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MEDICA.de, your source for the latest industry news and editorial contributions!

Our dedicated editorial team works year-round to present you with high-quality content from the medical technology branch on our industry portal MEDICA.de.

Whether you are interested in high-tech medical products, innovative technologies, medical research, or new treatment methods - with us you will find well-founded articles that will help you stay up to date. Our editorial team closely follows the latest trends, medical advances and technologies.

Editorial articles cover a wide range of topics, including medical technology, medical imaging, diagnostics, digital health, physiotherapy, laboratory & diagnostics, and hospital and practice equipment, among many others. We offer in-depth analysis, expert interviews and informative articles and videos to help you better understand the complexities of the medical world.

We pride ourselves on being a trusted source of information for the medical industry and look forward to keeping you informed throughout the year.

Latest news from the five MEDICA spheres

Image: PhD student Maja Struczynska with the model of a single fibrinogen molecule; Copyright: Jens Meyer/Uni Jena

Specially coated titanium reduces risk of clots on prostheses

An international research team led by the german University of Jena has now developed a promising approach to significantly reducing blood clotting on the heart valve material titanium.

Image: Two men and a woman in a doctor's coat: the woman is holding a map of the world and the two men are pointing to Germany and Uzbekistan with a pen; Copyright: Karin Kaiser / MHH

With ultrasound against liver cancer

The Hannover Medical School (MHH) enters into a clinic partnership with Uzbekistan and supports with a training program for sonography diagnostics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Image: The cover art illustrates ultrasound-mediated drug delivery into a biofilm-infected wound; Copyright: Ella Marushchenko

Breaking through bacterial barriers in chronic treatment-resistant wounds

Researchers in the UNC School of Medicine's Department of Microbiology and Immunology and the UNC-NC State Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering have developed a new strategy to improve drug-delivery into chronic wounds infections.

Image: The research team: three men and one woman pose next to a screen and a microscope; Copyright: NTU Singapore

Why wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds

Wavy wounds heal faster than straight wounds because shapes influence cell movements, a team of researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found.

Image: 3D cross section of a kidney; Copyright: European Cooperation in Science and Technology

Imaging chronic kidney disease

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has shown a high potential to distinguish biomarkers for CKD, but renal MRI biomarkers are currently underused in research and clinical practice.

Image: A transparent miniaturized muscle implant lies on a black table; Copyright: Fraunhofer IBMT

Human-machine interface stops muscle tremors

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT have been working with international partners to develop a technology platform to help relieve the symptoms of muscle tremors.

Image: Three women and a man - Prof. Maria Teresa Pisabarro, Dr. Gloria Ruiz Gómez, Dr. Juliane Salbach-Hirsch and Prof. Lorenz Hofbauer; Copyright: TUD/Magdalena Gonciarz

A sweet solution to a cracking problem: new bio-inspired molecules to promote bone regeneration

An interdisciplinary team of scientists in Dresden developed novel bio-inspired sugar-based molecules that show potential to improve bone regeneration.

Image: Modern ECG machine in the hospital emergency room for diagnosis of a heart attack; Copyright: nd3000

Atrial fibrillation: Targeted drug therapy approach discovered for the first time

When the heart gets out of rhythm, characteristic processes occur in the heart muscle cells. Among other things, the currents of electrically charged particles (ions) change. In chronic atrial fibrillation, one of these currents is reduced.

Image: 3D render of the tibias treated with the current clinical treatment option chemotherapeutics or treated with chemotherapeutics plus gene therapy; Copyright: UCD Research and Innovation

Novel combination of therapies may provide new treatment option for bone cancer

New research has identified a potential therapeutic target and developed a unique delivery system to treat osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents.

Image: Bochum research team: Burkhard Pleger (left) and Timo Dreier pose for the camera in white coats; Copyright: RUB, Marquard

Effects of brain stimulation amenable to conditioning

Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have successfully implemented a special form of classical conditioning. They showed on a group of 75 people that effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be triggered solely by listening to a tone.

Image: Medical samples are treated with a plasma pen; Copyright: INP

Plasma against precancerous skin lesions: EU funds international doctoral candidates network

Under the leadership of the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), the international doctoral candidates network PlasmACT is investigating the use of medical gas plasma technology as a treatment method.

Image: Prof Giuseppe Intini in a blue sweat jacket, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Giuseppe Intini

New approach helps skull bones mend themselves

In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, University of Pittsburgh researchers developed a novel approach that promoted bone regeneration in mice without implantation of bone tissue or biomaterials.

Image: Illustration of wounds on cultured skin cells heal while stimulated with electric current; Copyright: Science Brush | Hassan A. Tahini

How electricity can heal wounds three times as fast

Using electric stimulation, researchers in a project at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Freiburg, Germany, have developed a method that speeds up the healing process, making wounds heal three times faster.

