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WPI researchers receive NIH grant to develop heart muscle patch using biopolymer microthreads

A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a $452,000 National Institutes of Health grant to bioengineer a patch to help cardiac muscle beat more strongly and efficiently after a heart attack.

31 Jul 2017

Researchers create unique thermal ablation system for transdermal drug delivery

Many diseases are treated with protein-based drugs. However, due to the size of the molecules, the only effective delivery method is through injection, which can suffer from low patient compliance.

27 Jul 2017

Hydrogel-based capsules may help patients adhere to medications

Around half of all medications for chronic diseases are not taken as prescribed, costing the U.S. health care system more than $100 billion in avoidable hospital stays each year.

25 Jul 2017

MIT engineers design new gel coatings that may lead to better medical devices

Catheters, intravenous lines, and other types of surgical tubing are a medical necessity for managing a wide range of diseases. But a patient's experience with such devices is rarely a comfortable one.

19 Jul 2017

Gelesis reports completion of treatment for last patient in pivotal GLOW study

Gelesis, Inc., a biotechnology company developing a novel category of therapies to safely induce weight loss, improve glycemic control, and treat other chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal (GI) pathway, is pleased to report today that the last patient has completed treatment in the pivotal GLOW (Gelesis Loss Of Weight) Study.

12 Jul 2017

Researchers identify fasting plasma glucose and insulin as key biomarkers for weight loss

Researchers from the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen today announced the findings from a weight loss biomarker study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

7 Jul 2017

Researchers develop new biocompatible materials for soft-tissue adhesion

Researchers at Okayama University describe in Acta Biomaterialia a new type of biocompatible adhesive material. The adhesive, made from nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite, glues both synthetic hydrogels and mouse soft tissue, providing a promising alternative to organic materials currently in use for clinical applications.

30 Jun 2017

Novel micro-cubes can efficiently deliver hydrophobic anti-tumor drug to cancer cells

Many potent anti-cancer drugs have major drawbacks -- they fail to mix with water, which means they will have a limited solubility in blood, and they lack selectivity to cancer cells.

29 Jun 2017

Penn scientists develop computer model that better simulates how cells spread in fibrous environments

One area of research within mechanobiology, the study of how physical forces influence biological processes, is on the interplay between cells and their environment and how it impacts their ability to grow and spread.

16 Jun 2017

3-D printed ovary produces offspring in animal model

Researchers in the U.S., have managed to create an artificial ovary that enabled a mouse to conceive and produce babies.

17 May 2017

Making brain implants smaller could eliminate scarring, extend life of devices

Many diseases, including Parkinson's disease, can be treated with electrical stimulation from an electrode implanted in the brain. However, the electrodes can produce scarring, which diminishes their effectiveness and can necessitate additional surgeries to replace them.

16 May 2017

University of Utah students develop new, 100% biodegradable feminine maxi pad

Each year, nearly 20 billion sanitary pads, tampons and applicators are dumped into North American landfills every year, and it takes centuries for them to biodegrade inside plastic bags, according to a 2016 Harvard Business School report. Additionally, it requires high amounts of fossil fuel energy to produce the plastic for these products, resulting in a large carbon footprint.

16 May 2017

New 3D printing technology may offer quicker implantation of better medical devices for millions

For the millions of people every year who have or need medical devices implanted, a new advancement in 3D printing technology developed at the University of Florida promises significantly quicker implantation of devices that are stronger, less expensive, more flexible and more comfortable than anything currently available.

11 May 2017

Researchers develop antibacterial wound dressing made from shells of crustaceans

A new type of wound dressing could improve thousands of people's lives, by preventing them from developing infections. The dressing, a type of compression held in place by a bandage, uses an antibacterial substance formed from the shells of crustaceans like shrimps.

1 May 2017

Nose2Brain project aims to develop better therapy for multiple sclerosis

Medically active substances are normally distributed via the blood - either directly by injection into the bloodstream or indirectly, for example through the digestive tract after oral administration.

27 Apr 2017

Hair-derived keratin biomaterials show promise to regenerate skeletal muscle tissue and function

The use of human hair-derived keratin biomaterials to regenerate skeletal muscle has shown promise in new research that documents significant increases in both new muscle tissue formation and muscle function among mouse models of volumetric muscle loss.

27 Apr 2017

Cartilage-mimicking material may allow surgeons to 3D print replacement knee parts

A cartilage-mimicking material created by researchers at Duke University may one day allow surgeons to 3-D print replacement knee parts that are custom-shaped to each patient's anatomy.

19 Apr 2017

Simple marker may help predict high or low rate of problems with extended-wear contact lenses

A simple marker on eye examination may help vision care professionals predict which patients will have a higher or lower rate of problems after starting extended-wear contact lenses, reports a study in the April issue of Optometry and Vision Science, the official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

4 Apr 2017

Swedish researchers prove that 3D bioprinted human cartilage cells can be implanted

Swedish researchers at Chalmers University of Technology and Sahlgrenska Academy have successfully induced human cartilage cells to live and grow in an animal model, using 3D bioprinting.

23 Mar 2017

Researchers provide better understanding of the body's immune responses to implanted materials

Researchers at MIT and Boston Children's Hospital have published a report today in the journal Nature Materials that provides a better understanding of the body's immune responses to the materials used in implanted medical devices.

22 Mar 2017