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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.
Researchers develop new materials for energy and sensing
Samuel Stupp | Via MIT | July 16, 2020COF-2058
Multiday maintenance of extracorporeal lungs using cross-circulation with conscious swine
Matthew Bacchetta | Via JTCVS | July 15, 2020Abstract Objectives Lung remains the least-utilized solid organ for transplantation. Efforts to recover donor lungs with reversible injuries using ex vivo perfusion systems are limited to <24 hours of support. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of extending normothermic extracorporeal lung support to 4 days using cross-circulation with conscious swine. Methods A swine behavioral training program […]
COVID-19 vaccine development and a potential nanomaterial path forward
Nicole Steinmetz | Via Nature Nanotechnology | July 15, 2020Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has infected millions of people with no clear signs of abatement owing to the high prevalence, long incubation period and lack of established treatments or vaccines. Vaccines are the most promising solution to mitigate new viral strains. The genome sequence and protein structure of the 2019-novel coronavirus (nCoV or SARS-CoV-2) were […]
New Therapy Extends Breast Cancer Survival Rate, Prevents Reoccurrence
Chad Mirkin | Via Northwestern University | July 13, 2020A new immunotherapy developed by researchers at Northwestern University dramatically extends the survival time of mice with triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of breast cancer. In a new study, mice treated with the therapy, which comprises two immunity-boosting drugs housed inside a nanoparticle, experienced complete tumor remission for at […]
Connecting donated human lungs to pigs repaired damage to the organs, scientists report
Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic | Via Stat News | July 13, 2020For people who need a lung transplant, the wait is often prolonged by the frustrating fact that most donor organs have to be discarded: Only 20% of donated lungs meet medical criteria for transplantation, translating into far fewer organs than people on waiting lists. Now, a team of researchers has shown they might be able […]
Xenogeneic cross-circulation for extracorporeal recovery of injured human lungs
Matthew Bacchetta | Via Nature Medicine | July 13, 2020Medical, surgical and technological advancements in organ transplantation continue to expand life-saving treatment options for patients with end-stage lung disease, but transplantation remains limited by the low availability of donor organs. As chronic respiratory disease is the third-leading cause of death worldwide1, the need for innovative solutions to reduce associated morbidity and mortality is imperative. […]
A urine test for lung cancer? Nanosensors make it possible
Sangeeta Bhatia | Via MD Linx | July 10, 2020Harvard and MIT researchers teamed up to develop a novel screening test that could identify lung cancer a lot earlier and easier than current methods. The test detects lung cancer using nanoprobes, which send out reporter molecules that are picked up on urine analysis. This breakthrough, which is more sensitive than CT and delivers on […]
Deep learning enables early detection and classification of live bacteria using holography
Aydogan Ozcan | Via Biophotonics World | July 10, 2020Waterborne diseases affect more than 2 billion people worldwide, causing substantial economic burden. For example, the treatment of waterborne diseases costs more than $2 billion annually in the United States alone, with 90 million cases recorded per year. Among waterborne pathogen-related problems, one of the most common public health concerns is the presence of total […]
Breast cancer cells can reprogram natural killer cells to aid in metastasis
Joel Bader | Via News-Medical.Net | July 9, 2020Natural killer (NK) cells, a type of immune cell, are known to limit metastasis by inducing the death of cancer cells. But metastases still form in patients, so there must be ways for cancer cells to escape. Using a novel cell culture method developed by lead author Isaac Chan, M.D., Ph.D., a medical oncology fellow […]
David Edwards develops a $50 nasal spray to thwart the spread of COVID-19
David Edwards | Via Fast Company | July 8, 2020Developed by Harvard professor David Edwards—who previously created inhalable chocolate and cocktails—the spray promises to stop the spread of aerosols by as much as 99%. You should practice social distancing and wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But even masks aren’t perfect. A high-end N95 mask can filter an estimated 99.8% of […]
AU announced the appointment of Dr. Anthony Guiseppi-Elie as the founding dean of the newly established College of Engineering