Image: Colored Coronal TDI Image of the entire brain; Copyright: Duke Center for In Vivo Microscopy

MRI: Brain images just got 64 million times sharper

In a decades-long technical tour de force lead by Duke’s Center for In Vivo Microscopy with colleagues at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University, researchers took up the gauntlet and improved the resolution of MRI leading to the sharpest images ever captured of a mouse brain.

Image: Schematic illustration: The proposed robotic bronchoscope system for navigation-assisted intervention; Copyright: Cyborg and Bionic Systems

Novel robotic bronchoscope system for navigation and biopsy of pulmonary lesions

A novel robotic bronchoscope system can non-intrusively access the area of interest within the lung for minimally invasive pulmonary lesions sampling, the gold standard of lung cancer diagnoses.

Image: Prof Asma Khalil using portable ultrasound device on patient; Copyright: St George's, University of London

Extra pregnancy scan slashes number of breech births and risk to babies

Adding a third routine scan at the end of pregnancy can slash the number of unexpected breech births by 70% and the risks of the baby being born with severe health complications, according to research led by doctors at St George’s, University of London, and published in PLOS Medicine.

Image: Johannes Karges smiles for the camera in a light blue shirt and dark blue jacket. In the background is a green area; Copyright: RUB, Marquard

Ultrasound activates anticancer agent

Chemotherapy treatments produce strong side effects. A new agent that accumulates in the tumour tissue and is activated there by ultrasound waves does not have this problem.

Image: An incubator crib in a paediatric intensive care unit in a university hospital; Copyright: DC_Studio

Bedside portable MRI: use in pediatric ECMO patients

The neonatology team at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) has conducted the world's first study of children receiving ECMO therapy using the mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The procedure, known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), involves oxygenating the blood outside the body.

Image: 3D illustration of a human body showing the gastrointestinal tract highlighted; Copyright: SciePro/Shutterstock

Morbus Crohn: new imaging technique for effective therapy

An interdisciplinary research group at MedUni Vienna has investigated a new imaging technique that can improve the treatment of intestinal strictures from Morbus Crohn.

Image: Dr Ioana Slabu and Benedict Bauer with the nanomodified stent fot he camera; Copyright: Peter Winandy

Novel technology for hollow organ tumour therapy

Ioana Slabu from the Institute of Applied Medical Technology and Benedict Bauer from the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University have developed a novel technology for the therapy of hollow organ tumours, which was awarded second place in the RWTH Innovation Award.

Image: Group picture of the representatives of Nimble Diagnostics (thirteen persons); Copyright: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC)

Stent implants: Nimble Diagnostics closes financing round of one million euros

NIMBLE Diagnostics, a spin-off of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), the UPC and the University of Barcelona (UB), has successfully closed a funding round led by Grow Ventures, together with Namarel Ventures and the Inveniam Group, that has secured more than one million euros.

Image: Illustration of a mitral valve prolapse compared to a healthy valve; Copyright: DZHK - Michael Fausser

Mitral valve repair: surgery or interventional treatment?

A leaking mitral valve can be repaired surgically or with catheter-based techniques. A so-called mitral valve prolapse is particularly common, in which part of the valve protrudes (prolapses) into the left atrium. The American PRIMARY study investigates which method is most suitable for repairing mitral valves in patients with degenerative mitral valve insufficiency who are at low surgical risk.

Image: Elderly female patient, nurse with a stethoscope listening to the heartbeat during a health consultation.; Copyright: YuriArcursPeopleimages

Shining light on aging hearts

Light therapy has demonstrated its usefulness in treating a variety of diseases. But can it delay the occurrence of age-related disease? The answer may be yes, according to a study in mice published in February in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.

Image: A woman with blond hair in a white coat sits in a laboratory and works with Petri dishes; Copyright: University of the West of Scotland

Radiology: Research could improve cancer treatment

UWS School of Computing Engineering and Physical Sciences are developing breakthrough investigations into advanced radiation treatment technique, after receiving funding from Cancer Research UK RadNet – the charity's radiation research network.

Image: Two women in medical attire and a man in a plaid shirt pose for the camera in a laboratory; Copyright: Universidad de Barcelona

Tool to diagnose and assess the severity of sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is a degenerative disease characterised by a pathological decrease in muscle strength that particularly affects older people. Researchers at the University of Barcelona have developed a new tool to assess the presence and severity of this muscular deterioration.

Image: A computer that evaluates stool samples using bioinformatic methods; Copyright: Anna Schroll/Leibniz-HKI

Model shows intestinal bacteria influence growth of fungi

The bacteria present in the intestine provide information about the quantities of fungi of the potentially disease-causing Candida genus.

Image: UBCO and a man in a wheelchair demonstrates a mobile app can help motive people living with a spinal cord injury who can walk keep active.; Copyright: UBC Okanagan

Health app: getting active with partial spinal cord injury

A UBC Okanagan researcher has been testing the effectiveness of a mobile app that encourages people living with a spinal cord injury—but can walk—to get active.

