In the future, delivering therapeutic drugs exactly where they are needed within the body could be the task of miniature robots. Not little metal humanoid or even bio-mimicking robots; think instead of tiny bubble-like spheres.   Such robots would have a long and challenging list of requirements. For example, they would need to survive in bodily fluids, such as stomach acids, and be controllable, so they could be directed precisely to targeted sites. They also must release their medical cargo only when they reach their target, and then be absorbable by the body without causing harm.   Now, ...

Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses.  But light scatters when it shines into biological tissue, limiting how deep it can penetrate and hampering the resolution of captured images.  Now, MIT researchers have developed a new technique that more than doubles the usual depth limit of metabolic imaging. Their method also boosts imaging speeds, yielding richer and more detailed images. This new technique does not require tissue to be ...

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa have discovered an 18-digit code that allows proteins to attach themselves to exosomes - tiny pinched-off pieces of cells that travel around the body and deliver biochemical signals. The discovery, published in Science Advances, has major implications for the burgeoning field of exosome therapy, which seeks to harness exosomes to deliver drugs for various diseases. “Proteins are the body’s own home-made drugs, but they don’t necessarily travel well around the body,” said Dr. Michael Rudnicki, senior ...

The black box of the human brain is starting to open. Although animal models are instrumental in shaping our understanding of the mammalian brain, scarce human data is uncovering important specificities. In a paper published in Cell, a team led by the Jonas group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and neurosurgeons from the Medical University of Vienna shed light on the human hippocampal CA3 region, central for memory storage. Many of us have relished those stolen moments with a grandparent by the fireplace, our hearts racing to the intrigues of their stories from good old times, recounted with vivid imagery ...

A new class of magnetism called altermagnetism has been imaged for the first time in a new study. The findings could lead to the development of new magnetic memory devices with the potential to increase operation speeds of up to a thousand times. Altermagnetism is a distinct form of magnetic order where the tiny constituent magnetic building blocks align antiparallel to their neighbours but the structure hosting each one is rotated compared to its neighbours.  Scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Physics and Astonomy have shown that this new third class ...

A complete blood count (CBC) screening is a routine exam requested by most physicians for healthy adults. This clinical test is a valuable tool for assessing a patient’s overall health from one blood sample. Currently, the results of CBC tests are analyzed using a one-size-fits-all reference interval, but a new study led by researchers from Mass General Brigham suggests that this approach can lead to overlooked deviations in health. In a retrospective analysis, researchers show that these reference intervals, or setpoints, are unique to each patient. The study revealed that one healthy ...

When it comes to the human body, form and function work together. The shape and structure of our hands enable us to hold and manipulate things. Tiny air sacs in our lungs called alveoli allow for air exchange and help us breath in and out. And tree-like blood vessels branch throughout our body, delivering oxygen from our head to our toes. The organization of these natural structures holds the key to our health and the way we function. Better understanding and replicating their designs could help us unlock biological insights for more effective drug-testing, and the development of new therapeutics and organ replacements. Yet, biologically engineering tissue ...

About The Study: This study identifies growing healthspan (years lived in good health)-lifespan gaps around the globe, threatening healthy longevity across worldwide populations. Women globally exhibited a larger healthspan-lifespan gap than men.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Andre Terzic, MD, PhD, email terzic.andre@mayo.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.50241) Editor’s Note: Please see the article ...

Imagine a world in which a vaccine is a cream you rub onto your skin instead of a needle a health care worker pushes into your one of your muscles. Even better, it’s entirely pain-free and not followed by fever, swelling, redness or a sore arm. No standing in a long line to get it. Plus, it’s cheap. Thanks to Stanford University researchers’ domestication of a bacterial species that hangs out on the skin of close to everyone on Earth, that vision could become a reality. “We all hate needles — everybody does,” said Michael Fischbach, PhD, the Liu (Liao) Family Professor and a professor of bioengineering. “I haven’t found a single person ...

How can we explain the morphological diversity of living organisms?  Although genetics is the answer that typically springs to mind, it is not the only explanation. By combining observations of embryonic development, advanced microscopy, and cutting-edge computer modelling, a multi-disciplinary team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) demonstrate that the crocodile head scales emerge from the mechanics of growing tissues, rather than molecular genetics. The diversity of these head scales observed in different crocodilian species therefore arises from the evolution of mechanical parameters, such as the growth ...

Investigators who previously found that a daily statin pill helps prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with HIV have now discovered a potential mechanism that may help to stabilize plaques and prevent their rupture in blood vessels. The research led by a team from Mass General Brigham is published in JAMA Cardiology. “Individuals with HIV tend to have an excess of noncalcified plaques that are vulnerable to rupture at a younger age, putting them at high risk for strokes, heart attacks, and sudden cardiac death,” said senior author Steven Grinspoon, MD, chief of the Metabolism Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare ...

SAN FRANCISCO—Cells in the immune system don’t always fight; they often rest and wait for threats, like viruses or bacteria. When such threats emerge, the cells activate to defend the body. This delicate balance between rest and activation is crucial to our health—immune cells must be poised for activation to protect against threats, but if they’re overly active, autoimmune diseases can result. But what controls this important balance? In a new study published in Nature, scientists from Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco ...

