The Laser Probe, The iKnife, and The Cutting Edge of Surgery

If the thought of going under the knife fills you with fear, be reassured. No longer is surgery the brutal and hazardous experience faced by our ancestors. Thanks to wonders such as laparoscopy, robotic solutions, and, more recently, the iKnife and the laser probe, surgical intervention is getting safer all the time.

Archaeologists believe that people have been carrying out surgery for up to 11,000 years. Cranial surgery, known as trephination, probably dates back to the Neolithic era. It involved drilling a hole in the skull of a living person.

Speculation suggests it was done to cure disorders such as convulsions, fractures, headaches, and infections. The Ancient Egyptians used the same operation for "letting out" headaches and migraine.

Read more: The Laser Probe, The iKnife, and The Cutting Edge of Surgery

Technological advances make surgery safer and more precise all the time. In robotic surgery, the surgeon
controls the instruments from a console. MRI-guided surgery shows where the tumor is, but the iKnife
can detect its exact borders.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Blood Vessel-Forming Protein Could Offer Alternative to Heart Bypass Surgery

For patients with severe coronary artery disease, heart bypass surgery can reduce the risk of heart attack and improve overall quality of life. Now, researchers report the possibility of a new treatment that may be even more beneficial, without the surgery.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of heart disease in the United States, responsible for more than 370,000 deaths in the country every year.

The condition arises when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, partially or fully blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. This blockage can cause heart attack, angina - severe chest pain - and, over time, heart failure.

While lifestyle changes - such as adopting a healthy diet and regular physical activity - are considered key to improving CAD, some patients may require heart bypass surgery, which can help restore blood flow to the heart.

But, as with all surgery, it has its risks. These include chest wound infection, bleeding, stroke, heart attack, and kidney or lung failure.

Read more: Blood Vessel-Forming Protein Could Offer Alternative to Heart Bypass Surgery

Researchers say the protein AGGF1 could be a promising treatment for coronary heart disease and
heart attack.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Could Regrowing Limbs be a Medical Possibility?

Although the idea of regrowing an amputated limb sounds like science fiction, some experts believe that, one day, it could become science fact. According to recent findings, the answers may be glimpsed in genes that we share with our very distant relatives.

Although humans cannot regrow lost limbs, there is a range of species that can regenerate lost appendages.

These animals include echinoderms, such as starfish and sea cucumbers; amphibians, including the axolotl and newt; and certain fish species.

Although these animals are considered to be far-removed from humanity, because we all evolved from a joint ancestor, we still share large quantities of genetic information.

And, humanity's ability to regenerate has not been completely lost. Although it is now limited to regrowing fingertips and healing wounds, similar genetic mechanisms are thought to be at work.

Read more: Could Regrowing Limbs be a Medical Possibility?

Limb generation may be a long way down the road, but genetic studies give a glimmer of hope.
Axolotls can regrow entire limbs with ease.

Source: medicalnewstoday

'Smart Thread' Enables 3-D Tissue Embedding for Medical Diagnostics

By integrating microfluidic networks, nano-scale sensors, and electronics, researchers have created implantable, thread-like devices that can be sutured through several layers of tissue in 3-D to gather and send diagnostic data wirelessly as it happens.

Writing the journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering, the team - led by engineers from Tufts University in Medford, MA - says the new "smart thread" diagnostic platform could form the basis of a new generation of implantable medical diagnostics and smart wearable devices.

The paper describes the creation of microfluidic threads that can be sutured through several layers of tissue to sample fluid. The network of microfluidic circuits "interface intimately with biological tissues in three dimensions," note the authors.

Read more: 'Smart Thread' Enables 3-D Tissue Embedding for Medical Diagnostics

The microfluidic threads penetrate several layers to sample tissue fluid and channel it to sensing

threads that collect data, such as pH and glucose levels. Electrically conductive threads then

deliver the data to a flexible wireless transmitter that can be sited on top of the skin.

Source: medicalnewstoday

How a single blood test could identify your entire viral infection history

Researchers have created what they say is a "one-stop shop" for diagnosing infections - a test that can determine an individual's complete viral history just by scanning a single drop of blood.

The test, called VirScan, was created by Stephen Elledge and colleagues from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

"We've developed a screening methodology to basically look back in time in people's [blood] sera and see what viruses they have experienced," explains Elledge. "Instead of testing for one individual virus at a time, which is labor intensive, we can assay all of these at once. It's one-stop shopping."

Read more: How a single blood test could identify your entire viral infection history

VirScan can pinpoint past and present viruses in a person's blood by identifying the peptides antiviral
antibodies bind to.

Source: medicalnewstoday

Pancreatic cell transplantation: a breakthrough for type 1 diabetes?

The results of a phase 3 clinical trial are being hailed as a "breakthrough" in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, after finding that transplantation of islet cells - clusters of cells in the pancreas that contain insulin-producing cells - prevented potentially life-threatening reductions in blood sugar among patients with the disease.

Study co-author Dr. Xunrong Luo, associate professor of medicine and surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, says the findings show that islet cell transplantation is a viable treatment option for type 1 diabetes patients who have severely low blood glucose levels, or hypoglycemia.

What is more, the team says the findings suggest islet cell transplantation could eliminate the need for lifelong insulin therapy for people with type 1 diabetes.

The researchers recently published their results in Diabetes Care - a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for around 5% of all diabetes cases in the US. It occurs when beta cells within the islets of the pancreas are unable to produce insulin - the hormone that regulates blood glucose levels by promoting transportation of glucose from the bloodstream to other cells, where it is used for energy.

Read more: Pancreatic cell transplantation: a breakthrough for type 1 diabetes?

The study suggests islet transplantation is effective for people with type 1 diabetes who have severely
low blood glucose levels.

Source: medicalnewstoday