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Wired (August 09, 2023) AI Is Building Highly Effective Antibodies That Humans Can’t Even Imagine
Robots, computers, and algorithms are hunting for potential new therapies in ways humans can’t—by processing huge volumes of data and building previously unimagined molecules.
DST.gov (August 2023) Bunch of new Placenta in chip devices can help making pregnancies safe
Current techniques for studying the placenta and its conditions are very few and consist of systems that do not resemble the human placenta. Some of them involve time consuming traditional cell culture methods on tissue culture plates or the sacrifice of mice. Hence, it is required to build a better model which mimics the human placental structure and functions. To bridge this gap, researchers at IIT Bombay and ICMR-NIRRCH-, Mumbai, led by Prof. Abhijit Majumder, Prof. Debjani Paul, and Dr. Deepak Modi, have developed devices called placenta-on-a-chip (POC). They have used microfluidic technology which can integrate processes, to create an environment that represents basic organ structure and functions of the placenta. While a few placenta-on-chip devices exist, these do not mimic various stages of pregnancy hence limiting their utility in testing the safety of drugs under these conditions. The placenta in a lab dish developed by the team allows different cells to interact with each other, incorporate mechanical properties and mimic the blood flow, which closely resembles the in-vivo condition. Among various available POC models, these devices are more suitable for probing placental development as well as diseases caused due to defects in the placenta.
The JC (August 09, 2023) Tiny beating heart created from stem cells is ‘game changer’ for cardiac patients
Israeli scientists have created a minuscule beating heart using stem cells that is smaller than a grain of rice. The tiny heart model, which is around the same size as half a grain of rice, has been hailed as a “game changing” development, marking a “new era in cardiovascular research”. Unlike previous models, which have been composed solely of heart muscle cells, this version contains all the essential features of a beating heart including ventricles, atria, an outer shell and inner lining, researchers said.
Inverse.com (August 09, 2023) Tiny Brains In A Dish Could Finally Uncover the Longstanding Mysteries of Psychadelics
Over the last half-century, psychedelics have radically transformed from public enemy number one to the plucky wunderkind promising to transform psychiatry, particularly mental health. The great allure of psychedelics is that they provide us with a wide variety of options for fixing brain ailments where conventional therapies have fallen short. But herein lies a problem: How exactly psychedelics work is a bit of a mystery. Researchers have theories but the challenging task for scientists is trying to pinpoint the exact brain regions and pathways psychedelics are affecting. Currently, we can’t observe the brain’s response to a psychedelic in a way that’s up close and personal. At his lab at the D’Or Institute for Research and Education in Brazil, Stevens Rehen and his colleagues are turning to a unique tool to open that black box: brain organoids. These tiny quivering masses of brain tissue were first pioneered in 2013 but are quickly becoming a gold standard in neuroscience and psychedelic research. Inverse speaks with Rehen about the research he’s been doing to peel away the mystery.
News Medical & Life Sciences (August 09, 2023) What are some recent advancements in proteomics-driven pancreatic oncology research?
Continuous investments and innovation in the multi-faceted domain of proteomics-driven oncology research would unleash its full potential in the future. Thus, there is a need for multicenter studies to accumulate data from a vast number of patients and capture data from cancer patients across varied demographics, countries, and healthcare systems. Most importantly, the larger the study size, the greater its statistical reliability. Overall, cooperation and shared learning among researchers could accelerate the pace of innovations in the fast-growing area of pancreatic oncology research via proteomics and the comprehension of pancreatic cancer biology.
News Medical & Life Sciences (August 09, 2023) Miniature heart model holds the key to saving lives and enhancing patient outcomes
A remarkable breakthrough, a collaborative team of researchers, led by Professor Yaakov Nahmias from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and Tissue Dynamics Ltd., has unveiled a miniature human heart model that could potentially transform drug testing and cardiovascular research. This study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, introduces a self-paced multi-chambered human heart model, no larger than a grain of rice, which promises to revolutionize the way we study the heart and its functions.
Science Daily (August 09, 2023) Tubular tissue advance could pave way for lab-grown blood vessels
Innovative technology that creates ultra-thin layers of human cells in tube-like structures could spur development of lifelike blood vessels and intestines in the lab.
Technology Networks (August 09, 2023) Novel Technique Aids the Advancement of Lab-Grown Blood Vessels
The RIFLE technique, developed by University of Edinburgh scientists, constructs super-thin cell layers resembling human tissues found in blood vessels and organs. This cost-effective method has potential applications in drug development and medical research, reducing reliance on animal experiments. Further testing is needed before clinical use.
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