Dr. Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH ( https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/michael-t-osterholm-phd-mph ) is Regents Professor, McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Publi…
Category: biotech/medical – Page 125
AI tool uses face photos to estimate biological age and predict cancer outcomes
Eyes may be the window to the soul, but a person’s biological age could be reflected in their facial characteristics. Investigators from Mass General Brigham developed a deep learning algorithm called “FaceAge” that uses a photo of a person’s face to predict biological age and survival outcomes for patients with cancer.
They found that patients with cancer, on average, had a higher FaceAge than those without and appeared about five years older than their chronological age.
Older FaceAge predictions were associated with worse overall survival outcomes across multiple cancer types. They also found that FaceAge outperformed clinicians in predicting short-term life expectancies of patients receiving palliative radiotherapy.
Biodegradable microplastics in mice gut trigger metabolic reprogramming, shedding light on safety concerns
Microplastic pollution is a severe ecological and environmental issue and is also one of the important risk factors affecting human health. Polylactic acid (PLA), a medical biodegradable material approved by the FDA, is an important material to replace petroleum-based plastics.
Although PLA has achieved large-scale application in food packaging, its brittle characteristics make it more likely to generate microplastic particles. These particles can efficiently invade the gut through the food chain and trigger unknown biotransformation processes at the microbiota–host interface. Therefore, elucidating precisely the transformation map of PLA microplastics within the living body is crucial for assessing their safety.
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a research team led by Prof. Chen Chunying from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the complete biological fate of PLA microplastics (PLA-MPs) in the gut of mice, particularly focusing on their microbial fermentation into endogenous metabolites and their involvement in the carbon cycle.
DNA-like molecule may survive Venus-like cloud conditions
Punishing conditions in the clouds of Venus could be home to a DNA-like molecule capable of forming genes in life very different to that on Earth, according to a new study.
Long thought to be hostile to complex organic chemistry because of the absence of water, the clouds of Earth’s sister planet are made of droplets of sulfuric acid, chlorine, iron, and other substances.
But research led by Wrocław University of Science and Technology shows how peptide nucleic acid (PNA)—a structural cousin of DNA—can survive under lab conditions made to mimic conditions that can occur in Venus’ perpetual clouds.
Connection between autism spectrum disorder and myotonic dystrophy
A recent discovery of a molecular connection between autism and myotonic dystrophy, a type of neuromuscular disease, may provide a breakthrough on how clinicians approach autism spectrum disorder.
The new study by an interdisciplinary team of biomedical scientists, published in Nature Neuroscience, used myotonic dystrophy as a tool or model to learn more about autism – effectively using one disorder to better understand the other.
“We identified a new pathway that can lead to autism,” said the research lead. “We found that a genetic mutation in a certain gene can disrupt the expression of multiple autism-related genes during brain development, causing autism.”
BabyBot: Soft robotic infant mimics feeding behaviors from birth to 6 months old
A combined team of roboticists from CREATE Lab, EPFL and Nestlé Research Lausanne, both in Switzerland, has developed a soft robot that was designed to mimic human infant motor development and the way infants feed.
In their paper published in the journal npj Robotics, the group describes how they used a variety of techniques to give their robot the ability to simulate the way human infants feed, from birth until approximately six months old.
Prior research has shown that it is difficult to develop invasive medical procedures for infants and babies due to the lack of usable test subjects. Methods currently in use, such as simulations, observational instruments and imaging tend to fall short due to their differences compared to real human infants. To overcome such problems, the team in Switzerland has designed, built, and tested a soft robotic infant that can be used for such purposes.
In vivo 3D printing using sound holds promise for precise drug delivery, wound healing and more
Imagine that doctors could precisely print miniature capsules capable of delivering cells needed for tissue repair exactly where they are needed inside a beating heart.
A team of scientists led by Caltech has taken a significant step toward that ultimate goal, having developed a method for 3D-printing polymers at specific locations deep within living animals. The technique relies on sound for localization and has already been used to print polymer capsules for selective drug delivery as well as glue-like polymers to seal internal wounds.
Previously, scientists have used infrared light to trigger polymerization, the linking of the basic units, or monomers, of polymers within living animals.
Overexpressing miRNA-27a in human dental pulp stem cells yields anti-inflammatory effect, may regenerate tissue
Dental caries (tooth decay) is a common oral health condition that often causes significant pain and discomfort and may even lead to tooth loss. In severe and untreated cases, bacterial infection combined with the host’s immune response can cause bone resorption, or the breakdown of bone tissue in the tooth root. Moreover, traditional treatments for advanced dental caries, such as surgery, can result in bone defects that require complex bone grafting procedures.
Building on this knowledge, bone tissue engineering and dental tissue regeneration have gained the attention of researchers worldwide. Recent reports suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs)—small, non-coding ribonucleic acid sequences—play a key role in bone tissue regeneration. However, the underlying mechanisms and pathways regulated by miRNAs remain unclear.
To investigate the intrinsic processes involved in dental bone repair, a team of researchers led by Associate Professor Nobuyuki Kawashima, graduate student Ziniu Yu, and Professor Takashi Okiji from the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, has conducted a series of innovative experiments using human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and mice.
DARPA-Funded Research Develops Novel Technology to Combat Treatment-Resistant PTSD
Groundbreaking research has revealed a new method of potentially eliminating hard-to-treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses in patients by employing a novel kind of therapy: stimulation of the vagus nerve.
The new treatment offers new hope for those long afflicted by PTSD diagnoses that have traditionally proven to be resistant to conventional treatment methods.
Scientists from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and Baylor University Medical Center conducted the research, discovering that participants were symptom-free for up to six months after completing the experimental therapy.
HIV Drugs Linked to Lower Alzheimer’s Risk
Summary: New research reveals a striking gap between people’s theoretical desire to know their Alzheimer’s disease risk and their real-life decisions when results are actually offered. In a study of cognitively normal volunteers, only 60% chose to learn their estimated risk when given the chance, despite 81% expressing prior interest.