Chemical engineers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a sensor that could help doctors determine what the best cancer treatment option is based on how cells react to different types of chemotherapy drugs. The sensors are designed to detect hydrogen peroxide in human cells, which could help researchers determine new cancer drugs that increase
How sensors could help doctors determine effective cancer treatment options
August 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Researchers use microparticles for targeted delivery of brain cancer therapy
August 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment
A team of researchers from Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Mass. Institute of Technology and Mass. General Hospital demonstrated that localizing the delivery of NAMPT inhibitors can extend survival in a mouse model of glioma, according to a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The scientists created a test to check for a mutation linked
This low-cost prosthetic foot replicates natural walking mechanics
July 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers have created a low-cost prosthetic foot that can be modified to fit specific body types, making it possible for user’s to walk with an able-bodied gait. Prosthetic limb technology with limbs controlled by microchips or limbs with sensors and artificial intelligence are costly and are not readily accessible to many
This surgical technique may improve sensation and control of prosthetic limbs
July 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Extreme Bionics have developed a neural interface and communication paradigm that sends movement commands from the central nervous system to a robotic prosthesis. Humans are able to naturally sense where their limbs are, how fast they’re moving and the torque, all without looking. Being able to sense
These bandages change color based on pressure
June 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created a bandage that changes colors to indicate if the bandage is applying enough pressure on limbs to stimulate blood flow during compression therapy. Compression therapy is a form of treatment for patients who have venous ulcers and other conditions that make it hard for veins to return blood
This algorithm analyzes medical images 1,000 times faster than usual
June 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have developed an algorithm that makes it easier and 1,000 times quicker to analyze medical images and 3D scans. Medical image registration is a technique that uses two medical images, such as MRI images, to compare and analyze the anatomical differences in detail. In this technique, doctors overlay images from
This wireless system powers devices inside the body
June 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers and Brigham and Women’s Hospital scientists have developed a wireless, ingestible system that can power and communicate with devices that are implanted deep within the body. The researchers suggest that the system could be used to deliver drugs, monitor conditions inside the body or treat diseases by stimulating the brain
MIT researchers send drug-ferrying nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier
May 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated in an animal study that nanoparticles shuttling two different cancer drugs could effectively cross the blood-brain barrier and target tumor cells. The team of scientists evaluated the drug combination in mice that had gliobastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer that is notoriously hard to treat. […]
How ingestible bacteria-on-a-chip could diagnose gastrointestinal diseases
May 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have developed an ingestible sensor that has engineered bacteria that can diagnose bleeding in the stomach and has the potential to diagnose other gastrointestinal problems. The system, being called bacteria-on-a-chip, uses sensors with living cells and ultra-low power electronics that can convert a bacterial response into wireless signals that can
These building blocks are making plug-and-play diagnostic devices
May 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created a set of modular blocks that can be connected in different configurations to create diagnostic devices. The devices are considered plug-and-play and can test blood glucose levels, detect viral infection and other diseases. “Our long-term motivation is to enable small, low-resources laboratories to generate their own libraries of
This portable device detects low white blood cell counts
May 14, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have developed a portable device that has the potential to be used to monitor white blood cell levels at home without the need for blood samples. A sharp drop in white blood cell counts is a major side effect of chemotherapy, leaving patients with the potential of developing a serious
How MIT researchers think calcium-based MRIs could boost brain imaging
May 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment
MIT scientists have created a new magnetic resonance imaging sensor that monitors neural activity deep inside the brain by tracking calcium ions. Calcium ions are known to be directly linked to neuronal firing, which is different from the changes in blood flow that other MRI sensors detect. The new sensing method from MIT could let
This research advance could boost blood vessel growth and improve endurance
May 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers think they’ve developed a way to promote new blood vessel growth to reverse age-related endurance loss that comes with blood vessels losing their capacity to deliver oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissue. The MIT researchers developed a compound that reactivates longevity-linked proteins also promotes the growth of blood vessels and muscle
Paper-folding art is the inspiration behind these adhesives
April 12, 2018 By Leave a Comment
A paper-folding art known as kirigami is the inspiration behind a new adhesive film for bandages that don’t usually stick to mobile joints like the knees and elbows. Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have developed a thin, lightweight and rubber-like adhesive film that sticks to highly deformable regions of the body. The kirigami-inspired film has
This fluorescent dye could create clearer biological imaging
April 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Massachusetts researchers have repurposed a commercially-available dye that has been around since the 1950s to make short-wave infrared easily available for clearer imaging. Fluorescence imaging is often used to visualize biological tissues or blood vessels during reconstructive surgery to see if vessels are connected properly. Currently, researchers use a dye that runs at the near-infrared
