Nanomachines which can drill into cancer cells, killing them in just 60 seconds, have been developed by scientists.
The tiny spinning molecules are driven by light, and spin so quickly that they can burrow their way through cell linings when activated.
In one test conducted at Durham University the nanomachines took between one and three minutes to break through the outer membrane of prostate cancer cell, killing it instantly.
If there was a poster child of aging diseases, it would be Alzheimer’s disease. The brains of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease have deposits of amyloids resulting from the loss of proteostasis. Alzheimer’s disease is accompanied by the presence of amyloid beta protein and tau protein as well as large numbers of activated pro-inflammatory immune cells.
The debate about which is primary has raged for many years in the research world, and it is still not clear how these three elements combine to cause disease progression. A new study has attempted to untangle the mystery and suggests the order is beta amyloid, inflammation, then tau, and this study identifies new targets for therapies[1].
The smallest chip the team has developed so far measures 22 microns (about a fifth the thickness of a human hair), which they plan to test reading with a specialized RFID interrogator.
By Claire Swedberg
Tags: Health Care, Innovation, Sensors
It is important to note that none of the embryos were allowed to develop for more than a few days, and that the team never had any intention of implanting them into a womb. However, it seems that this is largely due to ongoing regulatory issues, as opposed to issues with the technology itself.
In the United States, all efforts to turn edited embryos into a baby — to bring the embryo to full term — have been blocked by Congress, which added language to the Department of Health and Human Services funding bill that forbids it from approving any such clinical trials.
Related: CRISPR-CAS9: The Future of Genetic Engineering (Infographic)
A Chicagoland hospital system has added something new to its patients’ annual checkups: the option to get a genetic test.
Until now, DNA tests have tended to live either in the consumer realm or through referrals to specialists when a patient brings it up.
NorthShore University HealthSystem wants to bring that conversation about genetics into every doctor’s office during annual checkups.
(credit: Hashem Al-Ghaili)
More info: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4113395/
