Tag: Medical

A frame for endotracheal tubes helps protect patients. Equally important: quickly staunching blood when wounds bleed profusely. Now, a Taiwanese startup is showing how this can be done with biocompatible agents like amino acids. The latter build proteins in the body and assist with the production of enzymes. Using a newly-developed biotechnological method, the team combined amino acid molecules...

Dialysis could soon be significantly less trying. Hospital patients who take regular medication rely heavily on the nursing staff. To unburden both, an Italian startup has created an automatic pill dispenser placed directly by patients’ bedside. The wireless device is controlled through a cloud-based online portal into which electronic medication plans are imported or patient requirements manually entered. There’s...

Wasabi supports memory and chilli has anti-inflammatory properties. Now a research team in Japan is taking a closer look at cardamom seeds. In a study with human lung cells and a simulated viral infection, they established that an extract made with hot water could have antiviral effects. The bioactive component in the cardamom extract, known as 1.8 cineole, activates...

Laser light helps to heal serious burns. A research team from Texas and Portugal has been experimenting with light to fight cancer and has discovered a new, low-cost way to protect healthy cells. The magic formula? Near infrared light from LED lamps combined with tin oxide nanoparticles. During treatment, the light causes the tin oxide particles to vibrate, thus...

Some test animals do get a happy ending after all. Better still, a US research team wants to ensure animal testing can be bypassed in sustainable and cost-effective ways with the help of marine red seaweed, known as Pacific dulse. Following cleaning and drying of the seaweed the US team used an anionic surfactant to remove all its cells,...

Modern plasters leave no trace when treating chronic wounds. Unlike medication used to alleviate severe pain, which often contains addictive opioids. Which is why a biotechnology startup in France is focusing on developing painkillers without the addictive potential. The blueprint for future non-opioid drugs: the body’s own TAFA4 protein, which is secreted in response to touch, and normalises the...

In London commuters can select their underground route based on air quality. Flats with mould also present a health risk for their inhabitants. Therefore, a Miami woman has created a startup enabling those affected to verify if health symptoms are related to mould toxicity and receive appropriate treatment. After answering screening questions, patients can undergo targeted tests, encompassing 30 years’...

New glasses make blind spots visible again. In Australia, however, a research team is focusing on how to treat retinal diseases such as macular degeneration in the early stages of the condition. Preferably without the need for the injections. Lipo-soluble pigments from Gac fruit were integrated into a solution similar to eye drops. Using nanotechnology allowed the pigments -...