Lab-grown blood vessels
For kidney dialysis patients ongoing use of needles damages blood vessels, but a new project has created lab-grown blood vessels that can replace damaged tissue according to Gizmag Emerging Technology.
Duke University, Yale University and the tissue engineering company Humacyte, teamed up to grow the bioengineered vessels in the lab. The vessels were implanted into 60 patients who require dialysis due to kidney failure, with results suggesting they perform better than synthetic alternatives.
Since the vessels have no living cells, the project found that the vessels were not rejected and were 89 percent more durable than skin grafts.
The technique is still in its experimental phase.
Snail molecule treats cancer?
A molecule from the humble sea snail egg has performed well in tests to destroy cancer cells.
Researchers at the University of Wollongong, Australia, found a new type of molecule that can kill 100 percent of drug-resistant cancer cells in 48 hours. Many cancer cells of the blood, ovaries, pancreas, for example, become resistant to cancer drugs over time.
Molecules to fight cancer have been taken from egg clusters of sea snails since 2002, but this development is a new process that makes chemicals 1,000 times more effective in killing cancer cells.
If human trials are successful, the drug could be available in five to 10 years, according to lead researcher Kara Perrow.
Diabetic socks
A new sock is designed to measure pressure on a diabetic's feet, which often have limited feeling.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are developing the machine-washable socks that contain tiny sensors that detect pressure. The sensors communicate with a smartphone.
The socks are still in the development phase.