Image: A man in a gray jacket and white shirt, Miroslaw Bober, smiles at the camera; Copyright: University of Surrey

UK AI world leader in identifying location and expression of proteins

A new advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system has shown world-leading accuracy and speed in identifying protein patterns within individual cells.

Image: Lecturer talks about new technologies and three people listen; Copyright: seventyfourimages

Increasing training and use of new digital technologies in EU health services

The Dynamic Digital Resilience for Medical and Allied Professions (DDS-MAP) in Health Services project aims to strengthen health systems and support the digital transformation of healthcare by understanding the digital learning needs of healthcare professionals and developing innovative learning programmes.

Image: The experts Luis Miguel Echeverry and Neus Martínez-Abadías at the Faculty of Biology of the UB; Copyright: Universidad de Barcelona

Rare disease diagnosis: AI algorithms do not include human diversity

Most of the AI-generated algorithms have databases with populations of European origins and they ignore the genetic and morphological diversity of human populations of around the world.

Image: Bunte Fotokollage in Hexagonform mit Beispielbildern von einer Entnahme von Biosignalen; Copyright: Fraunhofer IDMT

EEG as an example of data protection for biosignals

The “NEMO” project is exploring anonymisation techniques, using the example of electroencephalograms (EEG).

Image: A child in a black jacket is supported by an adult during a rehab exercise and is happy; Copyright: Rett Syndrom Deutschland e.V.

XR and AI: TeMoRett develops computer-assisted therapy

The Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) is coordinating the newly launched project "Technology-supported Motor Rehabilitation for People with Rett Syndrome" (TeMoRett).

Image: Senior Woman tests blood for glucose or sugar level for diabetes with glucometer; Copyright: Manuta

Big Data: predictive model for complications in diabetes

For their research, the team led by Rainer Oberbauer, Head of the Division of Nephrology and Dialysis at MedUni Vienna's Department of Medicine III, and Mariella Gregorich from MedUni Vienna's Center for Medical Data Science drew on data from major international studies.

Image: A spoon piled with bits of plastic. The spoon lies on a salmon-colored background; Copyright: xalien/Shutterstock

Tiny plastic particles also find their way into the brain

With the help of computer models, researchers have discovered that a specific surface structure (biomolecular corona) is crucial for the passage of plastic particles into the brain.

Image: Screenshot from the DeMAG webserver. DeMAG predicts benign mutations in light blue and pathogenic ones in coral; Copyright: Agnes Toth-Petroczy, Nature Communications

New tool facilitates clinical interpretation of genetic information

Max Planck and Harvard research teams develop DeMAG, a new method shared as an open-source web server (demag.org) to help interpret mutations in disease genes and improve clinical decision-making.

Image: Several reaction vessels with tissue samples; Copyright: DZHK

Collaborative and sustainable - the DZHK's clinical research platform

At the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), clinical study data and samples belong not to individual clinics but to a superordinate structure - the DZHK. The basis for this is the collaborative clinical research platform launched ten years ago, which makes data and samples from all DZHK studies uniformly recordable.

Image: A doctor does an EEG scan on a patient; Copyright: microgen

Computer-assisted procedure classifies Ataxia-related speech disturbances

Researchers at DZNE and the University Hospital Bonn, together with the Berlin-based company PeakProfiling GmbH, have developed a computer-assisted method that recognizes the severity of speech disturbances resulting from ataxia, a brain disease, with great accuracy.

Image: An example of virtual staining of tissue. Unstained tissue on the left, chemically stained tissue in the middle and virtually stained tissue on the right; Copyright: Pekka Ruusuvuori

AI-based method to replace chemical staining of tissue

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence-based method for virtual staining of histopathological tissue samples as a part of the Nordic ABCAP consortium.

Image: Woman examines an x-ray of a head via a hologram in a dark room; Copyright: Shutterstock.com/PeopleImages.com - Yuri A

6G Health kick-off: better healthcare with 6G networking

Starting now, the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) is developing fundamental technology components for 6G-based medical applications in the research project "6G-Health" (Holistic Development of High-Performance 6G Networking for Distributed Medical Technology Systems).

Image: A man demonstrates the VR-based rehabilitation system in front of a screen using head, hand and hip sensors; Copyright: Kaunas University of Technology

Virtual post-stroke assistant for rehabilitation

The innovation created by a team of Lithuanian scientists is a VR-based rehabilitation system, a VR technology without the VR world and glasses.

Image: Shot of a doctor having a video call with a patient on the computer in her office; Copyright: micens

Treating patients 'in hospital' – even from far away

Research is revealing that some patients living far away from specialist health service provision choose not to use these services because of the long distances they have to travel.

