Scientists from Waseda University, the National Defense Medical College, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency have developed a new bioadhesive, wirelessly powered light-emitting device that could better treat cancers in delicate organs. The newly-developed, bioadhesive, wirelessly-powered implant. Credit: Dr. Toshinori Fujie, Waseda University Conventional photodynamic therapy induces cancer cell death by using photosensitizing agents,...
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Focused Ultrasound and Intranasal Drug Delivery for Brain Cancer Therapy
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new method to bypass the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs to the brain, which could be particularly useful in difficult-to-treat brain tumors. The technique involves administering drugs through an intranasal spray, meaning that the drug can travel directly into the brain along the trigeminal and olfactory...
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Variation in cancer-causing KRAS mutations greater than thought
UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND The effects of KRAS mutations underlying many different types of cancer are more diverse than previously thought, according to a new study led by the University of Eastern Finland. Different mutations in the same amino acid of the KRAS protein have so varied effects on protein function that they may require...
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UNM study shows medical cannabis effective in treating a wide range of health conditions
Researchers use mobile app to identify and track symptom relief Utilizing new mobile application technology, researchers at The University of New Mexico found that medical cannabis provides immediate symptom relief across dozens of health symptoms with relatively minimal negative side effects. In two recent studies titled, “Patient-Reported Symptom Relief Following Medical Cannabis Consumption,” and “Effectiveness of...
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Triclosan, often maligned, may have a good side — treating cystic fibrosis infections
Maybe you’ve had the experience of wading in a stream and struggling to keep your balance on the slick rocks or forgetting to brush your teeth in the morning and feeling a slimy coating in your mouth. These are examples of bacterial biofilms that are found anywhere a surface is exposed to bacteria in a...
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New antidote could prevent brain damage after chemical weapons attack
Terror on a Tokyo subway, 1995; attacks on Syrian civilians, 2013 and 2017; assassinations in an airport in Kuala Lumpur, 2017; attempted assassination in London, 2018. Tremors, foaming at the mouth, seizures, respiratory shutdown, sometimes death. What do these events have in common? Poisoning via a nerve agent – a chemical warfare substance that disrupts...
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Miniaturized HTS assay identifies selective modulators of GPR119 to treat type 2 diabetes
A novel high throughput screening (HTS) assay compatible with an ion channel biosensor component was used successfully to identify selective and active small molecule modulators of G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119), a promising target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and related metabolic disorders. The development of this cell-based HTS assay and its miniaturization...
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Treating sleep apnea greatly improves stroke patients’ neurological and functional recovery
A large study has found that commencing treatment for sleep apnea as soon as possible after a stroke or a mini-stroke significantly improves speech impairment and other neurological symptoms as well as walking and other physical functioning. “We have shown, for the first time in a randomized controlled study, that for individuals who have had...
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A Researcher Is Offering a Prize to Anyone Who Can Prove a Germ Causes Alzheimer’s
ALTERNATE HYPOTHESIS Most researchers believe that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by amyloid plaques or protein tangles. But NPR reports that another theory has been percolating in the scientific community for decades: that the memory-ravaging illness is caused by an infectious microbe. And one advocate is putting up $1 million of his own money to anyone who can provide proof of that hypothesis. FORGET...
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UBC breakthrough opens door to $100 ultrasound machine
Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new ultrasound transducer, or probe, that could dramatically lower the cost of ultrasound scanners to as little as $100. Their patent-pending innovation–no bigger than a Band-Aid–is portable, wearable and can be powered by a smartphone. Conventional ultrasound scanners use piezoelectric crystals to create images of...