Researchers have developed a small device designed to halt the effects of a heart attack by delivering a stem cell therapy directly to damaged cardiac tissue. In a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National University of Ireland Galway and Trinity College Dublin reported that the […]
Research & Development
MIT researchers send drug-ferrying nanoparticles across the blood-brain barrier
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated in an animal study that nanoparticles shuttling two different cancer drugs could effectively cross the blood-brain barrier and target tumor cells. The team of scientists evaluated the drug combination in mice that had gliobastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer that is notoriously hard to treat. […]
Gates Foundation looks to develop simple, single-use injection device for global use
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation this week announced it is taking requests for proposals to develop a dual-chamber, prefilled, single-dose injection device for use in remote in-home settings by low skilled healthcare workers and through self-administration. The injection device will be used for the administration of the measles-rubella vaccine in house-to-house campaigns, and for […]
MIT researchers devise single-injection delivery method for polio vaccine
Although most of the world is protected from the polio virus thanks to a vaccine developed decades ago, some countries remain vulnerable to the disease thanks to challenges posed by a vaccine that requires repeat dosing. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology want to change that with a nanoparticle vaccine that can deliver multiple […]
NIH launches precision medicine project to collect health data from one million volunteers
The National Institutes of Health will open national enrollment next week for its All of Us research program, aiming to collect health data from at least one million volunteers across the country. The project, which has been in beta for the last year, will request health and lifestyle data from volunteers using online surveys and […]
Study: Propeller’s digital asthma tech informs policy, improves health
Results from a large, real-world study of asthma patients found that digital health technology can improve patient outcomes and inform city-planning policy, Propeller Health touted this month. The company teamed up with local government in Louisville, Kentucky and a nonprofit group to assess how environmental conditions can influence asthma symptoms using connected inhalers and a […]
JDRF tackles insulin consistency, potency at U.S. pharmacies
JDRF is teaming up with the American Diabetes Association and the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to support research evaluating the consistency and potency of insulin purchased at retail pharmacies in the U.S. The group called for proposals from analytical laboratories to assess the activity of insulin in vials and cartridges, looking […]
Mimetas lands $21m for organ-on-a-chip tech
Mimetas said today that it raised $20.5 million in a Series B round from a syndicate of investors in Asia and Europe. The Netherlands-based company intends to use its newly-acquired funds to support global commercialization efforts for its OrganoPlate organ-on-a-chip drug-testing platform. Mimetas added that it hopes to broaden its product portfolio and establish tissue […]
AstraZeneca taps Owlstone’s breath biopsy device to identify asthma, COPD biomarkers
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) inked a deal with Owlstone Medical to use the diagnostics company’s breath biopsy device to identify biomarkers for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the companies announced today. Owlstone’s ReCiva breath sampler, which has CE Mark clearance in the E.U., captures volatile organic compounds in a patient’s breath. A VOC profile can […]
Embolx wins $2m NIH grant for pressure-directed embolization therapy
Embolx said today that it landed a $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to fund development of its next-generation Sniper balloon occlusion microcatheter. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based medical device company has developed a drug-delivery system that administers therapies into targeted areas of the body by controlling pressure. Embolx’s Sniper balloon is designed to treat cancerous […]
