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2008
Self-Assembling DNA Tiles – Deciphering the Biology of Individual Cells: December 19, 2008
Using DNA as building blocks, researchers from Arizona State University are designing miniature devices to unravel molecular identity cards of individual cells – one of the most difficult challenges in modern biomedical research.
Biologically Active Nanofibers – Paralyzed Limbs Move Again: November 26, 2008
To date, there has been little hope for recovery after severe spinal cord injury. A new injectable bioactive material designed by scientists at Northwestern University enabled paralyzed mice to move their legs again by instructing damaged nerve cells to grow extensions up and down the spinal cord.
Optical Coherence Tomography Poised to Improve Diagnostics: October 23, 2008
With roots in the telecommunications revolution, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become the gold standard in retinal imaging. Advances in imaging speeds and quality now make OCT a promising technique for a variety of clinical specialties including oncology, cardiology, and gastroenterology. OCT data may also enhance point-of-care diagnostics.
Picturing Liver Disease with Shear Waves: August 28, 2008
Needle biopsies to track the progress of liver disease may find their way to medical history books if progress continues with a new imaging technique called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Based on magnetic resonance imaging and developed by Mayo Clinic researchers, MRE gives data-rich pictures of the liver so clinicians can see areas of scar tissue development called fibrosis.
Circulating Tumor Cells Captured at Last: July 31, 2008
To monitor tumor response to therapy without the need for painful biopsies and harmful scanning, scientists created a device that can capture circulating tumor cells from a small volume of blood. Analyzing the number and genetic profile of these cells will help doctors make an early diagnosis as well as treatment decisions and adjustments.
Monitoring Sleep One Z at a Time: June 27, 2008
A new device, the size of a cell phone, may hold the key to better monitoring of sleep. Developed by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, the device provides a three-dimensional map of sleep quality at a fraction of the time and cost required in a traditional sleep lab.
Novel PET/MRI Scanner Expands Cancer and Drug Studies: May 28, 2008
To fully realize the promise of personalized medicine, researchers and clinicians need tools to track the body’s response to both disease progression and therapy. A novel PET/MRI imaging system developed by a University of California, Davis-led team may be poised to overtake PET/CT as the workhorse of cancer, cardiovascular, and brain imaging studies.
Dedicated Breast CT Scanner Offers Alternative to Mammography: April 29, 2008
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a dedicated breast CT scanner that provides three-dimensional images of the breast that are comparable to mammograms and does so without the discomfort sometimes associated with the conventional technique.
Nanoplatform Offers Key to Rare Lung Diseases: March 31, 2008
Unchecked, a rare lung disease – idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) – leads to heart failure and death. Understanding the mechanism that promotes thickening of the pulmonary artery is a key to arresting the disease’s progress. Using a new nanoscale platform developed by a team at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, researchers are beginning to examine how cells in IPAH patients differ from normal individuals and how they respond to the application of external forces.
New Adhesives for Damaged Joints: February 29, 2008
Disease and injuries damage cartilage in joints, resulting in painful and restricted movement. A Johns Hopkins University research team is developing new techniques for cartilage repair that rely on adhesives.
Optical Microchip Tracks Molecules for Research and Clinical Applications: January 31, 2008
A simple and inexpensive optical technique developed by a team at Vanderbilt University may help researchers arrest the growth of cataracts in aging eyes, as well as provide a powerful tool to diagnose disease. Based on backscatter interferometry, the device provides quick readouts 10,000 times more sensitive than conventional molecular surveillance methods.
2007
Nonlinear Optical Microscopy – Advancing Diagnostics and Improving Treatments: December 28, 2007
Multimodal multiphoton microscopy – a novel imaging technology – provides superb detail and 3D resolution, even when imaging deep into tissues such as spinal cord and blood vessels. Using this state-of-the-art approach, Ji-Xin Cheng and his collaborators at Purdue University are looking for ways to improve diagnostics and treatments for various diseases, including multiple sclerosis and heart disease.
Virtual Reality – Advances in Surgery Simulation: November 30, 2007
Existing surgical simulation techniques often fall short of realism. A new advance in simulation from researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will provide doctors the opportunity to learn new medical procedures and hone motor skills without risking the health and safety of their patients. Soon, surgeons will be able to more realistically practice operations in which bleeding and smoke from cauterization can impact the procedure.
New Technique May Outsmart Pancreatic Cancer: October 26, 2007
A research team from Northwestern University has developed a new technique to noninvasively track changes related to pancreatic cancer and to do so without disturbing the highly sensitive organ. This work may clear the way for new screening tools to discover the disease at its earliest stages.
Microsurgery Device Reduces Surgeon Tremor: September 27, 2007
Microsurgical procedures require precision. Involuntary movement or jerk can traumatize surrounding tissue and cause myriad complications for the patient. A research team at Carnegie Mellon University has developed a handheld device that compensates for unwanted motion and stabilizes the tip of microsurgical instruments. The device could improve the safety of microsurgery and reduce practitioner fatigue. Clinical applications include retinal surgery, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, and cell biology.
