Medgadget » Oncology

Single Breath Disease Diagnostics Breathalyzer Detects Disease Thanks to Nanowires (video)

Gene Ostrovsky — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:48:58 +0000

Researchers at Stony Brook University in New York have developed a breath analyzing device that can quickly identify a number of disease marker gases that could be signs of an underlying problem. The technology utilizes single crystal nanowires that are created by electrospinning. The configuration of metal and oxygen atoms in the nanowires defines which molecules are captured by the chip.

Here’s a video report from the National Science Foundation about the research:

In Study, Peripheral IV Catheter Shows Promise in Intravenous Therapy (video)

Brian Klein — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:34:50 +0000

The Powerwand peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheter from San Diego–based Access Scientific has been shown to be an effective alternative to central lines and standard PIVs in a recent study. The power-injectable extended dwell catheter achieved high levels of success in patients requiring long-term intravenous therapy in the peer-reviewed study, which was performed by researchers at the Center for Nursing Research at Orlando Health (Orlando, FL). Published in the Spring 2012 issue of the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA), the study reported a low overall complication rate including lower thrombosis, catheter occlusion, phlebitis, and infiltration than with other reports of complications from studies on PIV outcomes.

The study also reported that, 95% of the time, the device was successfully placed on the first attempt in a population of patients with a history of difficult IV access.

Elekta Agility Beam Shaping Device Cleared in Europe

Gene Ostrovsky — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:21:36 +0000

Swedish company Elekta received clearance in the EU to market its Agility beam shaping system for linear accelerators used in treating tumors.

Elekta claims the new device achieves outstanding precision while shortening treatment time, helping to get more people through therapy.

Clearbridge BioMedics Unveils ClearCell System for CTC Detection

Gene Ostrovsky — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:37:21 +0000

Clearbridge BioMedics out of Singapore has released its ClearCell System for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The system’s core relies on the company’s microfluidic chips, called CTChips, that have tiny crescent-shaped structures that trap CTCs without the use of antibodies.

CTCs captured with the CTChip-S can be immediately stained for identification and enumeration, while those captured with the CTChip-R can be removed for further analysis.

Merit’s 30-60um QuadraSphere Microspheres Cleared in U.S.

Gene Ostrovsky — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:29:46 +0000

Merit Medical received FDA 510(k) clearance for the company’s 30-60um QuadraSphere Microspheres. The tiny embolic devices are used to deprive tumors of blood and oxygen by blocking vessels that lead to them.

The spheres are injected near the tumor and shortly thereafter they expand to up to 64 times their original dry state volume.

Nanosurface Helps Prevent Growth of Breast Cancer Cells

Gene Ostrovsky — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:11:27 +0000

Researchers at Brown University have developed a material that detracts the growth of breast cancer cells near it. The surface is made of poly-lactic-glycolic-acid nanotopographies that have been shown before to inhibit the activities of lung epithelial carcinoma cells.

The researchers believe this technology may help create all kinds of regenerative medicine products and hopefully reduce the amount of chemotherapeutics used in oncology

Vibrational Spectral Microscopy Helps Observe Breast Tissue for Signs of Cancer

Gene Ostrovsky — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:55:33 +0000

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new imaging technique that may help in understanding the development of breast cancer and maybe one day serve as an early screening test that predicts the progression of the disease. Called vibrational spectral microscopy, the method utilizes a laser to detect the vibrational frequency of molecules in a sample.

The technique was tested on a specially created “3D culture” that has physical properties similar to living mammary glands. Because it provides almost immediate results and works with live cells, the new imaging modality may be a hit with both research scientists and clinicians.

DNA Nanorobot Developed for Future Immune Responses Programming

Stanley Darma — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:03:01 +0000

Inspired by the white blood cells of the human immune system, researcher from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have developed a nanorobot made of DNA, which has the potential to target specific cells and trigger responses by delivering molecular instructions. They have reported their findings in Science. The discovery holds great potential for the future, as new types of targeted therapies can be developed using these nanobots.

Shawn Douglas and Ido Bachelet managed to create the miniscule robot using the DNA origami method, which enables to construct complex 3D shapes by folding DNA strands. The nanorobot is basically a DNA barrel, which acts as a container for molecules. The DNA barrel is held shut by special DNA latches, which recognize certain combinations of cell-surface proteins. If it finds its target, the barrel is opened and the content is exposed to the specific target. By using antibody fragments as the contents of the barrel, Douglas and Bachelet were able to make two different types of cancer cells self-destruct.

Treating Pancreatic and Prostate Cancer with LASER Activated Drugs

Gavin Corley — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:42:07 +0000

SpectraCure AB, a Swedish medical device company, has received approval to begin testing the Interstitial PhotoDynamic Therapy (IPDT) system on pancreatic cancer patients in the UK. Photodynamic therapy comprises a light-activated drug and a matching light source. The light-activated drug is administered to the patient prior to surgery and absorbed by the tumor. When light is delivered to the region of the tumor, it activates the light sensitive drug which destroys the cancerous tumor cells through apoptosis or necrosis.

Photodynamic therapy has been around for some time, but is frequently limited in its use to deeper lying tumors due to the poor penetration depth of the light source and difficulties in controlling the dose. SpectraCure’s IPDT system aims to overcome these problems by delivering the laser light source through fiber optic cables which also monitor the dose by feeding back optical data from the treated region.

St. Jude Hospital Shares Pediatric Cancer Genome Project Data Online

Stanley Darma — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:48:16 +0000

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has launched a website for published research results from its partnership with Washington University in the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP). This project aims to sequence the entire genomes of normal and cancer cells from pediatric cancer patients. By comparing differences in the DNA they want to identify genetic mistakes that can lead to cancer in children.

The website, named Explore, is easily accessible and offers detailed visualization of the data that will make it easier to obtain a good overview of all the information. Explore is also designed to make it easier to search published results from the PCGP.