Scientists at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital have developed a cheap, sensitive, and highly accurate way of detecting protein biomarkers. The technology may very well revolutionize diagnostics, disease monitoring, and help stop the spread of infectious pathogens. The nanoswitch-linked immunosorbent assay (NLISA) has the potential to be as simple to use...
Post
Study uncovers markers for severe form of multiple sclerosis
Scientists have uncovered two closely related cytokines—molecules involved in cell communication and movement—that may explain why some people develop progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the most severe form of the disease. The findings, authored by researchers at Yale University, Oregon Health & Science University, and the University of California point the way toward developing a novel...
Post
The blood test that may save the sight of the elderly: Scientists say it will identify if older people are at risk of the most common cause of blindness
Age-related macular degeneration affects around five million people worldwide The condition has been dubbed by various experts as the ‘Alzheimer’s of the eye’ It is the leading cause of blindness around the world and it is currently incurable The new findings offer hope of an earlier diagnosis when drugs may prevent it A blood test...
Post
Antibodies prove better at reprogramming skin cells into stem cells
Stem cells are the blank slate on which all the specialized cells in our bodies are built, and finding ways to revert adult cells back to that stage can help fight a whole range of illnesses. A breakthrough came about 10 years ago when researchers discovered that skin cells could be “reprogrammed” into stem cells...
Post
Magnetic cellular Legos for the regenerative medicine of the future
By incorporating magnetic nanoparticles in cells and developing a system using miniaturized magnets, researchers at the Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (CNRS/Université Paris Diderot) and collaborators have created cellular magnetic Legos. They were able to aggregate cells using only magnets and without an external supporting matrix. The cells then formed a tissue that can be...
Post
Does brain tissue regeneration depend on maturity of stem cells used for transplantation?
New research has shown that the success of transplanting stem cells into the brain to regenerate tissue damaged by stroke may depend on the maturity of the neuronal precursor cells used for transplantation. A study demonstrating the significant impact of human neuronal precursor cell maturity on cell survival after transplantation into stroke-injured rate brains is...
Post
Team discovers how to train damaging inflammatory cells to promote repair after stroke
White blood cells called neutrophils are like soldiers in your body that form in the bone marrow and at the first sign of microbial attack, head for the site of injury just as fast as they can to neutralize invading bacteria or fungi using an armament of chemical weapons. But when that injury is an intracerebral hemorrhage,...
Post
Why virtual reality is the next frontier in pain relief: Games distract players and even trigger changes in the brain
New research shows virtual reality has various benefits to treat pain Aside from distraction, it could also reprogram how we respond to pain This is down to guided imagery to treat mental health, experts say Virtual reality games might help ease pain not just by distracting players from what ails them, but also by triggering...
Post
Magnetic brain stimulation helps “unlearn” crippling fear of heights
New research suggests a little magnetic brain stimulation prior to being exposed to your greatest fear in a VR headset could help you “unlearn” your anxiety response Advances in technology over the last decade have led to a swift rise in the volume of research surrounding transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and its therapeutic effects. A...
Post
Researchers learn more about maximizing brain use
Neuroscientists from Higher School of Economics and Charité University Clinic in Berlin have come up with a new multivariate method for predicting behavioural response to a stimulus using information about the phase of preceding neuronal oscillations recorded with EEG. The method may eventually find practical application in fields such as competitive sports, education and patient...