Summary: Researchers have developed a new specialized MRI sensor that detects light deep within brain tissue.
Source: MIT
Using a specialized MRI sensor, MIT researchers have shown that they can detect light deep within tissues such as the brain.
Category: biotech/medical – Page 1,192
Wearable skin patch could help clinicians diagnose tumors, organ malfunction and more
Electronic wearable patches have been devised to monitor various health conditions by noninvasively detecting biomolecules on the skin surface.
A new Nature Communications study discusses the development of novel skin patches capable of deep detection of biomolecules, which correlate better and more rapidly with physiological states. For example, the photoacoustic patch described by the researchers, who are engineers at the University of California San Diego, can produce a three-dimensional (3D) map of deep tissue hemoglobin.
The secret lives of T cells: They derive energy from a master regulator that has been poorly understood, until now
T cells aren’t the first immune forces on the scene, they arrive after being alerted by other immune system warriors that a microbe has invaded or a cancer has silently seeded.
Exactly how T cells obtain the energy they need to build a massive army in the face of infiltrators has been the subject of speculation, theory and decades-long laboratory inquiries.
Now, scientists are taking a deeper dive into the question, and their investigations are shedding new light on an array of dynamic biological activities that help bolster T cell populations. Their research demystifies how T cells can power their growth and proliferation when disease emerges and T cell strength is in greatest need.
De novo birth of functional microproteins in the human lineage
Human microproteins encoded by small ORFs have been found to be functional. By comparing the corresponding sequences across vertebrate genomes, Vakirlis et al. show that a number of these originated “from scratch” from noncoding sequences, including two very recent cases unique to humans. These cases demonstrate the rapid evolution of genetic novelty.
In a first, scientists produced male and female cells from a single person
It will provide a better understanding of how drugs affect men and women differently.
Scientists created male and female cells with the same genetic code from the same person for the first time. This unique set of cells could provide researchers with valuable insights into how sex chromosomes affect various diseases and their role in early development.
CDC/Dr. Laine.
The sex chromosome.
Gene therapy could save children from a rare genetic disease
This impressive achievement could potentially revolutionize how we treat cancer and immunity deficiencies.
Children born with Artemis-SCID face many challenges, from a missing repertoire of T and B cells to reduced resistance against chemotherapy used in bone marrow transplants. Additionally, malfunctioning DNA repair mechanisms increase the risk of developing graft-versus-host disease, where the donor’s immune system attacks host tissues.
That’s why researchers are trying everything to find an antidote for such a rare genetic disease and have now turned to gene therapy to treat Artemis-SCID. Gene therapy eliminates the need for donor cells.
Infant gene therapy – a breakthrough to save Artemis-SCID children
In a recent medical breakthrough, scientists have discovered how to use gene therapy to treat babies born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), or “bubble boy syndrome,” without needing immune-suppressing drugs.
This new innovation has proven to be potentially life-changing for infants suffering from rare diseases, giving them an exponentially improved chance of leading a relatively healthy and normal life.
Scientists break new ground in cancer fight by ‘reinvigorating’ T cells
A new study develops ‘environment-modulating’ drugs that reinvigorate T-cells to once again destroy cancer cells.
T-cells, typically thought to be anti-cancer, can switch sides and work against us in the right environment (or battlefield!), according to a new study published on December 21 in Nature.
This discovery is unexpected because many extensive studies before this believed that most worn-out T-cells’ properties were “irreversible.” Simply put, they were doomed to being subpar tumor killers.
Meletios Verras/iStock.
In light of this, the study went a step further by proving that altering the local environment around the tumor could “reinvigorate” T-cells to once again destroy cancer cells.
Shutting down a mysterious gene can help patients get rid of the deadliest brain cancer
The deadly brain cancer is no longer a mystery.
Glioblastoma is one of the most dangerous cancer types affecting the human brain and spinal cord. Over 240,000 people lose their lives because of nervous system cancer annually, and in most of these cases, the leading cause of death is glioblastoma.
Its tumors spread fast and induce highly painful seizures and headaches. What’s worse is that there is no known 100 percent effective cure for this disease. US president Joe Biden’s eldest son Beau Biden and late American actor Robert Forster were also among the many victims of glioblastoma.