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.
Diabetes drug may reduce coronary artery disease in those with ‘Asian glow’
Joseph Wu | Via Stanford Medicine | January 31, 2023A genetic variant that inhibits alcohol metabolism harms blood vessel cells, but an antidiabetic medication may mitigate the harm, Stanford Medicine-led research has found. About a third of people of East Asian descent have a genetic variant that leads to “Asian glow,” a distinctive red flushing that appears after drinking alcohol. It’s due to the […]
How to make hydrogels more injectable
Jennifer Lewis | Via MIT | January 31, 2023Gel-like materials that can be injected into the body hold great potential to heal injured tissues or manufacture entirely new tissues. Many researchers are working to develop these hydrogels for biomedical uses, but so far very few have made it into the clinic. To help guide in the development of such materials, which are made […]
AI-Powered Brain Implant Smashes Speed Record for Turning Thoughts Into Text
Krishna V. Shenoy, | Via Singularity Hub | January 31, 2023We speak at a rate of roughly 160 words every minute. That speed is incredibly difficult to achieve for speech brain implants. Decades in the making, speech implants use tiny electrode arrays inserted into the brain to measure neural activity, with the goal of transforming thoughts into text or sound. They’re invaluable for people who […]
How sound waves trigger immune responses to cancer in mice
Zhen Xu | Via University of Michigan | January 31, 2023When noninvasive sound waves break apart tumors, they trigger an immune response in mice. By breaking down the cell wall “cloak,” the treatment exposes cancer cell markers that had previously been hidden from the body’s defenses, researchers at the University of Michigan have shown. The technique developed at Michigan, known as histotripsy, offers a two-prong […]
Transforming the Way Cancer Vaccines are Designed and Made
Chad Mirkin | Via Northwestern University | January 30, 2023A new way to significantly increase the potency of almost any vaccine has been developed by investigators from the International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) at Northwestern University, results published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. The scientists used chemistry and nanotechnology to change the structural location of adjuvants and antigens on and within a nanoscale vaccine, greatly […]
New Tool Uses Ultrasound ‘Tornado’ to Break Down Blood Clots
Paul Dayton | Via NCSU | January 23, 2023Researchers have developed a new tool and technique that uses “vortex ultrasound” – a sort of ultrasonic tornado – to break down blood clots in the brain. The new approach worked more quickly than existing techniques to eliminate clots formed in an in vitro model of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). “Our previous work looked […]
Accurate integrated imaging and projection system for oral cancer diagnosis
Rebecca Richards-Kortum | Via EurekAlert | January 19, 2023Oral cancer is a globally prevalent disease with an astonishingly low five-year survival rate of less than 50%. A key factor for its poor prognosis is delayed diagnosis resulting in more late-stage oral cancers. At these later stages, treatment becomes less effective and harsher on the body. Hence, many scientists aim to develop and improve […]
Scientists Grow Mature Nerve Cells From Stem Cells
Samuel Stupp | Via ALS News Today | January 19, 2023Scientists have developed a new method that allows them to grow mature nerve cells from stem cells — a technique that could be applied to study diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “For the first time, we have been able to see adult-onset neurological protein aggregation in the stem cell-derived ALS patient motor neurons. This […]
FDA Clears Cytovale’s® IntelliSep® Sepsis Test, First in a New Class of Emergency Department-Focused Diagnostic Tools
Dino Di Carlo | Via Business Wire | January 18, 2023IntelliSep® is the first FDA-cleared diagnostic tool to assess cellular host response to aid in identifying emergency department patients with sepsis and contribute to rapid life-saving decisions Cytovale®, a medical diagnostics company focused on advancing early detection technologies to diagnose fast-moving and immune-mediated diseases, announced today that its IntelliSep® test has received U.S. Food and […]
Low-Cost, Thermostable CFPS Biomanufacturing Platform Obviates Cold Chain
Michael Jewett | Via Genetic Engineering News | January 18, 2023An inexpensive, thermostable, cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) platform for decentralized vaccine production has been developed by a team of researchers from Northwestern University and Cornell University. In experiments, this lyophilized in vitro vaccine expression (iVAX) system lowered the cost of cell-free expression reactions to less than $0.50 per dose when formulations were stored at 37°C, […]