HOBOKEN, N.J.—Wiley, one of the world’s largest publishers and a global leader in research and learning, today announced the release of the new version of its KnowItAll software, with numerous advances to accelerate spectral analysis and optimize workflows. KnowItAll 2025, the latest version of Wiley’s comprehensive software suite for spectral analysis and analytical data management, introduces a groundbreaking new tool to automate LC-MS analysis, enhanced data management, and numerous other features to streamline analysis across multiple ...

The arrival of Paxlovid in December 2021 marked another turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic—an effective antiviral that has since successfully treated millions. But like many antivirals before it, scientists know that at some point, Paxlovid is likely to lose some efficacy due to drug resistance. Researchers working to stay ahead of such emerging threats have now identified a wholly new way to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections—work that may have even broader implications. In fact, a new study by the Tuschl ...

The study presents the journey of designing and optimizing novel gut-restricted PHD inhibitors using the comprehensive generative chemistry engine Chemistry42. From initiation to preclinical candidate nomination, the program spanned only 12 months, during which approximately 115 molecules were synthesized and screened. Preclinical studies demonstrate ISM5411 to be gut-restricted and PHD-specific, thus reducing cardiovascular and systematical tumorigenic risks. Two Phase 1 clinical trials of ISM5411 for IBD are currently being conducted in parallel in Australia and China, with the last subject out in both ...

ANN ARBOR—Two University of Michigan faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Robert Bartlett, professor emeritus of surgery at the Medical School, and Zhen Xu, professor of biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering and professor of radiology and neurosurgery at the Medical School, were elected this month to the academy. Bartlett and Xu were nominated for being innovative researchers with extensive work translating discoveries into ...

“Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have emerged as a promising tool in advancing personalized medicine.” BUFFALO, NY – December 11, 2024 – A news feature on the research paper “Next-generation cell-penetrating antibodies for tumor targeting and RAD51 inhibition” by Rackear et al. was published in Oncotarget’s Volume 15 on November 22, 2024, titled “Advancements in cell-penetrating monoclonal antibody treatment.“ This new publication by Sai Pallavi Pradeep and Raman Bahal from the  Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Connecticut highlights significant advancements in ...

“These initial results suggest that individuals with SCD have a significantly higher cellular senescence burden which may contribute to premature aging, physiological decline, and excess morbidities.”  BUFFALO, NY- December 11, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as “Aging (Albany NY)” and “Aging-US” by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 21 on November 14, 2024, entitled, “Adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease exhibit accelerated aging with elevated T-cell p16INK4a expression.” Researchers Samuel R. Wilson, Natalia Mitin, ...

One of the great ambitions in the scientific world is to use tiny objects—such as molecules, viruses, and nanoparticles—as building blocks to construct essential macromolecules and materials, much like constructing intricate designs with LEGO bricks. However, achieving this requires overcoming significant challenges. Molecules in liquid environments move randomly and at extraordinary speeds—approximately many times faster than Usain Bolt at peak velocity—making precise manipulation extraordinarily challenging. To ...

Advancing the energy transition requires more than just technological innovation – it demands a joint effort between public and private actors. Giovanna Pinilla De La Cruz’s doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Finland, explores the mechanisms that foster collaboration in the energy sector, highlighting the Vaasa region’s energy cluster as a successful example. The transition to sustainable energy systems is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Successfully navigating this transition requires coordinated ...

The TIME is a dynamic network composed of cancer cells, immune cells, and stromal components. During the early stages of tumorigenesis, the TIME attempts to eliminate abnormal cells through immune surveillance. However, as tumors evolve, they exploit the TIME to evade immune responses and promote tumor progression. Exosomes play a central role in this transformation by transporting bioactive molecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, thereby influencing processes like immune escape, angiogenesis, and metastasis. HCC is particularly adept ...

(Toronto, December 11, 2024) JMIR Publications is proud to announce that JMIR Aging has been accepted for inclusion in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). This accomplishment follows a selective re-evaluation process, where a limited number of  Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) journals were considered for inclusion. To be eligible, journals needed to rank among the top three in their respective categories based on the latest Journal Citation Reports (JCR) data. JMIR Aging’s acceptance into SCIE and SSCI underscores its exceptional quality and impact, demonstrated by its outstanding performance ...

The majority of children who started smoking tobacco at age 10 years or in their later teens continued to smoke until their mid-twenties. Continuous smoking from childhood significantly increased the risk of premature heart damage, a new study shows. The study was conducted in collaboration between the Universities of Bristol and Exeter in the UK, and the University of Eastern Finland, and the results were published in the prestigious Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). In the present study, 1,931 children drawn from the University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s cohort were followed up from age 10 until 24 years. ...

Cigarette smoking from childhood into early adulthood is associated with an increased risk of premature cardiac injury, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology. This early damage to the structure and function of the heart can also significantly increase the chance of future cardiovascular (CVD) mortality in mid-life. “Our goal is to provide data for policymakers, clinicians, and public health practitioners on crucial timing for preventing smoking and its early consequences in youth,” ...

SAN ANTONIO —December 11, 2024 — Southwest Research Institute seeks support from residents or visitors of countries worldwide to assist with an international oil sampling program. Selected participants will be paid to purchase prequalified oil samples from retail stores and ship them to SwRI’s headquarters in San Antonio. Prequalification for the program will occur via an emailed photo exchange. Participants will purchase four 1-quart or 1-liter containers, or one 1-gallon container, of specified brands ...