Biopolymer Mesh Disappears After Healing: August 21, 2007
Tepha, Inc., has genetically engineered a strain of E. coli to produce a novel, absorbable biopolymer that is flexible, strong, and well tolerated in vivo. The FDA recently cleared surgical suture and mesh products made of the polymer for marketing, marking the first time a medical device made of a naturally derived polyester has received FDA clearance.
Of Mice and Microscopy - Promising Insights for Alzheimer's Research: July 18, 2007
Because no biomarkers exist for Alzheimer’s disease, preclinical diagnosis is impossible and assessment of therapies that could prevent or reverse the course of the disease is inhibited. By combining mouse models, multiphoton microscopy, and unique imaging agents, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston are providing important information about the mechanisms of this progressive neurodegenerative disease and techniques to test new drugs more quickly. Their work also provides a springboard for developing new approaches to image the disease in humans.
Infectious Disease Vaccines Get a Boost from Imaging Program: June 6, 2007
Bacteria that cause two common ailments, traveler’s diarrhea and the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, grab hold of humans because of tiny anchors, or pili, on the bacteria’s surface. A University of Virginia researcher has developed a novel approach to imaging these flexible filaments. Understanding the pili’s structure may help other researchers develop new vaccines to treat highly infectious diseases.
Virtual Microscopy - Turning Bystanders Into Players: May 7, 2007
Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, have developed a suite of imaging tools that enable investigators to visualize and manipulate living cells, molecules, and strands of DNA with unprecedented control. The imaging systems are providing new insights into how blood clots form and how the lungs clear mucus.
Ultrasound-Mediated Therapy - Are We There Yet?: March 27, 2007
Ultrasound creates temporary gaps in cell membranes. These gaps are large enough to allow macromolecules to enter, thus offering the potential to use this noninvasive technology to deliver drugs and genes to specific organs and tissues within the body. Understanding the mechanism by which ultrasound creates these gaps is bringing researchers one step closer to using this technology for targeted drug and gene delivery.
NIBIB Funding Policy Supports New Investigators: February 28, 2007
Receiving an R01 grant can literally change a researcher's life, but getting that first grant can be a daunting task. To ease the process, NIBIB has implemented a new investigator funding policy. Follow three investigators with unique stories who have successfully earned grants under the new policy and whose work is moving biomedical research forward.
Adding Feeling to Robot-Assisted Surgery: January 29, 2007
To give surgeons a sense of touch when they perform robot-assisted surgery, a Johns Hopkins University research team is developing a feedback system based on visual cues as well as force sensors that can be placed in the robot system.
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2006
Brain-Computer Interfaces Come Home: November 28, 2006
The first user-friendly, home version of a brain-computer interface system from the Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, offers a much needed "voice" to those who are paralyzed.
Imaging Gene Expression with Magnetic Resonance: October 23, 2006
By combining magnetic resonance imaging and optical imaging researchers can visualize cellular activity such as gene expression in live animals as well as detect the expression of enzymes that become active in cancer cells, cell death, and inflammation.
New Contrast Agents Track Organ Rejection: September 25, 2006
Organ transplants often give patients a new lease on life. Critical to patient outcome is how well the body accepts the new organ. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing a new, non-invasive method to monitor organ rejection using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Faster Biopsy Results with New Microscope Array: August 30, 2006
Waiting a week or two for biopsy results can be unnerving, but a novel pathology slide scanner developed by engineers at Tucson, Arizona-based DMetrix Inc. is providing patients with same day biopsy results.
Biosensor Rapidly Identifies Urinary Tract Infections: July 25, 2006
Pinpointing the cause of painful urinary tract infections usually takes about 48 hours. A new biosensor promises to cut that time to 45 minutes or less, and offers patients the option of more accurate drug therapy.
Retooling a Research Career - From Engineering to Biology and Back: June 21, 2006
With a training grant from NIBIB, one researcher parlays a career spent developing instruments to track global warming into an opportunity to develop a novel method to image biological specimens, in particular to distinguish between normal and cancerous tissue.
Cardiac Patch - The Beat Goes On: May 31, 2006
Heart attacks rob the body's central pump of oxygen which can lead to damaged tissue and reduced function. To address this problem, researchers are developing a "cardiac patch" - a piece of laboratory-grown heart tissue to replace a patient's damaged heart tissue before the entire organ becomes diseased.
Tiny Neural Clamps Make Connections: April 26, 2006
Thanks to girls’ hair barrettes, researchers at Arizona State University have developed a device that may revolutionize ways to communicate with the peripheral nervous system, the body’s nerve network that sends messages to and from the brain and spinal cord.
