Bioengineering News and Research

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A protein found in ovarian cancer may contribute to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease

Houston Methodist scientists identified a protein found in ovarian cancer that may contribute to declining brain function and Alzheimer's disease, by combining computational methods and lab research.

13 Jan 2020

New wireless, light-activated electrode advances neural stimulation

Neural stimulation is a pioneering technology that can be used to recover function and improve the quality of life for individuals who suffer from brain injury or disease.

9 Jan 2020

Boosting the number of neurons improves learning and memory of old mice

We all will experience it at some point, unfortunately: The older we get the more our brains will find it difficult to learn and remember new things.

9 Jan 2020

New method for fabricating collagen fibrils facilitates research on the eye’s repair process

Cells called corneal keratocytes are innately programmed to come to the rescue if the eye is injured. This natural healing process sometimes fails, however, resulting in scarring and blindness. Scientists are still trying to understand why.

9 Jan 2020

Novel biomaterial shows promise in treating cerebral aneurysms

Tim Becker, an associate professor of practice in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University, is developing a polypropylene glycol-based biomaterial called PPODA-QT, which is similar to body tissue, to treat aneurysms in the brain and improve outcomes for stroke and potential stroke patients.

9 Jan 2020

Single-particle method helps determine isoelectric point of viruses

Viruses are not easy to characterize. But we need to because being able to quickly predict the surface charge of viruses opens up new possibilities for vaccine purification and making gene therapy treatments for eye diseases and muscular dystrophy.

8 Jan 2020

Researchers report first structural model for key enzyme associated with inherited eye diseases

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have reported the first structural model for a key enzyme, and its activating protein, that can play a role in some genetically inherited eye diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and night blindness.

8 Jan 2020

Extremely low concentrations of acetic acid could alter cellular processes in rice blast fungus

All living organisms respond and adapt to changes in their environment. These responses are sometimes so significant that they cause alterations in the internal metabolic cycles of the organism--a process called "metabolic switching." For example, rice blast fungus--a pathogenic fungal species that causes the "rice blast" infection in rice crops--switches to the "glyoxylate cycle" when the nutrient source starts to deplete.

8 Jan 2020

Interplay between relaxin and Wnt signaling has positive effects on aging heart

As a healthy heart ages, it becomes more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. Though researchers have discovered that relaxin, an insulin-like hormone, suppresses atrial fibrillation (AF), inflammation, and fibrosis in aged rats, the underlying mechanisms of these benefits are still unknown.

7 Jan 2020

Dresden scientists identify newborn neurons in zebrafish

The zebrafish is a master of regeneration: If brain cells are lost due to injury or disease, it can simply reproduce them - contrary to humans where this only happens in the fetal stage. However, the zebrafish is evolutionarily related to humans and, thus, possesses the same brain cell types as humans.

7 Jan 2020

Discovery of cellular 'hands' could have implications in the fields of cell, developmental biology

The protein, called syndecan-4, combines with fellow cell membrane proteins, called integrins, to form protruding 'hands' that sense the environment outside the cell.

6 Jan 2020

Researchers show new potential path to improve bone-repair procedures

Researchers are moving closer to a new approach for improving spinal fusion procedures and repairing broken or defective bones that avoids an over-production of bone that commonly occurs in current treatments.

3 Jan 2020

Pilot study to explore vaginal birth-induced pelvic floor injury and recovery

If a new mother sustains an injury to her levator ani muscle--the main muscle supporting the pelvic floor--during vaginal childbirth, that woman is at risk of developing a pelvic floor disorder. Such an injury can have a substantial impact on a woman's quality of life.

22 Dec 2019

Artificial 'inclusion bodies' developed for sustained release of therapeutic proteins

Precision medicine is becoming increasingly important, achieving to create more efficient personalized therapies for each patient and innovative pharmacological developments.

19 Dec 2019

A fast, sensitive technique to detect cancer markers brings liquid biopsy closer to clinic

A fast, inexpensive yet sensitive technique to detect cancer markers is bringing researchers closer to a "liquid biopsy" - a test using a small sample of blood or serum to detect cancer, rather than the invasive tissue sampling routinely used for diagnosis.

18 Dec 2019

Brazilian researchers create hepatic organoids by 3D bioprinting

Using human blood cells, Brazilian researchers have succeeded in obtaining hepatic organoids ("mini-livers") that perform all of the liver's typical functions, such as producing vital proteins, storing vitamins, and secreting bile, among many others.

17 Dec 2019

Houston Methodist scientist proposes new combination treatment for Ewing sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive tumor that commonly affects bones in adolescents and young adults, is diagnosed in about 225 American children and teens every year, accounting for about 1 percent of pediatric cancers.

16 Dec 2019

Biocompatible hydrogels could help heal wounds, deliver drugs and treat cancer

Hydrogels for healing, synthesized from the molecules up by Rice University bioengineers, are a few steps closer to the clinic.

16 Dec 2019

New techniques could help neuroscientists track brain computations

Since the 1950s at least, researchers have speculated that the brain is a kind of computer in which neurons make up complex circuits that perform untold numbers of calculations every second. Decades later, neuroscientists know that these brain circuits exist, yet technical limitations have kept most details of their computations out of reach.

14 Dec 2019

Researchers develop new bio-platform to hear the beat of small clusters of cells

One of the tests that almost every patient must face before a surgery or other health intervention is an electrocardiogram.

11 Dec 2019

Bioengineering News and Research

A protein found in ovarian cancer may contribute to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease

New wireless, light-activated electrode advances neural stimulation

Boosting the number of neurons improves learning and memory of old mice

New method for fabricating collagen fibrils facilitates research on the eye’s repair process

Novel biomaterial shows promise in treating cerebral aneurysms

Single-particle method helps determine isoelectric point of viruses

Researchers report first structural model for key enzyme associated with inherited eye diseases

Extremely low concentrations of acetic acid could alter cellular processes in rice blast fungus

Interplay between relaxin and Wnt signaling has positive effects on aging heart

Dresden scientists identify newborn neurons in zebrafish

Discovery of cellular 'hands' could have implications in the fields of cell, developmental biology

Researchers show new potential path to improve bone-repair procedures

Pilot study to explore vaginal birth-induced pelvic floor injury and recovery

Artificial 'inclusion bodies' developed for sustained release of therapeutic proteins

A fast, sensitive technique to detect cancer markers brings liquid biopsy closer to clinic

Brazilian researchers create hepatic organoids by 3D bioprinting

Houston Methodist scientist proposes new combination treatment for Ewing sarcoma

Biocompatible hydrogels could help heal wounds, deliver drugs and treat cancer

New techniques could help neuroscientists track brain computations

Researchers develop new bio-platform to hear the beat of small clusters of cells

The future is bioengineered: Synthetic biology and global sustainability eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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