Health

An easy way to make millirobots by coating objects with a glue-like magnetic spray was developed in a joint research led by a scientist from City University of Hong Kong (CityU). Driven by the magnetic field, the coated objects can crawl, walk, or roll on different surfaces. As the magnetic coating is biocompatible and can be disintegrated into powders when needed, this technology demonstrates the potential for biomedical applications, including catheter navigation and drug delivery.

A research team, affiliated with the Korea Genomics Center (KOGIC) at UNIST has released data from the initial phase of the Korean Genome Project (Korea1K), including information describing 1,094 whole genomes, along with 79 quantitative clinical traits.

A research team, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has succeeded in unveiling the principle behind the changing sleep patterns, according to the ambient temperature, through the use of Drosophila as a model of sleep.

Cancer is a disease driven by mutations that alter the way biochemical signals control cell growth, division and migration. Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School found out that, like Goldilocks, cancer is very picky about getting rapid growth just right.

A research team, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has succeeded in generating bipotential self-renewing iVPCs by direct lineage conversion.

A research team, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) established an advanced direct conversion strategy to generate iMNs from human fibroblasts in large-scale with high purity, thereby providing a cell source for treatment of SCI.

A repetitive DNA sequence that causes health risks when it malfunctions can now be watched inside living cells using a synthetic tool

A Duke-NUS Medical School study finds that new labels may be needed to help consumers make healthier food purchases.

A Singapore study finds patients with chronic kidney disease need tailored nutrition guidance, as well as better communication with doctors and family support, to empower them to manage their condition.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit on 6th November 2020.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (10 November 2020) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has partnered with leading healthcare knowledge provider, the BMJ, to launch a new online coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Information Centre for healthcare professionals tackling the pandemic.

Testing for mutations in RNF43, a protein that affects key cancer cell-growth pathway Wnt, gives clinicians actionable insights to tailor treatments better.

Innovative research by scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School has shed light on the mysterious role of long non-coding RNAs in the development of pancreatic cancer and suggests potential new targets for precision cancer therapies.

Residents of Kabwe Town, Zambia, have very high blood levels of lead and cadmium, to such an extent that the symptoms of toxicity have been clinically observed.

A recent study, affiliated with South Korea's Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) has proposed a new approach for the highly spatially resolved human health risk assessment of both gaseous and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Regular training enhances your strength, but recovery is equally important. Elastic bandages and compression garments are widely used in sports to facilitate recovery and prevent injuries. Now, a research team from Tohoku University has determined that compression garments also reduce strength loss after strenuous exercise.

Maternal antibodies primed to react to specific allergens can cross the placenta, passing on transiently allergic reactions to offspring, according to new preclinical research from a collaborative study by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. The finding hints at why infants exhibit allergies so early in life and suggests possible targets for intervention.

Scientists have revealed the molecular mechanism regulating the trafficking of lysosomes that increases the invasiveness of radioresistant cancer cells following radiotherapy.

Study confirms bats adopt multiple strategies to reduce pro-inflammatory responses, thus mitigating potential immune-mediated tissue damage and disease. Findings provide important insights for medical research on human diseases.

Scientists have identified key molecules that mediate radioresistance in glioblastoma multiforme; these molecules are a potential target for the treatment of this brain cancer.

In a recent international survey conducted by Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong on children’s well-being, the overall well-being of Hong Kong children aged 12 and 10 ranked the lowest and second lowest respectively when compared with the 35 participating countries or regions. In the 15 aspects of lives, Hong Kong children’s scores on “leisure time use” and “being listened to by adults” are the lowest among neighboring Asian regions.

A high incidence of tooth-related ‘periodontal’ diseases among a sample of Malaysian children with diabetes suggests these conditions should be given more attention, as is the case with other co-morbidities. Periodontal disease is the sixth most common co-morbidity in people with diabetes. Researchers at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) examined 64 children, finding a high prevalence (96.8%) of periodontal disease in those with diabetes compared to those without. More than 6% of the children with diabetes who had periodontal disease were found to have untreated or a severe form of periodontal disease.

Supported by the donation of over HK$35 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) announced the results of the early phase of the CUHK Jockey Club Multi-Cancer Prevention Programme (the Programme) today. Since the commencement of the Programme in 2018, it has already provided screening services to over 3,000 eligible citizens. More than 70% of the participants were diagnosed either with adenoma or advanced adenoma through colonoscopy, while ten persons were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. For those who underwent colorectal cancer screening, almost all of them were willing to be screened for another type of cancer. Subsequently, 15 participants were diagnosed with breast cancer and another 37 participants were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The research team believes that the screening results demonstrated the effectiveness of the “one-stop multi-cancer screening” model and advocates the implementation of this model to the cancer screening programme in the future.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba demonstrate that the hypnotic and teratogenic effects of thalidomide are separable. Thalidomide is a medication with several different effects, one of which is promoting sleep in the context of insomnia. In a new study, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have discovered that thalidomide exerts its hypnotic effects through mechanisms distinct from those for the drug’s notorious teratogenicity. These are striking results showing how thalidomide induces sleep independently of its known effects on the teratogenic cereblon pathway. These findings could be helpful in developing novel thalidomide-like hypnotic drugs without thalidomide’s teratogenic effects. The study was published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Testing self-collected saliva samples could offer an easy and effective mass testing approach for detecting asymptomatic COVID-19.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, many organisations have adopted work from home (WFH) practice for months. A recent survey conducted by Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong reveals that over 80 per cent of respondents prefer WFH for at least one day per week even after the pandemic. More than 70 per cent of respondents said WFH allowed them to have more time to rest while 64 per cent said the practice helped reduce work stress. Conducted by the School of Graduate Studies of LU from 8 to 26 April 2020, the online survey collected valid responses from 1,976 Hong Kong citizens. The objective of the survey was to understand people’s views and experiences regarding WFH.

Drugs tackling chronic myelogenous leukemia have completely transformed prognoses of patients over the last couple of decades, with most cases going into remission. But drug resistance can occur, leading to relapses. Targeting the lipids involved in regulating part of a leukemia stem cell’s life span offers a potential second route to defeat the disease—and solid tumorous cancers as well.

Applying cutting-edge experimental and computational tools to basic science, researchers in Australia and Singapore have discovered a technique that could enable future cell therapies for placenta complications during pregnancy.

A team of scientists has unraveled the molecular mechanism behind one of the causes of colorectal cancer, and a treatment target.

Compared to Minimally Invasive Surgery, Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) represents an advanced less-invasive endoscopic treatment for early gastrointestinal cancer. ESD has significant advantages as an organ preservation surgical treatment, but it is technically challenging with substantial risk of perforation and bleeding. The Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) has been collaborating with researchers from Singapore since 2010 to develop a flexible endoscopic robotic system. This novel system was specifically designed to enhance the safety and efficacy of ESD for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. Using the first prototype flexible endoscopic robot, our team at CU Medicine had successfully performed ESD for treatment of early gastric cancer in 2011. The flexible endoscopic robot is now further redesigned and developed for performing ESD in the colorectum– namely The EndoMaster EASE (Endoluminal Access Surgical Efficacy) System. CU Medicine led the world’s first clinical trial on robotic colorectal ESD using the EndoMaster EASE System which commenced in May this year and has demonstrated satisfactory outcomes thus far. Researchers believe this innovative technology will enhance advanced endoscopic resection and benefit more patients with early colorectal cancer who will require ESD treatment.