-4 was 97%. STEMI criteria missed half of OMIs detected by STDmaxV1-4. These data support that any ischemic STD maximal in V1-V4 in ACS is due to OMI until proven otherwise. (Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog)
Source: Dr. Smith's ECG Blog - June 27, 2021 Category: Cardiology Authors: Steve Smith Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, June 21st 2021
This study showed that the leakage of this mitochondrial nucleic material may occur as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction, which may involve genetic mutations in genes encoding mitochondrial proteins or incomplete degradation of mitochondrial dsDNA in the lysosome - which is a 'degradation factory' of the cell. Upon the leakage into the cytoplasm, this undegraded dsDNA is detected by a 'foreign' DNA sensor of the cytoplasm (IFI16) which then triggers the upregulation of mRNAs encoding for inflammatory proteins."
Using a PD zebrafish model (gba mutant), the researchers demonstrated that a combination of PD-like ph...
Source: Fight Aging! - June 20, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Ultrasound Treatment May Improve Memory in Mice by Provoking Neurogenesis
There has been some research into the use of ultrasound for short-term disruption of the blood-brain barrier, to allow medication through without excessive delivery of unwanted materials into the central nervous system. In the course of this line of work, researchers observed that ultrasound treatments resulted in improved cognitive function in mice. Here, it is suggested that this has nothing to do with the blood-brain barrier effects, but instead it is in some way upregulating neurogenesis, the production of new neurons and their integration into neural circuits in memory-related areas of the brain. The present view on n...
Source: Fight Aging! - June 15, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
Top 5 Healthcare Areas That Space Technology Can Enhance
David Bowie’s iconic song Space Oddity shares the story of fictional astronaut Major Tom as he is about to be launched into space. Its lyrics capture how ground control on Earth keeps in constant communication with Major Tom throughout his space-faring journey, and this much is true. But what is shared between Earth and space is not limited to conversations. Terrestrial technologies are sent to space to assist in astronauts’ health and space tech does get adapted for humans back on Earth too.
Smart clothing manufacturer Hexoskin has worked with astronauts to design medical monitoring systems for Lunar and Martia...
Source: The Medical Futurist - June 15, 2021 Category: Information Technology Authors: Pranavsingh Dhunnoo Tags: Forecast Lifestyle medicine 3D Printing Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Biotechnology Cyborgization Digital Health Research Future of Medicine Future of Pharma Health Sensors & Trackers Personalized Medicine Telemedicine & Smartp Source Type: blogs