Tony Guiseppi-Elie | Via AIMBE | July 8, 2020Anderson University is launching a College of Engineering that will offer programs in electrical and mechanical engineering beginning with the fall, 2021 semester. Dr. Anthony Guiseppi-Elie is joining Anderson University as the founding dean of the new college, where he will serve as vice president for industry relations and University distinguished professor. Dr. Guiseppi-Elie, most […]
Nanoparticles Used to Deliver Gene Therapy for Macular Degeneration
Jordan Green | Via Azo Nano | July 8, 2020Using an exclusively designed large molecule, the researchers could compact huge bundles of therapeutic DNA to be delivered into the cells of the eye. Reported in the Science Advances journal on July 3rd, 2020, the study offers evidence of the prospective value of nanoparticle-delivered gene therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration. Macular […]
Helping drug-delivering particles squeeze through a syringe
Robert Langer | Via MIT | July 8, 2020Microparticles offer a promising way to deliver multiple doses of a drug or vaccine at once, because they can be designed to release their payload at specific intervals. However, the particles, which are about the size of a grain of sand, can be difficult to inject because they can get clogged in a typical syringe. […]
New Biomaterial Could Shield Against Harmful Radiation
Nathan Gianneschi | Via Northwestern University | July 8, 2020Packing for outer space? Here’s one thing you won’t want to forget. Northwestern University researchers have synthesized a new form of melanin enriched with selenium. Called selenomelanin, this new biomaterial shows extraordinary promise as a shield for human tissue against harmful radiation. “Given the increased interest in space travel and the general need for lightweight, […]
Herpesviruses Hedge Their Bets to Optimize Survival
Leor Weinberger | Via PR News Wire | July 6, 2020When investors hedge a bet, they divvy their money between risky investments, which might make a large profit, and safe investments, which help ensure that not everything is lost in a market crash. The herpesvirus cytomegalovirus, Gladstone researchers have discovered, takes a similar approach to infecting the human body. Cytomegalovirus is a common virus in […]
Encouraging results from functional MRI in an unresponsive patient with COVID-19
Bruce Rosen | Via Medical Xpress | July 6, 2020Many patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain unresponsive after surviving critical illness. Investigators led by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) now describe a patient with severe COVID-19 who, despite prolonged unresponsiveness and structural brain abnormalities, demonstrated functionally intact brain connections and weeks later he recovered the ability to follow commands. The […]
How Credible are the COVID-19 Models? Center Aims to Find Out
Herbert Sauro | Via University of Washington | July 6, 2020The multi-institution Center for Reproducible Biomedical Modeling, led by UW Bioengineering Professor Herbert Sauro, is partnering with top U.S. government agencies to determine how credible several commonly used COVID-19 models are. Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, to aid in decision making, public health officials and policy makers have looked to epidemiological models […]
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin’s COVID-19 Mask Solution Coming to Market
Cato Laurencin | Via University of Connecticut | July 2, 2020Within six weeks of announcing a successful method to fabricate custom-fit mask frames to optimize protection from the spread of COVID-19, UConn has a licensing deal with a Connecticut manufacturer to produce them. Connecticut Biotech, a startup company headquartered in South Windsor, aims to start marketing, manufacturing, and distributing 3D-printed mask frames under the brand […]
Thomas Krummel receives top national honor in pediatric surgery
Thomas Krummel | Via Stanford University | July 1, 2020Thomas M. Krummel, MD, the Emile Holman Professor in Surgery, Emeritus, and professor emeritus of pediatric surgery, has been named the 2020 recipient of the William E. Ladd Medal, the highest honor nationwide in pediatric surgery. Krummel was the surgeon-in-chief at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford from 2002 to 2016. At the Stanford School of […]
Bioengineered Uteri in Animal Model Proven to Support Pregnancy
Anthony Atala | Via Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | June 30, 2020Scientists from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) were able to show that bioengineered uteri in an animal model developed the native tissue-like structures needed to support normal reproductive function. With further development, their finding may provide a treatment option for women with uterine infertility. Their study, “A tissue-engineered uterus supports live births […]