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Category: biotech/medical – Page 286

Wearable device tracks individual cells in the bloodstream in real time

Researchers at MIT have developed a noninvasive medical monitoring device powerful enough to detect single cells within blood vessels, yet small enough to wear like a wristwatch. One important aspect of this wearable device is that it can enable continuous monitoring of circulating cells in the human body. The technology was reported in npj Biosensing.

The device—named CircTrek—was developed by researchers in the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek research group, led by Deblina Sarkar, assistant professor at MIT and AT&T Career Development Chair at the MIT Media Lab. This technology could greatly facilitate early diagnosis of disease, detection of disease relapse, assessment of infection risk, and determination of whether a disease treatment is working, among other medical processes.

Whereas traditional blood tests are like a snapshot of a patient’s condition, CircTrek was designed to present real-time assessment, referred to in the npj Biosensing paper as having been “an unmet goal to date.” A different technology that offers monitoring of cells in the bloodstream with some continuity, in vivo flow cytometry, “requires a room-sized microscope, and patients need to be there for a long time,” says Kyuho Jang, a Ph.D. student in Sarkar’s lab.

AI model analyzes brain scans to predict relapse risk in pediatric brain cancer

Artificial intelligence (AI) shows tremendous promise for analyzing vast medical imaging datasets and identifying patterns that may be missed by human observers. AI-assisted interpretation of brain scans may help improve care for children with brain tumors called gliomas, which are typically treatable but vary in risk of recurrence.

Investigators from Mass General Brigham and collaborators at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center trained deep learning algorithms to analyze sequential, post-treatment brain scans and flag patients at risk of cancer recurrence.

Their results are published in NEJM AI.

Scientists discover how to reactivate cancer’s molecular ‘kill switch’

Alternative RNA splicing is like a movie editor cutting and rearranging scenes from the same footage to create different versions of a film. By selecting which scenes to keep and which to leave out, the editor can produce a drama, a comedy, or even a thriller—all from the same raw material. Similarly, cells splice RNA in different ways to produce a variety of proteins from a single gene, fine-tuning their function based on need. However, when cancer rewrites the script, this process goes awry, fueling tumor growth and survival.

In a recent study reported in the Feb. 15 issue of Nature Communications, scientists from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and UConn Health not only show how cancer hijacks this tightly regulated splicing and rearranging of RNA but also introduce a potential therapeutic strategy that could slow or even shrink aggressive and hard-to-treat tumors. This discovery could transform how we treat aggressive cancers, such as and certain , where current treatment options are limited.

At the heart of this work, led by Olga Anczuków, an associate professor at JAX and co-program leader at the NCI-designated JAX Cancer Center, are tiny genetic elements called poison exons, nature’s own “off switch” for protein production. When these exons are included in an RNA message, they trigger its destruction before a protein can be made—preventing harmful cellular activity. In , poison exons regulate the levels of key proteins, keeping the genetic machinery in check. But in cancer, this safety mechanism often fails.

‘Brinkmanship’ between rival genes may determine survival of unborn mammals

A study has shown that a dangerous game of “brinkmanship” between rival genes in mammals could help explain why many fertilized eggs don’t result in a new life.

Within the genome, genes can be in conflict, where opposing chromosomes act in their own evolutionary interest. Although this tussle between male and female genes is commonly understood, what determines the winner—or if there even is one—has long proven elusive.

Biologists from the University of Bristol and University of Exeter have demonstrated that a dangerous game of “brinkmanship” could provide the answer, where the stakes are increasingly raised resulting in either the boldest being triumphant or mutual self-destruction. The paper is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Experts Sound the Alarm: Your DNA Could Be Hacked

Without coordinated action, genomic data could be exploited for surveillance, discrimination, or even bioterrorism. Current protections are fragmented, and vital collaboration between disciplines is lacking. Key to successful prevention will be interdisciplinary cooperation between computer scientists, bioinformaticians, biotechnologists, and security professionals – groups that rarely work together but must align.

Our research lays the foundations for improving biosecurity by providing a single, clear list of all the possible threats in the entire next-generation sequencing process.

The paper also recommends practical solutions, including secure sequencing protocols, encrypted storage, and AI-powered anomaly detection, creating a foundation for much stronger cyber-biosecurity.

Think Cold, Burn Fat: How Your Brain’s Memories Help You Lose Weight

In a groundbreaking study, scientists discovered that the brain forms “cold memories” which can later trigger increased metabolism even without a drop in temperature.

By training mice to associate specific visual cues with cold environments, the researchers showed that the animals began heating themselves in anticipation of cold, driven by brain-stored memories. They pinpointed these cold memories to engram cells in the hippocampus and demonstrated that stimulating these cells could artificially activate thermogenesis. This exciting work opens up potential therapeutic strategies for conditions like obesity and cancer by harnessing learned thermal regulation and highlights the deep connections between memory, behavior, and metabolism.

Brain Forms “Cold Memories” That Influence Metabolism.

Android Spyware Disguised as Alpine Quest App Targets Russian Military Devices

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that Russian military personnel are the target of a new malicious campaign that distributes Android spyware under the guise of the Alpine Quest mapping software.

“The attackers hide this trojan inside modified Alpine Quest mapping software and distribute it in various ways, including through one of the Russian Android app catalogs,” Doctor Web said in an analysis.

The trojan has been found embedded in older versions of the software and propagated as a freely available variant of Alpine Quest Pro, a paid offering that removes advertising and analytics features.

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