AIMBE
Fellowbook News
AIMBE Fellowbook collects news stories highlighting the members of the AIMBE College of Fellows. Read the latest stories, jump to the College Directory, or search below to find the newest research, awards, announcements and more for the leaders of the medical and biological engineering community.
Investigating DNA Flexibility for the Creation of New Biomaterials
Chad Mirkin | Via Northwestern University | June 20, 2024Northwestern investigators have demonstrated how manipulating DNA chemistry can alter its structure and flexibility and enable the realization of new materials useful in medicine and the life sciences, according to a study published in Science Advances and led by Chad Mirkin, PhD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, the George B. […]
LNPs Deliver Gene-Editing Tools Directly to Lung Stem Cells, Achieve Long-Lasting Correction
Daniel Siegwart | Via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | June 17, 2024When it comes to challenges in the genome editing space, all eyes are on delivery. Efficient editing of cells directly in an organism (rather than ex vivo) and targeting of relevant stem cells is still a hurdle to be cleared in the progress of genetic medicine. Now, new work describes the optimization of lipid nanoparticles […]
3D Printing and Citrate Biomaterials Could Allow Dissolvable Stents
Guillermo Ameer | Via Northwestern University | June 14, 2024Implanted stents have saved countless lives. A tiny metal mesh coil, stents keep arteries open for blood to flow that’s crucial to the body to function after a traumatic angioplasty or cardiac event. That doesn’t mean they’re a perfected technology. Stents themselves can also develop plaque due to the systemic nature of the same cardiovascular […]
Carolina collaboration yields next-generation medical bandage
Juliane Nguyen | Via University of North Carolina | June 13, 2024From chronic wounds to battlefield triage to heart surgery, this self-sticking bandage is designed to adapt to any body surface, internal or external, creating a bond stronger than current FDA-approved adhesives. The applications of this innovation are detailed in Nature Communications. “Our patch mimics the skin’s expandability and flexibility, stretching as a person moves,” says […]
Breakthrough approach enables bidirectional BCI functionality
Bin He | Via Carnegie Mellon University | June 11, 2024Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, hold immense potential for individuals with a wide range of neurological conditions, but the road to implementation is long and nuanced for both the invasive and noninvasive versions of the technology. Bin He of Carnegie Mellon University is highly driven to improve noninvasive BCIs, and his lab uses an innovative electroencephalogram […]
Microneedle patch holds promise for promoting hair regrowth caused by alopecia areata
Natalie Artzi | Via News-Medical | June 8, 2024Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by hair loss, which occurs when T cells of the immune system mistakenly attack hair follicles. To restore control over hyperactive immune cells, investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and MIT developed a cutting-edge approach to deliver […]
Antioxidant gel preserves islet function after pancreas removal
Guillermo Ameer | Via Northwestern University | June 7, 2024New approach could enable patients to live pain-free without complications of diabetes Northwestern University researchers have developed a new antioxidant biomaterial that someday could provide much-needed relief to people living with chronic pancreatitis. The study was published today (June 7) in the journal Science Advances. Before surgeons remove the pancreas from patients with severe, painful […]
UC Berkeley researchers develop CT-based ‘virtual stress test’ for BMD
Tony Keaveny | Via Aunt Minnie | June 7, 2024A team of University of California, Berkeley researchers has developed a “virtual stress test” for CT-based assessment of bone mineral density (BMD) in an evaluation for osteoporosis. The technology’s development is timely, as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is currently reviewing its 2018 guidance for osteoporosis screening, lead researcher Tony Keaveny, PhD, of […]
Artificial lymph node developed with the potential to cure cancer
Hai-Quan Mao | Via Ruetir | June 7, 2024Lymph nodes, tiny glands scattered throughout the body, mainly in the neck, armpits and groin, are part of the immune system of mammals, including mice and humans. They number in the hundreds so that immune cells in one area of the body do not have to travel far to alert the immune system of imminent […]
Sound Solutions: Building Smarter Hearing Systems
David Eddins | Via University of Central Florida | June 6, 2024A new UCF researcher is revolutionizing hearing aid technology and developing innovative clinical tools that better diagnose and treat patients with speech and hearing challenges. A classical psychoacoustician and a clinical audiologist, Professor David Eddins is regarded across the country for his research to address hearing impairments and his discoveries leading to the improvement of […]