Image: Close up of both hands and forearms with characteristic monkeypox on a blue background; Copyright: Shutterstock.com/Marina Demidiuk

App for AI-assisted detection of monkeypox skin lesions

A paper produced as part of the DAKI-FWS project (data and AI-supported early warning system to stabilize the German economy) will be featured in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine.

Image: Cornel Amariei, a man with brown hair in a blue shirt, poses for the camera with white high-tech glasses; Copyright: Oana Graur

Patent: high-tech glasses replace guide dog

The technology of “the glasses that replace the guide dog” has just been patented in the USA. The European Union patent will follow, and it could well be introduced to the market during the course of next year.

Image: Smiling female doctor in a practice, using a tablet; Copyright: westend61

Platform for the rapid development of digital health applications

Fraunhofer FIT presents a toolbox for the rapid development of digital health applications. It can help to respond to urgent needs in the healthcare market. The platform integrates applications, methods and solutions from several national and European research projects.

Image: Three women and a man are smiling and looking at their laptops while sitting in a library; Copyright: Uni Tübingen

Targeted computer modelling to accelerate antiviral drug development

Andreas Dräger from the University of Tübingen is working on a computer-based method that can help to accelerate the time-consuming identification and development of antiviral agents.

Image: Man with long brown hair and glasses, Viktor Jirsa, smiles at the camera; Copyright: private

Advances in brain modelling open path to digital twins for brain medicine

In the current edition of The Lancet Neurology, researchers of the Human Brain Project (HBP) present the novel clinical uses of advanced brain modelling methods. Computational brain modelling techniques that integrate the measured data of a patient have been developed by researchers at AMU Marseille as part of the HBP.

Image: Esperanza Varela, María Teresa Anarte and Mónica Carreira, researchers at the University of Malaga, posing at the entrance of the Faculty of Psychology; Copyright: University of Malaga

MyDiaMate app strengthens mental health for adults with type 1 diabetes

International researchers –from the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, and Spain– work together to develop an app that improves physical and emotional well-being in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D).

Image: Computer algorithm on laptop display and some other objects on the table; Copyright: Pressmaster

Shining a light into the "black box" of AI

Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a novel method for evaluating the interpretability of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, opening the door to greater transparency and trust in AI-driven diagnostic and predictive tools.

Image: The SPUR tool, a plastic dispenser, can help patients living with Type 2 Diabetes take their medications correctly; Copyright: Kingston University

Medication adherence tool predicts hospital admissions of Type 2 Diabetes patients

A pioneering behavioural diagnostic tool developed by Kingston University, London and healthcare technology company Observia to help patients take their medication as prescribed is the first holistic model in the world to accurately predict hospital admissions and readmissions in people living with Type 2 Diabetes, according to a new study.

Image: The polyurethane ceiling unit equipped with four radar modules; Copyright: Fraunhofer IZM

Providing care when it is needed – Radar system recognizes and tracks people and objects

The researchers of Fraunhofer IZM have integrated a miniature radar system into an LED ceiling light that can track and recognize movement patterns and locate people or objects in a room.

Image: One man and two women posing for the camera with a building in the background; Copyright: Karolinska Institutet

New method reveals bacterial reaction to antibiotics in five minutes

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a molecular method able to detect whether or not bacteria respond to antibiotics within minutes.

Image: A doctor takes a saliva sample from a patient in an examination room; Copyright: Prostock-studio

TimeTeller: tenth spin-off of the BIH Digital Health Accelerator

An interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Angelo Relógio, a scientist at Charité’s Molecular Cancer Research Center (MKFZ) and Institute for Theoretical Biology and the MSH Medical School Hamburg, has developed a non-invasive method for profiling a person’s unique circadian rhythm.

Image: Close-up of a WFIRM gyroid-shaped construct on a blue-gloved hand; Copyright: WFIRM

Bioprinting research makes history when it soars to the ISS

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) will make history this month when the first bioprinted solid tissue constructs soar to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the next all private astronaut mission by commercial space leader Axiom Space.

Image: Brain immune cells (“microglia”) in culture exposed to amyloid-beta proteins which are involved in Alzheimer’s disease; Copyright: DZNE/AG Milovanovic

Tuning brain cells with light

An international research team, comprising scientists from University Hospital Bonn, DZNE, the Netherlands, and the US has been awarded a US$ 1.3 million grant by the “Human Frontier Science Program” to investigate brain immune cells and manipulate them via light irradiation.

Image: Close up of test tubes in a laboratory; Copyright: leungchopan

AI helps create better, simpler hepatitis, COVID-19 tests

University of Florida scientists have used artificial intelligence tools to simplify a test that works for both hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The simplified test happens in one small test tube in just a few minutes.

