Health and Wellbeing

Psammaplin A is a naturally occurring chemical found in the sea sponge that has been found to block several components that are involved in the growth and division of cancer cells. Dr Matthew Fucher and his team at Imperial College London have developed a new, and inexpensive way of manufacturing psammaplin A, and is using synthetic variations of the chemical to better understand its anti-cancer properties, which will help them in future efforts to create anti-cancer drugs. Read More

Traditionally, blood pressure is measured using the familiar inflatable cuff and stethoscope on the upper arm. While this method has sufficed for over a century, some people maintain that it is inaccurate – blood pressure in the arm is reportedly higher than at the heart, and not by a consistent, easily compensated-for amount. Because high blood pressure can cause the most damage at the heart and in the nearby brain, it would make sense to monitor it at the heart, too. That's just what a new device designed at the University of Leicester does ... in a roundabout way. Read More

With over 170 languages spoken in the U.S. alone, medical personnel attending an emergency or working in a busy hospital are no doubt often faced with communication problems when trying to dispense treatment. The Phrazer offers a possible solution to this problem. It is billed as the world's first multilingual communication system, where patients provide medical background information, symptoms or complaints with the help of a virtual onscreen doctor speaking in their own native tongue. This information is then summarized into a medical record compatible with all major EMR systems. Read More

Vaccines work by exposing the body to an infectious agent in order to prime the immune system to respond quickly when it encounters the pathogen again. Some vaccines, such as the diphtheria vaccine, consist of a synthetic version of a protein or other molecule normally made by the pathogen, while others, such as the polio and smallpox vaccines, use a dead or disabled form of the virus. However, such an approach cannot be used with HIV because it's difficult to render the virus harmless. MIT engineers have now developed a new type of nanoparticle that could safely and effectively deliver vaccines for infectious diseases such as HIV and malaria, and could even help scientists develop vaccines against cancer. Read More

A new advancement in laser therapy has recently received the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may become the latest tool in removing unwanted fat cells. Osyris Medical has created the LipoControl system for laser-assisted lipolysis – the breakdown of body fats. However, unlike Coolsculpting, LipoControl does not bypass the need for invasive surgery. The system has been specifically designed for use in the operating room, along with laser lipolysis procedures. Unlike common liposuction units, this device is used to accurately zap unwanted fat cells using a laser, which then allows for an easier and cleaner suction out. Read More

For women, the onset of midlife brings with it an array of distressing symptoms related to changes in hormone levels. The risk of dementia increases with age – particularly after the mid-60s – memory loss is a frequent complaint and quality of life is compromised as a result. Using a novel "patchless" patch method of drug delivery, researchers have been investigating whether restoring testosterone levels in older women to those of younger women will improve brain function and ultimately protect against dementia. Read More

A recent study suggests that, at least for worms, free radicals may not be the "bad guys" after all. It turns out that if you are a bacteria-eating worm of the species C. elegans, genetic modifications that raise your free radical levels don't have the negative effect expected, but instead serve to lengthen lifespan. Read More

U.S. company Shoe Care Innovations has launched the world’s first ultraviolet shoe cleaner. The SteriShoe UV Shoe Santizer safely disinfects the inside of shoes by using ultraviolet (UVC) light. It is ideal for people who suffer from athlete's foot (tinea pedis), toenail fungus (onychomycosis), or shoe odor. It has also been recommended for diabetes sufferers and is 100 percent free of chemicals. Read More

Most of us are aware that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US – and globally. But did you know that one in three Americans (36.9 percent) have some form of heart disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and other conditions. By 2030, approximately 116 million people in the United States (40.5 percent) will have some form of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association predicts treatment costs could triple in the next 20 years, from US$273 billion to $818 billion (in 2008 dollar values), if effective prevention strategies are not developed. Read More