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Category: biotech/medical – Page 37

3D-printed tissue restores erectile function and aids reproduction in animal study

Erectile dysfunction affects over 40% of men over 40, yet our understanding of the condition remains limited. Research on this issue has mostly relied on real organs, making it difficult to study the detailed interaction between blood flow and tissue during an erection.

In a recent study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, a team of scientists from China, Japan and the U.S. presented a 3D printed hydrogel-based penile model complete with essential blood vessels to mimic the natural function of a penis.

Once implanted into rabbits and pigs with penile deformities, the bioengineered organ enabled them to mate and reproduce within weeks.

3Dprinted perfused models of the penis for the study of penile physiology and for restoring erectile function in rabbits and pigs Biomedical Engineering

3D-printed models of the penis can facilitate the study of penile physiology and the repair of penile defects, as shown via a reconstructed and implanted corpus cavernosum that restored erectile function and mating capacity in rabbits and pigs.

Chinaled team uses 3Dprinted male sex organ for ED treatment in world first

ED affects more than 40 per cent of men aged 40 and above. The team of researchers used hydrogel-based bioinks to develop a 3D-printed penile implant system able to anatomically replicate all functional components of natural erectile tissue.

The animal subjects – pigs and rabbits – exhibited restored erectile capacity post-implantation, with reproductive success rates surging from 25 per cent in the control group to 100 per cent in the treatment group, the team said.

Details of the landmark study were published in Nature Biomedical Engineering on March 4.

UBC scientists discover how to 3D print testicular cells

In a pair of world firsts, UBC scientists have 3D printed human testicular cells and identified promising early signs of sperm-producing capabilities.

The researchers, led by UBC urology assistant professor Dr. Ryan Flannigan, hope the technique will one day offer a solution for people living with presently untreatable forms of male infertility.

“Infertility affects 15 per cent of couples and male factors are a contributing cause in at least half those cases,” said Dr. Flannigan, whose lab is based at the Vancouver Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital.

Treatment strategies and innovation for recurrent highgrade glioma NeuroOncology

Recurrent high‑grade glioma (HGG)—including glioblastoma—remains lethal, with median survival of approximately 6–10 months after first progression, although patients with IDH mutant tumors often have better survival. Recent ASCO/SNO data and expanding trial data are reshaping available treatment strategies.

We review evidence for alkylators and anti‑angiogenic therapy; summarize targeted options for rare, actionable alterations; review immuno‑oncology combinations and cellular therapies; highlight DNA damage response (DDR)/radiosensitization strategies and discuss advances in blood–brain barrier modulation and locoregional delivery. We propose a patient‑centered algorithm that prioritizes trial enrollment, biomarker‑guided approaches, steroid stewardship, and quality of life.

Lomustine, temozolomide rechallenge, and bevacizumab remain commonly used but provide modest benefit. Targeted agents show meaningful activity only in select subsets (BRAF V600E, NTRK). DDR-directed agents such as ATM/ATR inhibitors show early promise. Immunotherapy advances center on rationale combinations, oncolytic viruses, and locoregionally delivered CAR-T/TCR platforms. Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB) modulation strategies and adaptive trials are broadening access to innovative therapies. The 2025 landscape features meaningful, if incremental, options—alongside the first ever FDA‑approved therapy for H3K27M‑mutant diffuse midline glioma at relapse—and a pipeline of rational combinatorial approaches poised to refine outcomes for selected patients. This article concentrates on medical options and intentionally omits extended discussions of surgery and radiation beyond their integration with systemic therapies at recurrence.

Distal Vessel Occlusions in Acute Ischemic StrokeReframing Patient Selection and Reperfusion Strategies

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has revolutionized the treatment of acute ischemic stroke because of large vessel occlusion (LVO), but distal and medium vessel occlusions (DMVOs) remain a gray zone. DMVOs account for a substantial proportion of ischemic strokes and can cause long-term disability or death despite often presenting with only mild to moderate symptoms. Their biologic and anatomic diversity—including small vessel caliber, variable perfusion territories, collateral dependence, and complex access pathways—creates distinct patterns of natural history, treatment responsiveness, and procedural risk compared with proximal LVO.

New CRISPR method to control protein production in cells

The speed at which a cell produces proteins is a decisive factor in determining whether it divides, specializes, or retains its stem cell properties. A team of researchers has worked with international partners to demonstrate directly for the first time that the amount of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) directly regulates these processes. Their results have been published in the journal Science.

It has been established for some time that the amount of ribosomal RNA differs between different types of cells and is altered in the case of a number of diseases. But it remained unclear whether these specific characteristics are the cause or merely the result of biological processes.

With the newly developed CRISPR-based method TAPIR (Targeted Activation of Protein Translation), researchers now have access to a tool that can boost the activity of ribosomal genes and influence a cell’s protein production as a result. “Our new study shows that targeted activation of rRNA production significantly increases protein synthesis,” explains the lead author of the publication.

Three quantum phases in chromium-based material hint at a spin-triplet superconductor

Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity without electrical resistance when cooled below a specific critical temperature. These materials have proved promising for the development of various technologies, including medical imaging instruments, particle accelerators, ultrasensitive detectors and quantum processors.

Some superconductors are topological, which means their electronic states exhibit global patterns that remain unchanged under small disturbances. These materials can host Majorana bound states, localized quasiparticle excitations that could be leveraged to reduce errors made by quantum computers.

In recent years, some physicists have been trying to identify materials that could exhibit what is known as spin-triplet superconductivity. In this type of superconductivity, paired electrons have a combined spin of 1, as opposed to the spin of 0 observed in conventional superconductors.

Stripped-down LSD reveals structural features linked to hallucinogenic and therapeutic effects

University of California, Davis, researchers have stripped down LSD to the base features responsible for its hallucinogenic and therapeutic effects.

In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers whittled away at LSD’s core multiring structure and synthesized new, simplified versions to probe its functionality. The researchers developed several compounds with reduced hallucinogenic and cardiotoxic effects while identifying one compound that produced antipsychotic-like effects.

“By systematically deconstructing LSD, we have identified simplified cores that are better starting points for medicinal chemistry efforts,” said study corresponding author David E. Olson, director of the Institute for Psychedelics and Neurotherapeutics and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and molecular medicine at UC Davis.

Tiny polymer particles keep water jets stable for longer

Tiny, soft polymer particles—known as microgels—can help to stabilize extremely thin liquid jets. How this works is the finding of a study led by researchers at TU Darmstadt, which has been published in Nature Communications. The findings could be of interest for the development of needle-free medical injection systems.

Microgels are soft polymer particles less than one micrometer in size. They can adsorb at the interface between air and water, where they reduce the surface tension of the liquid. In this respect, their effect is similar to that of conventional surface-active components—so-called surfactants—such as those often found in soap, dishwashing liquid or detergent. However, unlike many conventional surfactants, the microgels used in the study are nontoxic, and their interaction mechanism with the liquid differs significantly.

For their experiments, the scientists generated extremely thin jets of water using surface acoustic waves. A drop of water containing the microgels was used for this purpose. A specially manufactured chip generated the waves at a frequency of around 64 MHz, producing a liquid jet approximately 200 micrometers in diameter from the drop. A high-speed camera recorded the jet formation and extension.

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