Image: A man in a white shirt wearing glasses - Prof. Andreas Keller, sits in his office at the computer; Copyright: Saarland University/Oliver Dietze

Exploring the molecular mechanisms of ageing

A team led by bioinformatics experts Andreas Keller and Fabian Kern from Saarland University together with researchers at Stanford University have gained new insights into manifestations of ageing at the molecular level.

Image: Microscopic image of bone-marrow cells of a multiple myeloma patient.; Copyright: Berend Snijder Lab / ETH Zurich

How to fight blood cancer more effectively

Despite approved treatments being available, multiple myeloma remains incurable. But researchers at ETH Zurich and University Hospital Zurich set out to improve treatment outcomes by testing hundreds of existing therapeutics outside the body to predict their effectiveness.

Image: 3D-segmentation of different structures related to an infection with the Ebola virus.; Copyright: Petr Chlanda

Luring the virus into a trap

Heidelberg researchers describe mechanisms that could help prevent infections with the influenza A and Ebola viruses.

Image: Close-up of doctor pointing at human pelvic skeleton model in medical clinic.; Copyright: Okrasyuk

Map of spinal cord formation gives new knowledge on diseases of the nervous system

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have mapped how cells in the human spinal cord are formed in the embryo and what genes control the process.

Image: A Setup to conduct Optical Nanomotion Detection, b Optical image of E. coli bacteria. C. Same field of view as B in false colors; Copyright: Ines Villalba (EPFL)

Antibiotic resistance: fast, cheap, and easy test method

“We have developed a technique in our laboratories that allows us to obtain an antibiogram within 2-4 hours – instead of the current 24 hours for the most common germs and one month for tuberculosis,” says Dr Sandor Kasas at EPFL.

Image: Pregnant woman sitting on bed checking her blood sugar level with glucometer; Copyright: AnnaStills

Type 2 diabetes: risk displayed in early pregnancy blood samples

Researchers from the University of Turku discovered that women who developed prediabetes after pregnancy had aberrations already in their early pregnancy blood serum metabolomic profile.

Image: A human brain organoid (red) grows on the hammock-like structure of a mesh MEA; Copyright: Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine

Microelectrode array: hammock for brain organoids

Novel microelectrode array system enables long-term cultivation and electrophysiological analyses of brain organoids.

Image: Schematic illustration of organoid bioprinting with artificial intelligence ; Copyright: Cyborg and Bionic Systems

Bioprinting technology and AI enable high quality in vitro models

In the process of organoid manufacturing, bioprinting technology not only facilitates the creation and maintenance of complex biological 3D shapes and structures, but also allows for standardization and quality control during production.

Image: Example image for the spatially resolved analysis of a gene on a section of kidney tissue; Copyright: Daniel Kokotek

New method makes rare cell types visible

In cooperation with Helmholtz Munich, Professor Matthias Meier from the Centre for Biotechnology and Biomedicine at Leipzig University and his research group have developed a new, effective and comparatively inexpensive method to make rare cell types, cell communication types and disease patterns visible in tissue.

Image: Tissue engineering, tweezers with a solution in a laboratory vessel; Copyright: Fraunhofer-Translationszentrum/Fraunhofer ISC

SAPs4Tissue: human tissue models with customized biomaterials

In a joint project of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, and the Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC, Würzburg, scientific principles and biomaterials for the standardized production of valid tissue models are to be developed.

Image: A woman with dark hair, dark glasses and a white coat stands in front of a door frame in a laboratory and smiles at the camera; Copyright: Daniel Delang / TUM

Mini-heart in a Petri dish: organoid emulates development of the human heart

The team working with Alessandra Moretti, Professor of Regenerative Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease, has developed a method for making a sort of "mini-heart" using pluripotent stem cells.

Image: Three men and a woman in white lab coats pose for the camera in a laboratory; Copyright: Universidad de Barcelona

Microfluidics physics-based device to predict cancer therapy response

A team of experts has designed a microfluidic device called microfluidic dynamic BH3 profiling (μDBP) that predicts the effectiveness of cancer treatment quickly and automatically.

Image: ENT doctor or dentist with a medical instrument examining the oral cavity; Copyright: YuriArcursPeopleimages

PANDORA test could pave the way for better oral cancer detection

Surrey scientists have developed a proof-of-concept test called PANDORA that was shown to be over 92% accurate at identifying patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The test was also shown to be more than 80% accurate at identifying patients with pre-cancer or oral epithelial dysplasia (OED).

Image: Group picture in front of the BSL 3 high-security laboratory; Four women and three men in business attire; Copyright: Helmholtz Munich/Matthias Balk

Helmholtz Munich: research infrastructure for pandemic management and prevention expanded

From now on, an improved research infrastructure for pandemic management and prevention will be available in the Greater Munich area: on the 29th of March 2023 a new biosafety level 3 laboratory was introduced at Helmholtz Munich.

