Head and neck cancers that invade bone are among the most difficult to treat surgically, because surgeons must balance complete tumor removal with preserving critical functions like speech, chewing, and swallowing. At The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, researchers have shown that patient‑specific 3D‑printed models can improve this balance. In a study of 68 patients, 37 surgeries used custom 3D models created by the Medical Modeling, Materials and Manufacturing Lab. These models provided surgeons with a detailed, tangible guide to the patient’s anatomy and tumor location. The…

A team at the University of Colorado, Boulder has introduced a novel cancer treatment approach that uses ultrasound waves to soften tumors, enabling chemotherapy drugs to penetrate more effectively. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, and one of the challenges in treatment is that tumor tissue is often so dense that drugs cannot reach the inner layers of cancer cells. The CU Boulder researchers paired high‑frequency ultrasound with specially designed particles that respond to sound waves. This combination reduced the protein content of tumors, loosening their structure and allowing chemotherapy agents to spread more…

Researchers at Harvard University John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology have developed soft electronic cardiac patches that integrate nanoelectronics with stem cell–derived heart tissue. The goal is to improve the safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapies for repairing damaged hearts. Stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes hold promise for regenerating heart tissue after injury, but a major challenge has been their tendency to cause irregular rhythms when transplanted. Until now, clinicians have lacked tools to monitor how these cells behave once inside the heart. The Harvard team’s new platform embeds…

An interdisciplinary team from Dresden University of Technology, Rostock University Medical Centre, and Dresden University Hospital has introduced an innovative implantable sensor film that enables reliable early detection of blood flow disorders following intestinal surgery. These disorders, particularly at intestinal anastomoses where sections of the bowel are surgically reconnected, represent one of the highest‑risk complications in abdominal surgery. The newly developed sensor film is both implantable and fully resorbable, meaning it dissolves naturally in the body after use. This eliminates the need for removal procedures and reduces the risk of long‑term complications. By continuously monitoring blood supply at the surgical…

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed an implantable, shape‑morphing 3D micro‑LED device designed to overcome barriers in pancreatic cancer treatment. Conventional therapies are limited by the dense tumor microenvironment, which blocks drugs and immune cells, while external lasers used in photodynamic therapy cannot penetrate deep tissue and risk damaging healthy organs. The new device uses a flexible, octopus‑like architecture that wraps around the tumor, maintaining uniform light delivery even as the tissue expands or contracts. This enables continuous, low‑intensity photostimulation that targets cancer cells while preserving normal tissue. In in vivo mouse experiments, the technology…

Georgia Tech engineers have created a soft, all‑in‑one wearable system designed to improve neonatal health monitoring in low‑resource settings. The device combines a chest‑mounted patch with a forehead‑mounted pulse oximeter, transmitting real‑time data on heart rate, respiration, temperature, electrocardiograms, and blood oxygen saturation to a smartphone app. By automating vital sign tracking, the system reduces reliance on handwritten records and limited medical equipment, enabling faster detection of dangerous changes in newborns. A pilot study at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, conducted with Ethiopian collaborators, showed that the wearable system provided superior oversight compared to current monitoring practices.…

At the Yale School of Medicine, researchers are testing the “NeuroEXPLORER” (NX), an ultra high‑performance brain‑dedicated PET scanner that is redefining what is possible in brain imaging. Installed in 2023, the NX offers ten times the sensitivity and more than twice the spatial resolution of the previous state‑of‑the‑art scanner, enabling visualization of brain structures that were previously invisible. The NX allows scientists to study conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and brain cancer with unprecedented detail. In recent studies, the scanner revealed small structures like the mammillothalamic tract and substantia nigra, which play key roles in memory and movement.…

A new study led by Rice University researchers has identified simple, low‑cost tools that can accurately detect hypoglycemia in newborns, a condition that can cause brain injury or death if untreated. The work highlights how affordable screening methods could save lives in low‑resource settings worldwide. Hypoglycemia is common in infants, especially those born prematurely or with low birth weight. In high‑income countries, blood glucose monitoring is routine, but many hospitals in developing regions lack the equipment or training to perform these tests. The Rice team, working with partners in Malawi and Uganda, evaluated several point‑of‑care devices and found that handheld…

Researchers at Vanderbilt University have developed an innovative drug delivery mechanism that responds to cooling. The system uses a thermoresponsive hydrogel implant that releases medication when exposed to lower temperatures. This approach could allow patients to receive pain relief on demand without relying on systemic opioids. Currently, most on‑demand pain treatments involve opioids, which are highly addictive and contribute to thousands of deaths each year. The Vanderbilt team designed a composite device made from alginate and Soluplus polymers that encapsulates celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti‑inflammatory drug (NSAID). When the implant is cooled, the hydrogel structure changes, triggering controlled drug release. The study…

MIT researchers have unveiled a new technology that could spare millions of diabetes patients from the discomfort of frequent finger pricks. The team has created a shoebox‑sized device that uses Raman spectroscopy, a technique that shines near‑infrared light onto the skin to reveal its chemical composition. By analyzing just three spectral bands, the device can accurately measure blood glucose levels without needles. In tests with healthy volunteers, the device produced readings comparable to commercial continuous glucose monitors, which require a wire implanted under the skin. Each measurement took about 30 seconds, and the system successfully tracked glucose changes after participants consumed…