Category: Features
Researchers successfully grow functioning mini hearts from stem cells
A breakthrough at Michigan State University (MSU), US, has seen the first-ever miniature human hearts – grown from stem cells – made in the lab. The human heart organoids (hHOs) come complete with all primary heart cell types and have […]
Yoga an effective alternate treatment for anxiety disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder currently affects an estimated 6.8 million Americans – it is characterised by chronic nervousness or worry, and many have sought to treat the condition without resorting to medications. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is considered the gold standard […]
Curious young minds drawn to explore, stockpile information over easy rewards
“Exploration seems to be a major driving force during early childhood – even outweighing the importance of immediate rewards,” according to Dr. Vladimir Sloutsky, a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, US. Dr. Vladimir and colleagues studied how children would […]
New UV-reacting surgical glue could reduce surgery time by 25%
A new type of rubbery bioadhesive could reduce the need for sutures, especially within delicate tissues of the body, thanks to a group of scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Unlike regular adhesives, the experimental material known as “CaproGlu” […]
Injecting healthy cells into eyes boosts vision in blind mouse models
Scientists studying engineered biomaterials at the University of Toronto (UT), Canada, have happened upon a technique that could one day treat blindness – they demonstrated how a new method of injecting healthy cells into the eyes could address vision loss […]
Affected olfactory support cells responsible for loss of smell in COVID-19
A majority of COVID-19 patients experience a temporary loss of smell, medically termed anosmia. Analyses of health records indicate that COVID-19 patients are 27 times more likely to have some level of anosmia but are only around 2.2 to 2.6 […]
Small robot “bioprints” new cells onto stomach wall as injury scaffold
Scientists at Tsinghua University in China have developed a prototype snake-like robot that could be endoscopically inserted into a patient’s stomach to treat wounds on the stomach wall. Wounds of this nature can leak gastric juices into the surrounding organs […]
Inhibiting skeletal muscle enzyme could boost exercise performance, fat burning capacity
Most cells in the body prefer burning sugar as an energy source but can draw on other energy sources, including fats, as needed. Exercise leverages this type of function in cells. Experiments by Harvard Medical University (HMS), US, scientists have […]
Older adults may not be “missing the picture” but interpreting it differently
A professor from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), Missouri, has looked at the brain activity of older adults through a slightly different set of tests than common ones for memory. Zachariah Reagh found that aging adults don’t necessarily have […]
Placebos elicit genuine psychobiological effects when patients believe them
Placebo drugs can still work if the patient believes it will help, observed researchers who were conducting a new study at Michigan State University (MSU). They suggest “honest” or non-deceptive placebos could have a role in modern clinical practice. The […]
