Category: Medicine

A brain-computer interface (BCI) surgically implanted in a 45-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and severe dysarthria has demonstrated remarkable success in restoring conversational communication, according to findings from the BrainGate2 trial.

On the first day of use, just 25 days after surgery, the BCI achieved an impressive 99.6% accuracy with a 50-word vocabulary. By the second day, it reached 90.2% accuracy using a vocabulary based on a 125,000-word dictionary, reported David Brandman, MD, PhD, from the University of California Davis, and his colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Chronic wounds, such as those associated with diabetes, are persistent open wounds that heal slowly, if at all, and pose significant health risks, including increased chances of amputation and death. These wounds are notoriously difficult and costly to treat, creating additional burdens for patients. However, researchers have developed an innovative, cost-effective bandage that uses an electric field to promote faster healing in chronic wounds.

In animal tests, wounds treated with this new electric bandage healed 30% faster compared to those treated with conventional bandages.

“Our goal was to create an affordable technology that accelerates healing in chronic wounds,” explained Amay Bandodkar, co-corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University. “We also wanted it to be simple enough for patients to use at home, not just in clinical settings.”

Scientists have developed a revolutionary type of “smart insulin” that adjusts to blood sugar levels in real-time, offering hope for millions of people with type 1 diabetes. This innovative insulin remains inactive in the body until needed, instantly activating to manage blood sugar. Researchers from the US, Australia, and China collaborated on this groundbreaking development, which closely mimics the body’s natural response to changing glucose levels.

While insulin has been a life-saving treatment for over a century, managing blood sugar remains challenging for those with type 1 diabetes. “It’s time for science to find ways to lift that burden,” said Rachel Connor, Director of Research Partnerships at JDRF UK, one of the key organizations behind this project.

NanoHive Medical, a pioneer in 3D-printed titanium spinal fusion implants, has successfully raised $7 million in Series C funding to fuel its rapid growth and enhance profitability. This new investment will primarily support the expansion of NanoHive’s commercial footprint across the U.S. and drive the development of their innovative Hive portfolio, which includes advanced soft titanium implants and smart sensor technology.

The funding will also enable NanoHive to explore selected international markets and strengthen strategic partnerships. The company is focused on bringing its specialized spinal fusion technology to a wider audience, offering customized and clinically proven solutions for patients.

Scientists have developed an innovative injectable “goo” that has shown promising results in regrowing cartilage, a breakthrough that could revolutionize the treatment of joint damage in humans. Although the new biomaterial has only been tested on sheep so far, researchers are optimistic about its potential to repair joint damage caused by degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis and sports injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

Cartilage, the flexible tissue lining joints like the knees, plays a crucial role in cushioning and protecting bones from grinding against each other during movement. However, as we age or due to injury, this vital tissue deteriorates, leading to joint pain and reduced mobility. “When cartilage becomes damaged or breaks down over time, it can have a great impact on people’s overall health and mobility,” said Samuel Stupp, co-author of the study and director of Northwestern University’s Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology. “The problem is that, in adult humans, cartilage does not have an inherent ability to heal.”

A groundbreaking study from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) has unveiled a new antibiotic with the potential to make it nearly impossible for bacteria to develop resistance. This innovative drug, detailed in a recent paper in Nature Chemical Biology, works by simultaneously targeting two crucial bacterial cellular processes, making it 100 million times more difficult for bacteria to evolve defenses.

The researchers explored a class of synthetic antibiotics called macrolones, which have the unique ability to disrupt bacterial cell function through two different mechanisms: interfering with protein production and corrupting DNA structure. This dual-action approach significantly complicates the bacteria’s ability to adapt and survive.

The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) has made a groundbreaking advancement in prosthetic technology with the introduction of SoftFoot Pro. This innovative prosthetic foot is designed to move and adapt like a natural human foot, offering a motor-free, flexible, and all-weather solution for individuals with limb loss.

Inspired by the human foot’s shape and anatomical features, SoftFoot Pro stands out for its unique design. The prototype was unveiled at a G7 Health track event in Genoa, Italy, organized by the Italian Ministry of Health in collaboration with IIT. This event focused on strategies for lifelong health and active aging.

Researchers at Duke University have created a revolutionary gel-based material designed to replace knee cartilage. This new substitute is stronger and more durable than natural cartilage, offering hope for those suffering from osteoarthritis. Nearly one in six adults worldwide are affected by this condition, which is characterized by knee pain due to worn-out cartilage. This gel-based substitute could provide an alternative to knee replacement surgery, presenting a more effective treatment option for patients with knee pain. Sparta Biomedical is developing and testing the implant in sheep, and human clinical trials began in 2023.

In testing, the hydrogel was found to be 26% stronger than natural cartilage in tension and 66% stronger in compression. The Duke University team addressed several design challenges in creating the implant, such as securely attaching it to the joint, which previous studies had not successfully achieved.

Researchers have uncovered a crucial role of a cell surface protein called Aplp1 in spreading the material responsible for Parkinson’s disease between brain cells. Promisingly, an FDA-approved cancer drug that targets another protein, Lag3, which interacts with Aplp1, has been shown to block this spread in mice, suggesting a potential therapy may already exist.

In a new study, an international team of scientists describes how Aplp1 and Lag3 work together to facilitate the entry of harmful alpha-synuclein protein clumps into brain cells.

For individuals suffering from brittle bone disease, also known as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), life is fraught with complications. The slightest misstep, a seemingly harmless fall, or even one false move can result in a broken bone. This is because they were born with an inherited genetic defect that makes their bones extremely brittle and often leads to physical deformity.

The root cause of brittle bones in most cases is a mutation in the gene responsible for producing type I collagen, the crucial protein for establishing a hard bone matrix. This mutation prevents the collagen protein from folding correctly, resulting in an unstable bone matrix and brittle bones.

The innovative Hero Gauntlet, designed by Open Bionics, is a groundbreaking device tailored for individuals with partial hand amputations or congenital limb differences, offering them renewed independence and functionality.

Michael Altheim’s life changed dramatically a decade ago when he lost all four fingers on his right hand in a work-related accident. The limitations of previous prosthetic solutions, which were heavy, minimally functional, and not waterproof, added to his challenges. The Hero Gauntlet aims to address these issues, providing a more effective and user-friendly alternative.

Analyzing the plasma proteins of patients with sepsis can provide critical insights into the severity and prognosis of the condition, researchers report. Their findings demonstrate how affordable, high-throughput proteomics using mass spectrometry (MS) can effectively map the plasma proteome, revealing differences in patient responses.

The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, identified three distinct clusters of sepsis patients based on their plasma proteomes. These clusters were indicative of the patients’ response states, disease severity, and outcomes. The researchers found that a patient’s assignment to a particular cluster could change over time, suggesting potential applications for therapeutic intervention and disease progression monitoring.