Image: Picture of the complete sensor with a PDMS well of 100 μl volume for the drop test; Copyright: HZDR/Sandoval Bojorquez

Nanobiosensor developed for detecting SARS-CoV-2

Infection and immunity status of the population are considered key parameters for handling pandemics. For this purpose, detecting antigens and antibodies is of great importance. The devices currently used for this purpose - what are known as point-of-care (POC) devices- are one option for rapid screening. Their sensitivity, however, needs further improvement.

Image: Study co-authors in white coats (from left) Caleb Bashor, Antonios Mikos and Letitia Chim; Copyright: Gustavo Raskosky/Rice University

Upgraded tumor model optimizes search for cancer therapies

Rice University researchers developed an upgraded tumor model that houses osteosarcoma cells beside immune cells known as macrophages inside a three-dimensional structure engineered to mimic bone. Using the model, bioengineer Antonios Mikos and collaborators found that the body’s immune response can make tumor cells more resistant to chemotherapy.

Image: Close-up of a sample tray and analyzer in the laboratory; Copyright: Fraunhofer IPK / Larissa Klassen

New technologies for producing mRNA-based pharmaceuticals

Together with partners from science and industry, Fraunhofer IPK is researching how mRNA therapeutics and other medication can be better produced and more effectively applied.

Image: Close-up of a pregnancy belly, the woman is holding her hand on her belly; Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH.

Better care for pregnant women with precancerous cervical cancer

Preliminary stages of cervical cancer occur mainly in women between 25 and 35 years of age. The main risk factor for developing cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV). Surgery is the treatment of choice.

Image: Blood test tube for laboratory on white background; Copyright: grafvision

Epilepsy could become easier to pinpoint with blood test

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden have discovered higher levels of immune proteins in the blood before and after an epileptic seizure.

Image: Detailed measurement of how the motor protein kinesin-1 (red) walks on microtubules (white); Copyright: Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung

Further advance in super-resolution fluorescence microscopy

Scientists led by Nobel Laureate Stefan Hell at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg have developed a super-resolution microscope with a spatio-temporal precision of one nanometer per millisecond.

Image: The carrier of the ARM2U team, Kyle Briggs, competing with the prosthesis at a Cybathlon 2023 event; Copyright: BarcelonaTech (UPC)

Low-cost robotic arm created by students as an alternative to conventional prostheses

A low-cost robotic arm created by students as an alternative to conventional prostheses: The ARM2u biomedical engineering team, from the UPC’s Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering (ETSEIB), is working on new functions for their low-cost 3D-printed transradial prosthesis.

Image: Elderly woman in physical rehabilitation with a dumbbell assisted by a physiotherapist; Copyright: bialasiewicz

Physical activity crucial for poststroke recovery

After a stroke, physical activity can be pivotal to successful recovery. People who spend four hours a week exercising after their stroke achieve better functional recovery within six months than those who do not, a University of Gothenburg study shows.

Image: ARC trial participant in active therapy: ARC Therapy is designed to deliver targeted, programmed spinal cord stimulation; Copyright: ONWARD Medical NV

Kick-off: new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network "ReWIRE"

Through ReWIRE, next-generation scientists will be trained to develop translational breakthrough therapeutic solutions for patients with paralysis caused by traumatic spinal cord injuries.

Image: An insole is made on a 3D printer; Copyright: Marco Binelli / ETH Zürich

3D-printed insoles measure sole pressure directly in the shoe

Researchers at ETH Zurich, Empa and EPFL are developing a 3D-printed insole with integrated sensors that allows the pressure of the sole to be measured in the shoe and thus during any activity.

Image: Balance exercises outdoors. Mature woman standing on one leg exercising balance; Copyright: microgen

Poor balance may indicate changes in brain volume

In a study recently published in Gait & Posture, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have revealed that the volume of the hippocampus is correlated with a measure of balance ability in healthy older people.

Image: old man falls to the ground and touches his forehead; Copyright: LightFieldStudios

Balance ability predicts cognitive impairment

In a study recently published in BMC Geriatrics, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have revealed a new measure of physical balance that could help to identify individuals who are at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD).

$Image: X-ray of the hip with a hip fracture; Copyright: Booyabazooka$

Mechanical stimulation could be used to prevent falls and strengthen muscles

Mechanical vibrations could help improve our muscles and our balance control, according to research at Aston University. Researchers in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences have examined the effect of stimulation on muscle spindles which ‘speak’ to the central nervous system to help keep us upright and walk straight.

Image: Usability testing of the fixator with a bone; Copyright: Imperial College London

Affordable device for fixing broken bones piloted in Gaza, Sri Lanka and Ukraine

Imperial researchers have developed a low-cost, easy-to-manufacture stabiliser for broken bones to help in regions where such devices are expensive or in short supply and people sometimes resort to homemade options.

