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Biomedical technology news

Immunology

Gut bacteria engineered to act as tumor GPS for immunotherapies

Immunotherapeutic approaches have substantially improved the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies. However, most advanced and metastatic malignancies remain incurable and therefore represent a major unmet need.

Neuroscience

DNA molecules with 'invisibility cloak' sequences can selectively target diseased cells in motor neuron disease

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology have developed DNA molecules which contain "invisibility cloak" sequences, preventing healthy cells from reading the messages they ...

Ophthalmology

Stem cell transplants repair macular holes in primate study

Human stem cell transplants successfully repaired macular holes in a monkey model, researchers report October 3 in the journal Stem Cell Reports. After transplantation, the macular holes were closed by continuous filling ...

Diabetes

A new injectable shows promise to prevent and treat hypoglycemia

People with diabetes take insulin to lower high blood sugar. However, if glucose levels plunge too low—from taking too much insulin or not eating enough sugar—people can experience hypoglycemia, which can lead to dizziness, ...

Neuroscience

Study hints at ways to generate new neurons in old brains

Most neurons in the human brain last a lifetime, and for good reason. Intricate, long-term information is preserved in the complex structural relationships between their synapses. To lose the neurons would be to lose that ...

Radiology & Imaging

Exploring how melanin influences clinical oxygen measurements

Obtaining accurate clinical measurements is essential for diagnosing and treating a wide range of health conditions. Regrettably, the impact of skin type and pigmentation is not equally considered in the design and calibration ...

Ophthalmology

A reliable, valid, and non-invasive app to assess dry eye disease

Early diagnosis and timely treatment are extremely important to manage dry eye disease (DED), a common condition exacerbated by the increased use of digital devices. But the current method of diagnosis is invasive, and its ...

Gerontology & Geriatrics

New study finds care home residents benefit from robot pets

New research from the University of Plymouth has shown that affordable robot pets can potentially improve the well-being of care home residents and people with dementia. Led by the University's Center for Health Technology, ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

A rapid, highly sensitive method to measure SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been shown to be an excellent means of understanding the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in communities. It is now used in multiple areas across the world to track the prevalence of the virus, ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Monkeypox rapid PCR test in development

Last spring, a rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19—developed by Northwestern University spinoff company Minute Molecular Diagnostics—received emergency use authorization (EUA) status from the U.S. ...

Biomedical technology

A workout for cartilage implants

Whether arising from being felled on the soccer pitch or a seemingly harmless collision with a coffee table, a minor injury to the cartilage in your knee can have major consequences. In the worst case, the weak spot gives ...

Oncology & Cancer

Biosensor detects brain tumors with less than a drop of blood

Despite significant advances, mortality from brain tumors remains high with five-year survival rates of 36%, according to the National Cancer Institute. More accurate diagnoses might improve the situation, but tissue biopsies ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Saliva test could provide early warning for severe COVID cases

Saliva samples could soon be key to predicting the severity of someone's case of COVID-19, allowing hospitals to triage patients effectively, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

Sports medicine & Kinesiology

New genetic tests set to advance orthopedic care

A range of ground-breaking genetic tests that could help predict whether joint replacements succeed or fail have been launched following years of research.

Radiology & Imaging

Novel imaging system could mean near-instant biopsy results

Medicine has advanced dramatically during the last century. But when it comes to getting biopsy results, very little has changed. Consider, for example, what happens when a patient comes in to have a skin lesion biopsied ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

High-tech lab aids testing for monkeypox, other diseases

Nigeria's Oligo synthesizer laboratory, the first in West Africa, could be a game changer in tackling emerging and re-emerging diseases in the region if harnessed to its full potential, laboratory scientists have said.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Looking at light radiation to halt viruses in their tracks

Historically, viruses have contributed to the most significant human diseases. They include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), various influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2. As one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, ...

Immunology

Pin-prick blood test identifies immunity to COVID-19

A finger-prick blood test can identify people most at risk of being reinfected with COVID-19. The simple test, developed by a small biotech firm based in Cardiff (ImmunoServ Ltd) in close collaboration with Cardiff University ...

Neuroscience

New research throws doubt on old ideas of how hearing works

The way in which we experience music and speech differs from what has until now been believed. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, and the Oregon Health and Science University, ...