The Journal of Nature published results of a study yesterday that showed nanoparticles can be used to deliver targeted gene therapy that prevents cancer growth. A team at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena used nanotechnology — the science of really small objects — to create tiny polymer robots covered with a protein called [...]
Posts under ‘Medicine’
Human body used as conduit for transmitting data
Researchers in South Korea have successfully transmitted data at broadband speeds between two points on a person’s arm using the body itself as a conduit. The technology is very energy efficient when compared to alternatives like wireless data transfer, and therefore may lend itself to health applications: It is difficult to monitor vital signs, such [...]
Using nanotechnology to destroy colorectal cancer cells
The journal Nanotechnology reports a new method for targeting cancer cells using nanoparticles that destroys cancer cells while using healthy tissue unharmed: Led by Carl Batt, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Food Science, the researchers synthesized nanoparticles – shaped something like a dumbbell – made of gold sandwiched between two pieces of iron oxide. [...]
U.S. Military calls for robot medics
According to a posting on the U.S. Department of Defense’s Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer page, the Pentagon is looking for a new robot capable of extracting wounded soldiers from the battlefield with “minimal intervention” from traditional medics. The posting emphasizes the need for an autonomous system in order to “reduce or eliminate [...]
Which supplements are worth your money?
Choosing which health supplements to take can be fairly daunting, as manufacturers make a lot of claims that are often not backed up with firm scientific evidence. Information is Beautiful is a Web site that takes information and conveys it through well-designed graphs and charts. They’ve evaluated the evidence of supplements for use in treating [...]
3D organ printing: coming soon to a hospital near you?
For a few years I’ve been reading about technology that enables doctors to “print” human organs for transplants. Unlike the traditional sources for transplant organs (willing donors and cadavers), 3D printers would enable patients in need to receive organs without having to wait on a list, as well as produce organs created from the patients’ [...]
Highlights from the AAAS Annual Meeting
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) held their annual meeting this week, and naturally a lot of very interesting stories and research results were unveiled: Turning paper and clothing into batteries – By coating fabric and paper with ink “laced” with carbon nanotubes, researchers were able to coax these ordinary materials into [...]
Stem cell therapy lengthens telomeres for those with premature aging disease
People with a rare premature aging disease called dyskeratosis congenita (DKC) experience many of the symptoms we associate with the normal aging process – such as gray hair – but also experience serious symptoms such as anemia and a predisposition to cancer. It is thought that the symptoms of DKC are brought on by the [...]
New prosthetic hand accurate enough to play “Jenga”
This recently unveiled bionic hand, manufactured by the UK-based BeBionic, shows a remarkable degree of accuracy – even enabling users to pull out precariously balanced blocks in a game of “Jenga.” The company shows a range of different grip types and capabilities in the above video. According to Engadget, the hand can also be sheathed [...]
Plastic surgeons create “implantable bra”
Plastic surgeons from South Africa have created an “internal bra system” that consists of a cone-like polyester mesh implant, which is inserted into the breast and provides support from within. The procedure is being positioned as an alternative to traditional saline or silicone breast implants: The cone-shaped material, named Breform, is similar to what is [...]