Image: A patient is examined and measured for seated knee extension speed, quadriceps strength, knee range of motion, and knee pain; Copyright: Osaka Metropolitan University

Total knee arthroplasty: Faster knee for better walking

Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have revealed that knee extension velocity while seated is a stronger predictor of walking performance than muscle strength in elderly patients after their total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery.

Image: A young woman in a white shirt operates her bionic prosthetic arm; Copyright: StudioVK

A prosthetic limb that can read my mind

A team at FAU is investigating how intelligent prostheses can be improved. The idea is that interactive artificial intelligence will help the prostheses to recognize human intent better, to register their surroundings and to continue to develop and improve over time.

Image: A man in a white shirt sits on an office chair and holds his back in pain; Copyright: Markus Bernards

Treatment for back pain: 84 percent increase in success rate

Multimodal therapies should be promoted on a larger scale in the German healthcare system, in line with the National Disease Management Guidelines.

Image: Senior woman holding the hand of a doctor; Copyright: PantherMedia/Lighthunter

Rehab device enables stroke patients with arm disabilities to do more physical training

The GribAble device, created by researchers at Imperial College London and clinicians at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, consists of a lightweight electronic handgrip that interacts wirelessly with a standard PC tablet to enable the user to play arm-training games.

Image: Participant trains in the Ekso GT during an inpatient gait training session; Copyright: Kessler Foundation

High-dose gait training with robotic exoskeleton after acute stroke

Preliminary findings by Kessler researchers show that the use of a robotic exoskeleton during inpatient rehabilitation for acute stroke may improve function. Gait training in the robotic exoskeleton can provide high-dose therapy soon after stroke, when it is likely to have its maximal effect on functional ambulation.

Image: The surface of a door handle is cleaned with disinfectant; Copyright: Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum

Hygiene: monkeypox viruses relatively stable on surfaces

A study conducted by the Department of Molecular and Medical Virology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, has shown that temperature is a major factor in this process: at room temperature, a monkeypox virus that is capable of replicating can survive on a stainless steel surface for up to eleven days, and at four degrees Celsius for up to a month.

Image: Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel and Vanessa Trossmann in a laboratory for the microscopic examination of cell structures; Copyright: UBT / Chr. Wißler.

Regenerative medicine: cell-specific properties of novel spider silk materials

Materials made of spider silk can be specifically modified or processed in such a way that living cells of a certain type adhere to them, grow and proliferate. This has been discovered by researchers at the University of Bayreuth under the direction of Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel.

Image: Daniel Aili, professor at the Department of Physics, man with brown hair and glasses, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Magnus Johansson

Wound dressing reveals infection

A nanocellulose wound dressing that can reveal early signs of infection without interfering with the healing process has been developed by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden.

Image: A smart bandage rests on a gloved finger.; Copyright: Caltech

‘Smart’ bandages monitor wounds and provide targeted treatment

Most of the time, when someone gets a cut, scrape, burn, or other wound, the body takes care of itself and heals on its own. But this is not always the case. Diabetes can interfere with the healing process and create wounds that will not go away and that could become infected and fester.

Image: Newborn baby lies on his stomach in an incubator; Copyright: mvaligursky

Incubators: method to reduce alcohol absorbed from disinfectants used

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba showed the association between the concentration of evaporated alcohol from alcohol-based disinfectants used for incubators and the amount of alcohol absorbed by premature infants.

Image: Pipette adding sample to stem cell cultures growing in pots for stem cell implantation; Copyright: imagesourcecurated

Electrodes grown in the brain – paving the way for future therapies for neurological disorders

The boundaries between biology and technology are becoming blurred. Researchers at Linköping, Lund, and Gothenburg universities in Sweden have successfully grown electrodes in living tissue using the body’s molecules as triggers. The result, published in the journal Science, paves the way for the formation of fully integrated electronic circuits in living organisms.

Image: Xing Xie is holding holding a chip in close up; Copyright: Georgia Tech

New ultrafast water disinfection method is more environmentally friendly

Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have found a way to use small shocks of electricity to disinfect water, reducing energy consumption, cost, and environmental impact.

Image: A man in a white coat and with safety goggles, Hongji Yan, holds a test tube in his hand and is looking at the camera; Copyright: Vaibhav Srivastava

Mucus-based gel improves bone graft results, promotes healing

Molecules from mucus can be used to produce synthetic bone graft material and help with the healing of larger bone loss, a new study found.

Image: A white electrospun Renacer membrane (5 x 5 cm) on a black background; Copyright: Fraunhofer ISC

Bioresorbable membrane for healing internal and external wounds

Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in using the bioresorbable silica gel Renacer to produce an electrospun membrane that is neither cytotoxic to cells nor genotoxic.

Image: Close-up of the healing process of a corneal ulcer, postoperative results in vivo; Copyright: POSTECH

Treating cornea ulcers with diagnostic light instead of corneal transplantation

Recently, a Korean joint research team from POSTECH-KKU has developed a new tissue adhesive that restores the damaged cornea by simply filling it and exposing it to light.

