Category Biology/Biotechnology

Egress of sperm autoantigen from seminiferous tubules maintains systemic tolerance

Unexpected connection likely sabotaging vaccines designed to treat cancer. The University of Virginia School of Medicine has again shown that a part of the body thought to be disconnected from the immune system actually interacts with it, and that discovery helps explain cases of male infertility, certain autoimmune diseases and even the failure of cancer vaccines. Scientists developing such vaccines may need to reconsider their work in light of the new findings or risk unintentionally sabotaging their own efforts...

A 3-D printed gel structure lifts and lowers a US dime when alternately exposed to water and DMSO solvent. Credit: © Chenfeng Ke

Using advanced 3D printing, Dartmouth College researchers have unlocked the key to transforming microscopic nanorings into smart materials that perform work at human-scale. Nanomachines can already deliver medication and serve as computer memories at nanometer scale. By integrating a 3D printing technique pioneered at Dartmouth’s Ke Functional Materials Group, researchers may unlock even greater potential for these mini-machines.

“Up until now, harnessing the mechanical work of nanomachines has been extremely difficult. We are slowly getting closer to the point that the tiny machines can operate on a scale that we can see, touch and feel...

Release of platelets in the lung vasculature. Credit: Image courtesy of University of California – San Francisco

Cells in mouse lungs produce most blood platelets and can replenish blood-making cells in bone marrow, study shows. Using video microscopy in the living mouse lung, UC San Francisco scientists have revealed that the lungs play a previously unrecognized role in blood production. The researchers found that the lungs produced greater than half of the platelets in mouse circulation. In another surprise finding, the scientists also identified a previously unknown pool of blood stem cells capable of restoring blood production when the stem cells of the bone marrow, previously thought to be the principal site of blood production, are depleted.

“This finding definitely suggests a more s...

Pocket-sized Retina Camera, no Dilating Required

It’s the part of the eye exam everyone hates: the pupil-dilating eye drops. The drops work by opening the pupil and preventing the iris from constricting in response to light and are often used for routine examination and photography of the back of the eye. The drops sting, can take up to 30 minutes to work, and cause blurry vision for several hours afterwards. Now, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School researchers have developed a cheap, portable camera that can photograph the retina without the need for pupil-dilating eye drops. Made out of simple parts mostly available online, the camera’s total cost is about $185.

“As residents seeing patients in the hospital, there are...