Cancer cells frequently overhaul their surroundings, making tumors stiffer than nearby healthy tissue. While tumor stiffening makes some cancers easier to detect, it can also ramp up drug resistance. New research suggests that these detrimental changes are not set in stone, however.

The dynamics of blood nutrient and lipid levels after consuming a high-fat meal are crucial indicators of both current and future cardiovascular health. A recent NIBIB-funded study from Boston University, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women's Hospital investigated how meal composition affects skin tissue properties shortly after eating. Source: The International Society for Optics and Photonics News 

A team of researchers funded by a NIBIB Small Business program grant developed a new ultrasound navigation system that could provide accurate, real-time, and intuitive needle insertion planning and guidance for lumbar puncture procedures.

Within bacterial cells, specialized immune systems known as retrons fend off viral attacks. They can also perform precise DNA editing. 

In a new study published in Nature Biotechnology, Shipman and his team greatly expand the universe of retron knowledge. They carried out a “census” of 163 never-before-tested retrons and identified many that can edit DNA more quickly and efficiently than those currently used in research. This research may contribute to genome engineering and future gene therapies.  

NIH has just awarded $17 million for a group of projects undertaken by small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofit organizations, and academia participating in the Blueprint MedTech program.

Early detection of respiratory diseases is critical for treatment. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a wearable lung patch which, in a pilot study, detected wheezing, a common indicator of asthma and COPD.

As antibiotic resistance becomes an increasingly serious threat to our health, the scientific and medical communities are searching for new medicines to fight infections. Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have just moved closer to that goal with a novel technique for harnessing the power of bacteriophages. Source: Gladstone Institutes News

Physical human feats require a high level of coordination between sensory and motor functions. What kind of achievements could robots perform with the same cohesion between sensing and action? In the medical space, researchers have begun to explore the possibilities.

Gene therapy, the idea of fixing faulty genes with healthy ones, has held immense promise. But a major hurdle has been finding a safe and efficient way to deliver those genes.

Now, researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) have made a significant breakthrough in gene editing technology that could revolutionize how genetic diseases are treated. Source: University of Hawaiʻi’s John A. Burns School of Medicine News