Wireless brain implant monitors neurotransmitters in real-time
John Rogers | Via Phys.org | January 16, 2023Scientists have developed a wireless, battery-free implant capable of monitoring dopamine signals in the brain in real-time in small animal models, an advance that could aid in understanding the role neurochemicals play in neurological disorders. The device, detailed in a study published in ACS Nano, activates or inhibits specific neurons in the brain using light, […]
Scientists develop novel mRNA delivery method using extracellular vesicles
Betty Kim | Via MD Anderson Cancer Center | January 12, 2023A team of researchers led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has developed a novel delivery system for messenger RNA (mRNA) using extracellular vesicles (EVs). The new technique has the potential to overcome many of the delivery hurdles faced by other promising mRNA therapies. In the study, published today in Nature Biomedical […]
The 2023 SPIE Aden and Marjorie Meinel Technology Achievement Award
Wolfgang Fink | Via SPIE | January 11, 2023Wolfgang Fink is a theoretical physicist and the inaugural Edward and Maria Keonjian Endowed Chair of Microelectronics with joint appointments in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Biomedical Engineering; Systems and Industrial Engineering; Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; and Ophthalmology and Vision Science at the University of Arizona. Previously, he was a Senior Researcher at […]
Mechanism Behind Osteoarthritis Could Lead to New Treatments
Fabrisia Ambrosio | Via Mirage News | January 10, 2023Researchers in the United States and Japan have discovered a new mechanism that links age-related cartilage tissue stiffening with the repression of a key protein associated with longevity. These findings enhance the understanding of mechanisms that lead to the deterioration of joints that causes osteoarthritis, according to the authors of a new study, published January […]
University of Toronto scientists use machine learning to fast-track drug formulation development
Christine Allen | Via EurekAlert | January 10, 2023Scientists at the University of Toronto have successfully tested the use of machine learning models to guide the design of long-acting injectable drug formulations. The potential for machine learning algorithms to accelerate drug formulation could reduce the time and cost associated with drug development, making promising new medicines available faster. The study was published today […]
GPT-3’s Next Mark: Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Through Speech
Hualou Liang | Via Singularity Hub | January 10, 2023There’s one deceptively simple early sign of Alzheimer’s not often talked about: a subtle change in speech patterns. Increased hesitation. Grammatical mistakes. Forgetting the meaning of a word, or mispronouncing common words—or favorite phrases and idioms—that used to flow naturally. Scientists have long thought to decode this linguistic degeneration as an early indicator of Alzheimer’s. […]
NIH launches at-home COVID-19 test and virtual treatment program
Bruce Tromberg | Via Innovate Healthcare - HealthExec | January 6, 2023A new at-home testing and treatment program for COVID-19 is on its way to selected communities. The program, called the Home Test to Treat program, is being launched by the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). […]
Researchers Hunt Biomarkers – Potential Keys to Long COVID
David Walt | Via WebMD | January 6, 2023Even if the causes of long COVID remain confusing, researchers are zeroing in on biomarkers – compounds that can be detected and measured – that can help them better diagnose and treat the condition. The eventual goal: a simple test to help determine who has long COVID and whether treatments are helping. “The hope is […]
Investigators find lab-grown retinal eye cells make key connections, open door for clinical trials to treat blindness
David Gamm | Via Modern Retina | January 6, 2023Retinal cells grown from stem cells can reach out and connect with neighbors, according to a new study, completing a “handshake” that may show the cells are ready for trials in humans with degenerative eye disorders. According to a news release, more than a decade ago, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison developed a way […]
Young Adults Develop Rare Complication After COVID Vaccine: Study
David Walt | Via Mirage News | January 4, 2023Myocarditis, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed, is a rare complication that can occur after mRNA COVID vaccination. It’s estimated that roughly 18 cases occur in every 1 million vaccine doses administered, making it so rare that it is challenging to find cases to investigate. In a new study by researchers from […]