Medicine

A spinning toy meets hydrodynamics and sets point-of-care diagnostics in motion.

The trick to extremely thin supercapacitors with improved performance is spraying graphene ink at an angle.

First-of-its-kind in Singapore, the clinical trial will test a technology that enables specific cell therapy products to be manufactured for use in patients.

A mitochondrial peptide called MOCCI has a surprising sidekick, and they work together to regulate inflammation and immunity, Singapore researchers reveal.

A five-year study in Singapore has highlighted that chronic wounds among patients with diabetic foot ulcers and bed sores led to longer hospital stays.

New national body established to further research insights, improve patient outcomes and create new economic opportunities for the biomedical technology industry.

Scientists in Japan have developed and tested a novel probiotic formulation to control severe diarrhea in calves, ensuring their health and reducing mortality, and in turn reducing economic loss.

A series of studies led by HKBU researchers have revealed that hyocholic acid and its derivatives (collectively known as HCAs), a component of bile acids that facilitate fat digestion, are a promising risk indicator of type 2 diabetes. The strong efficacy of HCAs in regulating blood glucose levels and protecting against diabetes has also been uncovered.

Researchers reveal through a systematic review of 158 articles detailing quality improvements in pediatric intensive care units mainly throughout North America and the U.K. that despite having a median score of 11.0 on the Quality Improvement Minimum Quality Criteria Set, only 17% of them were considered high quality by achieving a 14-16 score, and only 5% cited Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) guidelines for reporting quality improvement works.

Multi-country trial finds low-cost intervention to improve hypertension management in rural communities is cost-effective. Consisting of home visits by community healthcare workers, physician training and coordination with public health care infrastructure, the intervention can be scaled up in low- and middle-income countries.

An ‘eat-me’ signal displayed on cell surfaces requires activation of a lipid-scrambling protein by a nuclear protein fragment.

Professor David Matchar and his team from the Health Services and Systems Research (HSSR) Programme at Duke-NUS bagged two prestigious awards at the International Stroke Conference 2021, held virtually on 17-19 March, 2021.

Through a series of experiments using nasal polyp organ culture and mouse models of restraint stress, researchers unveil relationship between presence of corticotropin-releasing stress hormone and increase in and degranulation of allergy-causing mast cells.

Study shows that antibody longevity varies widely from 40 days to as long as several decades and not everyone who has recovered from COVID-19 is immune from reinfection. Individuals with low levels of neutralising antibodies may still be protected if they have robust T-cell immunity. Blood tests and a computer algorithm suggest annual vaccinations might be needed for some individuals to prevent future outbreaks of COVID-19.

New research from Duke-NUS Medical School, and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research identifies chemotherapy-resistant cancers’ escape mechanism, which offers new anti-cancer treatment options.

The world’s first international online training session utilizing advanced 3D sinus models and a telemedicine system has taken place, highlighting a new mode of medical training in Covid-19 era.

This article is an excerpt from the Hokkaido University research magazine “Tackling Global Issues vol.3 Fighting the menace of zoonosis" (link below).

Osaka City University finds that the chemical sesaminol, naturally occurring in sesame seeds, protects against Parkinson’s disease by preventing neuronal damage that decreases the production of dopamine. In vitro experiments show sesaminol handle oxidative stress in cells by regulating the production of reactive oxygen species and the movement of antioxidants. In vivo experiments reveal that a diet of sesaminol increases production of dopamine and significantly improve motor functions in mice.

A Hong Kong Baptist University-led (HKBU) research team has developed a novel drug which has the potential to become a next-generation treatment for cancers associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV).

Researchers from Tohoku University have developed a biobattery-powered device capable of both delivering large molecule pharmaceuticals across the skin barrier and extracting interstitial fluid for diagnostic purposes.

Osaka City University paves way for liver health by discovering the use of cytoglobin in anti-fibrotic therapy.

A brain enzyme activates dormant neural stem cells, revealing how defects in its gene could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) have jointly developed the Spermine Risk Score which, coupled with the use of a urine test, provides a non-invasive and more reliable method for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In a study conducted by the researchers, about 37% of the patients, who were ultimately found to have no prostate cancer, can avoid undergoing a prostate biopsy procedure.

Researchers from the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have developed a Chinese medicine formula named NeuroDefend that offers a potential novel treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Mouse model experiment results showed that the formula reduces the levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and insoluble hyperphosphorylated-tau protein, which are the major hallmarks of AD, in mice brains. It also improves cognitive function and memory in mice.

Dentists could soon be using a ready-to-use formulation containing an antibiotic and natural healing oils to treat periodontitis patients. The treatment, called PeriodoxTM, was developed by researchers who are members of IIUM Biofilm Interest Research Group (BIG) at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

New ‘armoured’ T cells attack cancer without being suppressed by drugs given to transplant patients to avoid organ rejection.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have discovered a group of neurons in the mouse brainstem that control muscle tone. Inhibiting these neuronal cells caused mice to move during REM sleep, reminiscent of REM sleep behavior disorders. These neurons were also responsible for episodes of cataplexy in a mouse model of narcolepsy; inhibiting them reduced the number of cataplexic bouts. These circuits could thus be a new target for treating these sleep disorders.

Preventing Wnt from hitching a ride may offer new avenue for novel treatments for cancer and fibrosis.

Researchers led by the University of Tsukuba find that drinking two cups of oolong tea a day can stimulate fat breakdown while you sleep.

Investigations of a cellular protein have uncovered a possible link with schizophrenia.