Category Biology/Biotechnology

3D printing with a new kind of ink which is containing living bacteria. (Illustration: science animated by Bara Krautz)

A group of ETH researchers has now introduced a new 3D printing platform that works using living matter. The researchers developed a bacteria-containing ink that makes it possible to print mini biochemical factories with certain properties, depending on which species of bacteria the scientists put in the ink. They used Pseudomonas putida and Acetobacter xylinum in their work. The former can break down the toxic chemical phenol, which is produced on a grand scale in the chemical industry, while the latter secretes high-purity nanocellulose. This bacterial cellulose relieves pain, retains moisture and is stable, opening up potential applications in the treatment of burns...

Pancreatic cancer cells, under a microscope. Credit: University of Cincinnati

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine have shown that a new targeted treatment could benefit patients with certain pancreatic tumors by preventing spread of the cancer and protecting their heart from damage – a direct result of the tumor. Higher levels of serotonin among other tumor secretions can cause injury to the valves of the heart over time, leading to cardiac impairment – a condition referred to as cardiac carcinoid disease – in these patients.

These findings, reported in the November 2017 issue of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, could lead to another targeted treatment for patients and prevent the onset of additional complications from their cancer...

Lumbar spine MRI showing vertebra at baseline and three months after treatment. Credit: Radiological Society of North America

The majority of patients were pain free after receiving a new image-guided pulsed radiofrequency treatment for low back pain and sciatica, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Low back pain is an extremely common problem that affects at least 80% of the population at some point in their lifetime. It is the most common cause of job-related disability. Low back pain affects men and women equally.

Most back pain is short-term, but about 20% of people affected by acute low back pain go on to develop chronic low back pain lasting a year or more...

Clusters of B (red) and T (green) lymphocytes in pericardial adipose tissue. Fat-laden cells and connective tissue are stained blue. (Mariaelvy Bianchini; Michael Horckmans/LMU)

The damage caused by a heart attack triggers an inflammatory reaction which degrades the affected tissue. This response is orchestrated by immune cells that reside in the nearby pericardial adipose tissue, as a study by a team of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich shows. Following a heart attack, the innate immune system must kick in fast in order to limit the damage and stimulate tissue repair...