Health News

New way to protect against high-dose radiation damage discovered

Radiotherapy, a common treatment for cancer, is one of the most effective ways to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours. Around 50% of patients with tumours located in the gastrointestinal cavity (liver, pancreas, colon, prostate, etc) receive this type of treatment, which has increased cancer survival rates over the past decades. However, intensive radiation therapy […]

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Magnetic nanoparticles can ‘burn’ cancer cells: Magnetic hyperthermia is still a highly experimental cancer treatment, but new research shows that the therapy is tunable

Unfortunately, cancer isn’t simply a single disease, and some types, like pancreas, brain or liver tumours, are still difficult to treat with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery, leading to low survival rates for patients. Thankfully, new therapies are emerging, like therapeutic hyperthermia, which heats tumours by firing nanoparticles into tumour cells. In a new study […]

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Toilet seat that detects congestive heart failure getting ready to begin commercialization: Researchers developed the seats to measure biometrics during ‘natural’ processes

With 1 million new cases of congestive heart failure diagnosed each year, a revolutionary product is making it easier for hospitals to monitor patients with the condition in the comfort of their own homes. A toilet-seat based cardiovascular monitoring system created by a team of Rochester Institute of Technology researchers aims to lower the hospital […]

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New optical imaging system could be deployed to find tiny tumors: Near-infrared technology pinpoints fluorescent probes deep within living tissue; may be used to detect cancer earlier

Many types of cancer could be more easily treated if they were detected at an earlier stage. MIT researchers have now developed an imaging system, named “DOLPHIN,” which could enable them to find tiny tumors, as small as a couple of hundred cells, deep within the body. In a new study, the researchers used their […]

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Creating more potent cancer therapy using ‘theranostics’

A City of Hope scientist and his colleagues have developed a user-friendly approach to creating “theranostics” — therapy combined with diagnostics — that target specific tumors and diseases. Key to the process are molecules called metallocorroles, which serve as versatile platforms for the development of drugs and imaging agents. City of Hope’s John Termini, Ph.D., […]

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With these nanoparticles, a simple urine test could diagnose bacterial pneumonia: The results could also indicate whether antibiotics have successfully treated the infection

Pneumonia, a respiratory disease that kills about 50,000 people in the United States every year, can be caused by many different microbes, including bacteria and viruses. Rapid detection of pneumonia is critical for effective treatment, especially in hospital-acquired cases which are often more severe. However, current diagnostic approaches often take several days to return definitive […]