Research Highlights
Showcase of NIBIB-Supported Research: 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.
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Last Updated On 04/02/2012