Scientists develop cheaper, low-field whole-body MRI
Ed Wu | Via MedicalBrief | June 5, 2024Perseverance and ingenuity have paid off for Hong Kong researchers, who, like numerous others, have been exploring options for a low-field MRI system with a magnetic field strength of less than 1 T as an alternative to the loud, expensive machines requiring special rooms with shielding to block their powerful magnetic field. Most low-field scanners […]
Most stem cells die after being injected into the brain. This new technique could change that
Stelios Andreadis | Via University at Buffalo | June 5, 2024When the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord becomes damaged, a number of debilitating conditions can result that limit mobility, inhibit independence and reduce life expectancy. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common demyelinating disease, affecting more than 2.5 million individuals globally every year. Stem cell therapy to treat […]
AI used to predict potential new antibiotics in groundbreaking study
Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez | Via The Guardian | June 5, 2024Scientists used an algorithm to mine ‘the entirety of the microbial diversity’ on Earth, speeding up antibiotic resistance research A new study used machine learning to predict potential new antibiotics in the global microbiome, which study authors say marks a significant advance in the use of artificial intelligence in antibiotic resistance research. The report, published […]
Study models how ketamine’s molecular action leads to its effects on the brain
Emery Brown | Via MIT | June 4, 2024New research addresses a gap in understanding how ketamine’s impact on individual neurons leads to pervasive and profound changes in brain network function. Ketamine, a World Health Organization Essential Medicine, is widely used at varying doses for sedation, pain control, general anesthesia, and as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression. While scientists know its target in […]
Stimulation of Sensory Neurons Increases Antibody Responses
Sangeeta Chavan | Via BusinessWire | May 30, 2024The new research published in the journal Bioelectronic Medicine One of the major functions of the immune system is to – through antibodies – fight infections. New findings from The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research bioelectronic medicine scientists show that neurons that help sense pain and prevent illness, called sensory neurons, play an important role […]
The Role of PET-MRI in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care
Tammie Benzinger | Via Radiological Society of North America | May 30, 2024Recently FDA-approved anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody therapy can potentially slow disease progression PET-MRI offers a comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia, providing valuable insights into disease pathology, progression and treatment response. Its multi-modal imaging capabilities can enhance diagnostic accuracy and facilitate personalized patient care. The recent FDA […]
Using Wearable Tech to Improve Surgeons’ Posture
Bijan Najafi | Via PT Products Online | May 28, 2024Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Arizona led a study that can help surgeons use wearable tech to obtain biofeedback of their posture during long surgical procedures. Ultimately, the aim is to reduce the stress associated with maintaining static postures while operating and prevent injury. Study Overview: Wearable Tech […]
Autonomous Medical Intervention Extends ‘Golden Hour’ for Traumatic Injuries with Emergency Air Transport
Ronald Poropatich | Via University of Pittsburgh | May 24, 2024For the first time, a closed loop, autonomous intervention nearly quadrupled the “golden hour” during which surgeons could save the life of a large animal with internal traumatic bleeding while in emergency ground and air transport. This breakthrough in trauma care, announced today in Intensive Care Medicine Experimental by physician-scientists at the University of Pittsburgh […]
GLP-1s not tied to higher risk for surgical complications for adults with diabetes
David Klonoff | Via Healio | May 22, 2024On June 29, 2023, the American Society of Anesthesiologists released consensus-based guidance recommending people who use GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs stop using them before surgery. Adults receiving daily GLP-1s were advised to stop the day of surgery, and those using a weekly GLP-1 were asked to stop therapy 7 days before surgery. However, David C. […]
pDNA Isoforms Assessed by Microfluidic Electrophoresis
Anubhav Tripathi | Via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | May 22, 2024Increased demands for plasmid DNA (pDNA) for emerging nucleic acid-based vaccines and therapies exacerbate the need to remove bottlenecks from pDNA production. For industry, the problem has been that as pDNA is synthesized and purified, the plasmids sometimes come out of their supercoiled isoform. In therapeutics, the resulting heterogeneous sequence mixtures and uncontrolled transcripts may […]