News by Subject Medicine & Health

Research in PNAS shows a nanopore paired with image recognition software could reduce the time required for sequencing a glycosaminoglycan -- a class of long chain-linked sugar molecules as important to our biology as DNA -- from years to minutes.

A University at Buffalo-led research team is a 3D printing method called stereolithography and jelly-like materials known as hydrogels to develop a 3D printing method that's 10-50 times faster than the industry standard. The team says its progress toward 3D-printed human tissue and organs -- biotechnology that could eventually save countless lives lost due to the shortage of donor organs.

Canadian Scientists and Swiss Surgeons discover the cause of excess post-surgical scarring. The finding could improve recovery from abdominal and pelvic surgery. The research published in Science, was conducted in mice and shows the excess scarring is caused by macrophages. The researchers also discovered two ways to inhibit this natural response. Macrophages are also present in humans. The team hopes to move to trials on human cells, soon, and eventually clinical trials.

Adhesions are scars in the abdomen, which can occur after surgery, often have serious consequences. Now, researchers from the University of Bern and Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, in collaboration with Canadian researchers, have discovered how such adhesions form. The findings may help to develop a drug to prevent adhesions in the future. The study was published as the cover story of Science magazine.

Researchers used delayed near-infrared imaging with high-dose indocyanine green (called "second window ICG" or "SWIG") in the identification of brain metastases during surgery. They found that SWIG can be used to predict the extent of gross-total resection and progression-free survival in these cases.