Research Highlights
Showcase of NIBIB-Supported Research: 2009
Super-Cool Imaging
Technique Identifies Aggressive Tumors: December 22, 2009
Although current laboratory tests and imaging studies cannot predict whether a tumor
will spread quickly, a new imaging technique – hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI—developed
by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and GE Healthcare
may provide new insights into how tumors use energy. The technique could help clinicians
more precisely tailor therapies to slow or halt a tumor’s progress.
Designing Smart
Surgical Microtools: November 30, 2009
Researchers have designed a fist-like surgical tool the size of a dust particle
that can open and close in response to chemicals or heat. The device, called a microgripper,
does not require batteries or any electrical source and some day could be used to
collect biopsy samples, remove blood clots, and deliver drugs to parts of the human
body that wired tools cannot access.
New Stroke Treatments
on the Horizon: October 30, 2009
Once symptoms of a stroke appear, brain tissue begins to deteriorate. Restoring
blood flow to the brain quickly can mean the difference between a return to health
or months of disability. A research team at the University of Massachusetts Medical
School has developed a device that easily snakes into the brain’s twisty vessels
and can unclog an artery in a matter of minutes using gentle pulses of ultrasonic
energy. This is in sharp contrast to current technologies that often take up to
two hours to work.
Building an Artificial
Ovary – A New Tool for Understanding Reproductive Biology and Preserving Fertility:
September 30, 2009
Preserving fertility is a major concern for women and girls facing cancer diagnosis
because chemotherapy and radiation are harmful to the ovaries. Scientists are developing
3-D scaffolds that mimic the ovary so that immature egg cells could be matured outside
of the body. The technology will allow women to freeze their ovarian tissue for
use at a later time, without the need for time-consuming ovarian stimulation.
Smooth or Wiggly
Blood Vessel Shape Reveals Disease: August 31, 2009
Different diseases affect the shape of blood vessels. Cancer, for instance, tends
to change vessels from smooth tubes into jagged conduits. But conventional imaging
alone cannot reveal key details about a blood vessel’s shape. By combining
magnetic resonance angiography with computer analysis, researchers at the University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, have developed a noninvasive method to assess tumor
malignancy and to track response to drug therapy. The approach also offers insight
into how the brain ages.
Catch a Brain
Wave and Teach it to Communicate: July 22, 2009
Communication is a challenge for people who are locked into their bodies as a result
of a severe neuromuscular condition such as Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) or
brainstem stroke. By training the brain to control its own electrical activity rather
than the body’s muscles, researchers at the Wadsworth Center, New York State
Department of Health, Albany, are helping these individuals remain connected to
their families, friends, and colleagues and are opening up new possibilities for
brain-computer interactions.
Cracking the
Brain’s Firewall with Ultrasound: June 29, 2009
For too long the blood-brain barrier has kept potentially life-saving drugs from
entering the central nervous system and brain. Now researchers from Harvard Medical
School and the Sunnybrook Health Science Center, University of Toronto, have developed
an ultrasound technique that temporarily opens the blood-brain barrier allowing
drug therapies for diseases from cancer to Alzheimer’s to pass into the central
nervous system.
Taking the Elbow
Grease Out of Scrubbing Sensitive Data from Medical Records: May 31, 2009
Advances in technology have contributed to the growth of electronic medical data
systems, increasing concern among patients and health care providers about the confidentiality
of clinical information. NIBIB-funded investigators have created software to aggregate
and share health data with researchers while maintaining patient confidentiality.
The Little Microscope
that Can: April 30, 2009
A new microscope the size of a bumblee’s hair bristle could change disease
diagnosis in remote areas of the world as well as home-based disease monitoring.
Developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, the
lensless microscope relies on tubes and channels to guide samples through a chamber.
A sensor similar to those used in digital cameras records the images.
Ronin: Masterless
Samurai Protein Preserves Stem Cells: March 31, 2009
Embryonic stem (ES) cells have shown great promise in the creation of replacement
cells and tissues to treat a number of diseases. Scientists at Baylor College identified
a new protein, Ronin, which has potential for preserving stem cells for use in many
medical applications.
Listening for
One Cell in a Billion: February 25, 2009
By combining light and sound, researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical
Sciences, Little Rock, may have found a way to detect infections and cancer cells
before they become life-threatening. Preliminary studies show the novel technique,
in vivo photoacoustic flow cytometry, can pinpoint a single cluster of skin
cancer cells in a billion blood cells.
Microchip Measures
a Lot in a Little: January 30, 2009
Terry Phillips’ recycling immunoaffinity microchip can measure up to 30 proteins
in a sample 1/100th the volume of a drop of blood. This cutting-edge tool is helping
researchers study biomarkers in new ways and has the potential to make a tremendous
impact on clinical care.
Last Updated On 04/02/2012