Magnetic Signals Reveal Fetal Development: March 28, 2006
Detecting pre-term neurological damage is just one goal for an innovative fetal assessment tool based on techniques to evaluate adult brain activity.
Hybrid Imaging System Improves Minimally Invasive Procedures: February 9, 2006
The success of minimally invasive procedures depends in part on novel imaging systems. A hybrid X-ray/MRI system combines the best of both technologies and eliminates the need to shuttle patients back and forth between different imaging systems.
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2005
Soft Nanotechnology Images Tumors: December 22, 2005
A new technique combining flexible microbubbles and optical imaging may enable researchers to discover dormant metastatic cancer cells as well as improve tumor staging and classification.
Targeted Drug Delivery With Microbubbles: September 16, 2005
A new method for delivering drugs directly to diseased tissue may increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy in brain tumors and reduce its toxic effect on healthy cells.
Medication Boosts Brain Activity in Kids With Attention Disorders: August 11, 2005
An innovative functional magnetic resonance imaging technique reveals unusually low activity levels in the brain of teens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a reading disorder, or both conditions.
Painless Imaging Reduces Need for Painful Biopsies: July 13, 2005
A modified magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can assess a patient in less than 20 minutes and does not require injection of specialized dye may help identify cancers and track the effectiveness of treatment.
Microscopic Scaffolds May Help Regenerate Cells: June 10, 2005
Innovative synthetic tissue scaffolds that transport molecular signals directly to ailing cells such as those in the brain or spinal cord may eventually provide a way to regenerate damaged neurons and restore junctions between nerve fibers lost in paralysis.
Warped Map Helps Chart the Brain: April 29, 2005
A new brain database and atlas may answer some of the most vexing questions about how the brain works. Image warping techniques allow investigators to compare individual brains with populations of healthy or diseased brains.
Molecular Footprints Step Up Drug Development: March 30, 2005
Synchrotron X-ray footprinting coupled with 3-D computer modeling yields unprecedented insight into the molecular interaction of two viral molecules responsible for causing colds and pinkeye.
Polymer Library May Improve Gene Therapy for Cancer: February 28, 2005
Materials scientists have teamed up with medical researchers to develop a novel way to deliver a deadly payload to cancer cells. The new technique caused 40 percent of prostate tumors in mice to shrink in initial experiments.
Bioengineered Tissue Scaffold Promotes Wound Healing: January 28, 2005
A bioengineered material now plays a crucial role in treating conditions ranging from incontinence to burns.
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2004
Wearable Robots Help with Stroke Rehabilitation: December 15, 2004
Robotic technology may accelerate the rehabilitation process and reduce the costs of physical therapy for individuals whose arms are paralyzed as a result of stroke.
Optical Probes May Improve Breast Biopsies: November 8, 2004
A new fiber optic probe plugs into a biopsy needle and takes advantage of the important differences between how malignant and benign tissue respond to light. The device may improve the accuracy of conventional needle biopsies.
Catch a (Brain) Wave: October 21, 2004
Hard wiring the brain? Almost. Brain computer interface technologies that capture electrical brain waves as individuals imagine performing certain activities and translate the waves into computer commands will soon allow patients to operate word-processing programs, and perhaps even electric wheelchairs or robotic arms.
The Amazing Disappearing Stent: September 21, 2004
A biodegradable polymer may reduce the extent of arterial injuries and repeat blockage seen with rigid metal stents used to treat coronary artery disease.
Cartilage Heal Thyself: August 2, 2004
A liquid polymer gel that can be poured into torn cartilage tissue may offer a new approach to healing worn out joints. Tested on rabbits, the gel adapts to the shape of the tear and becomes the scaffolding for the body's own cartilage cells to make new tissue.
Designer Bones: June 16, 2004
In the future, a patient in need of a new bone or bone section may be able to have one made using a mold, a gel solution, and a few drops of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These versatile precursor cells, found in bone marrow and fat tissue, can transform into different cell types, including bone, cartilage, and skeletal muscle.
Integrated Imaging May Improve Epilepsy Surgery: April 27, 2004
Shorter epilepsy surgery times may result from a new imaging system that integrates information about brain anatomy, biochemistry, electrical activity, and blood flow and may allow surgeons to more precisely pinpoint, and then remove, damaged brain tissue that causes seizures.
Brain Scans on the Move: March 23, 2004
A miniature implantable pump may broaden the range of behaviors that scientist can study using brain imaging techniques. The pump infuses detectable tracer molecules into the bloodstream of laboratory rats engaged in specific behaviors. Activated brain regions are revealed by the distribution of tracer molecules during or just after a behavior.
Quantum Dots Could Guide Surgeons: February 11, 2004
Nanometer-sized crystals called quantum dots that emit light at specific wavelengths when illuminated may one day assist doctors' efforts to assess and treat cancer patients. The dots may help illuminate sentinel lymph nodes and eliminate the need for multiple biopsies in breast cancer patients.
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