Category Health/Medical

Gold nano particle molecule delivers curcumin to cancer cells

Shows promise for breast cancer Rx, the protein/polymer-gold nanoparticle composite, besides being easy to synthesize, can load up with cytoxotic drugs, carry them to malignant cells, and unload them where they can do the most damage with the least amount of harm to the patient.

The hybrid molecule enhances small-molecule loading, sustained release, and increased uptake in breast cancer cells. A/Prof Montclare explained that these abilities make the P-GNP vehicle unique among hybrids. “The protein component has been exclusively developed in our lab; no one else has made such constructs,” she said...

3D Images of Representative Biological Cells Taken with the HT-1. Credit: Copyright KAIST

Researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a revolutionary bio-medical imaging tool, the holotomography HT-1, to view and analyze cells, which is commercially available. Professor Park collaborated with TomoCube’s R&D team to develop a state-of-the-art, 2D/3D/4D holographic microscope that would allow a real-time label-free visualization of biological cells and tissues.

The HT is an optical analogy of X-ray computed tomography (CT). Both X-ray CT and HT share the same physical principle — the inverse of wave scattering. The difference is that HT uses laser illumination whereas X-ray CT uses X-ray beams...

Two neurons of the basolateral amygdala. MIT neuroscientists have found that these neurons play a key role in separating information about positive and negative experiences. Credit: Anna Beyeler and Praneeth Namburi

A new study reveals how 2 populations of neurons contribute to the brain’s inability to correctly assign emotional associations to events, eg those who are depressed often do not feel happy even when experiencing something that they normally enjoy. Learning how this information is routed and misrouted could shed light on mental illnesses including depression, addiction, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

In a previous study, Tye’s lab identified 2 populations of neurons involved in processing positive and negative emotions...

A representation of the surface of the Zika virus is shown. A team led by Purdue University researchers is the first to determine the structure of the Zika virus, which reveals insights critical to the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines. Credit: Purdue University image/courtesy of Kuhn and Rossmann research groups

The Purdue Uni team also identified regions within the Zika virus structure where it differs from other flaviviruses, the family of viruses to which Zika belongs that includes dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitic viruses...