Medical

The installation of a cochlear implant is a tricky procedure, in which certain nerves may be damaged if the surgeon isn't careful. A new "smart" surgical drill is designed to help, by automatically shutting off if it gets too close to those nerves.

Scientists investigating the potential of a non-invasive laser therapy to improve cognitive function have demonstrated an ability to boost short-term memory in human subjects by targeting specific regions of the brain.

Immune suppression can help relieve symptoms of autoimmune diseases, but it can cause complications. A new nanoparticle therapy selectively targets problematic immune cells, and was able to significantly delay and even prevent arthritis in mice.

New research has reported successful early tests for an electronic nose system designed to sniff out prostate cancer biomarkers in urine. The technology follows earlier research that found trained sniffer dogs can accurately detect prostate cancer.

Intestinal glucose levels are a major indicator of gastrointestinal health, and the current method of measuring them involves putting a catheter down the patient's throat. Soon, however, a swallowable "smart pill" could do the job less intrusively.

Scientists at Columbia University are reporting an exciting advance in obesity treatment, demonstrating how positively-charged nanomaterials can be injected into unhealthy fat to return it to a healthy state.

We hear a lot about artificial hips and knees, but finger joints? They do exist, but their fit and functionality is limited. Germany's Fraunhofer research group aims to change that, with artificial finger joints that are 3D-printed for each patient.

Scientists at Yale University have uncovered an overlooked mechanism that may be behind the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The team points the finger at small swellings on axons near plaques that build up in the brain, suggesting new drug targets.

Chronic diabetic skin wounds are notoriously slow to heal, sometimes becoming so infected that amputations are required. A newly identified polymer could help keep that from happening, by radically boosting the healing process.

Immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment, but getting it to work against solid tumors is difficult. A new study has not only identified a drug that’s effective against solid tumors, but may have uncovered a reason that immunotherapy often fails.

Studies continue to illuminate the wide-ranging benefits of physical activity when it comes to brain health, and new research has shown how that might include treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The brain’s natural defenses can make tumors in this part of the body difficult to treat, but scientists have found some early success using electrical fields in laboratory models that led to the selective death of tumor cells.

Chronic wounds such as diabetic skin ulcers can be very slow to heal, potentially leading to amputations or sometimes even death. A new bandage could speed their healing by delivering electrical stimulation, but only as needed.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered a blood biomarker that signals the presence of myocarditis. It's hoped the discovery will lead to a rapid blood test to catch this deadly and difficult-to-diagnose inflammatory heart condition.

A study has shed important light on migraine development by leveraging cutting-edge imaging technology to gain a new perspective on structures in the brain, which revealed enlarged spaces around the blood vessels in people suffering the condition.