Tag: university
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Purdue Spin-Off Designing Customized Synthetic Tissue
8 April 2015. A one year-old company, based on research at a Purdue University biomedical engineering lab, is producing customized biomaterials designed to form into synthetic tissue for drug discovery and toxicity testing. GeniPhys, founded by Purdue biomedical engineering professor Sherry Harbin, aims to further develop the technology, licensed from the university, into engineered tissue…
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Uninsured Patients Paying Far More for Cancer Drugs
8 April 2015. An analysis of cancer drug costs and reimbursement practices shows people without health insurance are paying much more for chemotherapy drugs than people covered under private insurance or Medicare. The team led by pharmacy professor Stacie Dusetzina at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill published its findings in the April issue…
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Algorithms Compute Blood Volume from Video Images
6 April 2015. Engineers from Rice University in Houston wrote a series of algorithms that make it possible to calculate blood volume from facial video images rather than attaching a device to a person’s skin. The team from Rice’s Scalable Health Initiative that examines applications of technology to improve the conduct of health care, published…
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Inexpensive Test Bests PSA for Prostate Cancer Screening
3 April 2015. An inexpensive lab test using gold nanoparticles is shown in a new study to be more sensitive and specific in screening for prostate cancer than the standard prostate-specific antigen or PSA screen. A team from University of Central Florida in Orlando, led by materials science and medical professor Qun Huo, published its…
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Nanoneedles Deliver Therapeutic DNA, Grow Blood Vessels
31 March 2015. A device made of tiny nanoscale needles successfully delivered genetic material that encourages growth of blood vessels in lab animals, in tests of its therapeutic potential. Researchers from Imperial College London in the U.K. and Houston Methodist Research Institute in Texas reported their findings yesterday in the journal Nature Materials (paid subscription…
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Sharp Rise in Livestock Antimicrobial Use Expected
26 March 2015. An international research consortium estimates that global use of antibiotics in livestock is expected to jump by two-thirds by the year 2030, imperiling attempts to overcome antibiotic resistance and posing a threat to public health. The team led by Princeton University environmental researcher Ramanan Laxminarayan published its findings last week in Proceedings…
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University Breeds Genome-Edited Pigs
25 March 2015. Veterinary researchers at University of Maryland successfully bred 18 pigs with their genomes edited by a technique that prominent geneticists recently called for strict guidelines. The university today announced birth of the baby pigs bred by animal sciences professor Bhanu Telugu and faculty research assistant Ki-Eun Park. Telugu and Park applied the…
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Stem Cell Biotech Gains $44M in First Venture Round
24 March 2015. A biotechnology start-up developing a stem-cell technology to replace missing beta cells that produce insulin for patients with type 1 diabetes, secured $44 million in its first venture funding round. Funding for Semma Therapeutics in Cambridge, Massachusetts was led by MPM Capital, with participation by Fidelity Biosciences, ARCH Venture Partners, and Medtronic.…
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Clinical Trial to Test Ketamine to Treat Rett Syndrome
23 March 2015. A clinical trial is planned to test an anesthetic used in surgery as a treatment for Rett syndrome, a rare developmental disorder affecting girls. The trial testing the anesthetic ketamine will be conducted by Case Western Reserve University medical school in Cleveland, funded by a $1.3 million grant from Rett Syndrome Research Trust.…
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Alcohol Ignition Locks Seen Preventing 83% of DUI Deaths
20 March 2015. A statistical projection shows some 59,500 deaths over 15 years could be prevented if new cars in the U.S. had alcohol ignition locks that stop drunk drivers from starting their engines. Medical and transportation researchers at University of Michigan, led by professor of emergency medicine Patrick Carter, published their findings yesterday in…