Image: A woman with black hair in a white coat sits in a research laboratory and operates a microscope; Copyright: wichayada69

Funding to produce biodegradable antiviral and antibacterial materials

A new junior research group at Freie Universität Berlin, which will investigate the production of biodegradable antiviral and antibacterial materials, with one of the goals of synthesis being new alternatives to conventional antibiotics, will receive a total budget of more than 1.8 million euros from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) over the next five years.

Image: The doctor treats the wound on the patient's leg in a clinic room; Copyright: Okrasyuk

Wound care: New spray fights infections and antibiotic resistance

A group of researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden are presenting a new spray that can kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and that can be used for wound care and directly on implants and other medical devices.

Image: A contact lens prototype that is specially designed to prevent contact lens-induced dry eye.; Copyright: Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation

Contact lenses to treat dry eye syndrome

A collaborative team from the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) has developed a contact lens prototype that is specifically designed to prevent contact lens-induced dry eye (CLIDE).

Image: Top view of FFP2 class clean face mask on blue background; Copyright: Photology75

Radon: Face masks reduce radiation exposure

Researchers from the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung now have proven in a paper published in the “International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health” that face masks - both FFP2 and surgical masks - strongly reduce lung exposure and thus the dose.

Image: Microscopic image: The picture shows a textile fiber with salt crystals (light blue) and viruses around 100 nanometers in size (green); Copyright: Empa

Watching viruses fail

Using a new analytical method, Empa researchers have tracked viruses as they pass through face masks and compared their failure on the filter layers of different types of masks.

Image: A man with brown hair in a white coat, Ángel Serrano Aroca, smiles at the camera; Copyright: Asociación RUVID

Biomaterial capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections

Researchers from the Bioengineering and Biomaterials Laboratory of Universidad Católica de Valencia (UCV) have developed a new porous material capable of regenerating bones and preventing infections at the same time.

Image: An employee in protective clothing holds a piece of non-woven fabric in his hand and examines it; Copyright: Freudenberg Performance Materials

ProQuIV optimizes the production of nonwoven masks

Producing infection control clothing requires a lot of energy and uses lots of material resources. Fraunhofer researchers have now developed a technology which helps to save materials and energy when producing nonwovens.

Image: A woman with long blonde hair and black glasses smiles at the camera - Anna Rising, research group leader; Copyright: Lena Holm

Scientists develop gel made from spider silk proteins for biomedical applications

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have discovered that spider silk proteins can be fused to biologically active proteins and be converted into a gel at body temperature.

Image: Production of the new surgical masks that can deactivate the SARS-COV-2 virus that is responsible for COVID19; Copyright: Asociación RUVID

Researchers release masks that instantaneously deactivate SARS-CoV-2

Researchers released a new type IIR surgical mask with an intelligent fabric that can instantaneously deactivate the SARS-COV-2 virus that is responsible for COVID19.

Image: a tiny plaster with some gel on it; Copyright: NTU Singapore

New therapy for chronic wounds

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), the Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS), and local biotech start-up Celligenics are working together to develop accessible and affordable therapies to accelerate healing in chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers and bed sores.

Image: Drawing inspiration from nature, a team of international scientists have invented a smart device for personalized skin care modeled after the male diving beetle; Copyright: McGill University

A skin crawling treatment for acne

Drawing inspiration from nature, a team of international scientists have invented a smart device for personalized skin care modeled after the male diving beetle. This tool collects and monitors body fluids while sticking to the skin’s surface, paving the way for more accurate diagnostics and treatment for skin diseases and conditions like acne.

Image: Closeup view with selective focus of shiny glittering water balls hydrogel; Copyright: PantherMedia/PhotoChowk

Improving strength, stretchiness and adhesion in hydrogels for wound healing

Scientists use the adhesive capabilities of mussels as a model for optimizing hydrogels’ mechanical properties.

Image: Woman wearing a FFP2 facemask in a Flower store, Copyright: Gettyimages

Optimal usage time for face coverings

Researchers from Surrey's renowned Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) explore two key questions: how long a mask should be worn; and when should it be discarded, recycled or washed to optimise its usage time.

Image: A physician puts a bandage around the foot of a patient; Copyright: PantherMedia/Wavebreakmedia (YAYMicro)

Chronic wounds: new, inexpensive wound dressing

An MSU-led team is developing an inexpensive biopolymer dressing to heal injuries like diabetic foot ulcers that affect millions of patients all over the world.

Image: A nurse is donning a red cloth mask; Copyright: PantherMedia/Jakub Mrocek

Reviewing the evidence for cloth mask use among health care workers

A rapid, evidence-based review summarizes the effectiveness of cloth masks in protecting health care clinicians from respiratory viral infections, such as COVID-19. Nine studies were included in the review, and all but one were conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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