Medical Technology

New Method for Diabetes Detection

A new method to detect diabetes, even before symptoms occur, is being developed by a team of endocrinologists, engineers and microbiologists. A device projects light to the skin which measures levels of blood sugar, or the presence of advanced glycation endproducts. This device is called The Scout. Different wavelengths is flashed to the skin to determine diabetes risk. This will help patients go on a preventive health maintenance program. With this method, diabetes can actually be prevented. It is already being tested in several US hospitals. The new method is expected to cost about the same as existing diabetes testing methods.

Fast, Painless Vaccines

 A painless flu vaccination technique was being developed by spraying viral genes directly through the skin. The vaccines are DNA-based. A few genes from the DNA of the flu virus are used to make a vaccine – the process of which is faster and safer. The vaccine is shot at the skin using a needle-free device. The DNA that gets in contact with the skin cells produces the strong immune response.                                                         

This technique is envisioned to replace the traditional methods of developing flu vaccines wherein chicken eggs are used. The old method takes too long. With the new method, an outbreak may be prevented if suitable vaccines are developed at a shorter time, and are administered to patients before it’s too late.

       

A Catalyst Worth More Than Gold

A new strategy in designing and manufacturing novel pharmaceutical compounds is being developed in the University of Buffalo. A rhodium-based catalyst of 1 gram can produce 10,000 grams of a pharmaceutical product. This catalyst – rhodium metal – is ten times more expensive than gold. It is available only through chemical supply companies.
This new synthesis strategy generated compounds that react to diseases such as cancer, and inflammatory and microbial diseases.
The new method allows a molecule to be transformed from a simple structure to a more complex drug-like material. The resulting compounds are mirror-images, but are closely studied as opposite mirror-images have different biological effects which may be harmful.  

New blood biomarker to predict cancer spread

Recent research came up with a new blood biomarker that has a high accuracy of predicting the spread of prostate cancer to other parts of the body through the lymph nodes. Such spreading of cancer cells are usually not detected by conventional imaging methods like CT scans. This new blood test measures the level of endoglin, a plasma biomarker which was also studied to predict the spread of colon and breast cancer.
The levels of endoglin in the blood were associated with increased risk of cancer cells spreading to the lymph nodes. Each 1ng/mL increase of plasma endoglin increases the risk of cancer spread by 17 percent.

 

Gene therapy normalizes brain function in Parkinson’s patients

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans of the brains of Parkinson’s patients given an experimental gene therapy to improve muscular control showed that the treatment worked and had lasting results.
The study was conducted by researchers from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the Weill Cornell Medical Center in the US. In the study, genes for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) were delivered into the subthalamic nucleus of the brain in a dozen Parkinson’s patients using a viral carrier. The genes were delivered to only one side of the brain to reduce risk and to better assess the treatment.
The results from the brain scan study on the gene therapy patients show that only the motor networks were altered by the therapy. This study demonstrates that PET scanning can be a valuable marker in testing novel therapies for Parkinson’s disease.