Treatment

Scientists have developed a new light-activated “photoimmunotherapy” that could help treat brain cancer. The key is a compound that glows under light to guide surgeons to the tumor, while near-infrared light activates a cancer-killing mechanism.

Nerve damage can result in pain that lasts for years, or even a lifetime. There may be new hope, however, as scientists now report that exposing damaged nerves to a cold needle can cause them to regenerate, drastically reducing pain.

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified two new subtypes of prostate cancer. These new forms of the disease are resistant to usual treatments, but categorizing and studying them could lead to new therapies.

Osteoporosis is characterized by the deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in weak bones that are easily broken. There may be new hope for treating the disease, however, utilizing a naturally occurring hormone.

It's a sad fact that many sea turtles now suffer from fibropapillomatosis, a disease in which tumors grow on various parts of the body. There may be new hope, however, as a study suggests that sunlight exposure could help afflicted turtles recover.

Although kidney stones can be treated with medication, larger ones are often broken up with an endoscopic laser. A new hydrogel is now claimed to be capable of removing even the smallest of the resulting fragments, instead of just leaving them.

If diabetes progresses too far, it can result in a potentially blinding condition known as retinopathy. And while existing treatments are invasive and often painful, there may be new hope in the form of an LED-equipped contact lens.

While it's a good idea to avoid the overuse of antibiotics whenever possible, little else works on severe cases of acne. There may be new hope, however, as recent research suggests that probiotic bacteria could provide an effective treatment.

Ice in and of itself isn't slippery – it becomes slippery when friction causes a thin layer of liquid water to form on top of it. Scientists have now applied that same principle to an injectable medication that could be used to treat osteoarthritis.

For many years now, people in parts of Africa have used a tea made from the leaves of a certain plant to treat malaria. Scientists recently identified the active ingredient, and believe that it could be used in alternative treatments for the disease.

Optogenetics is a very promising technique – among other things, it may one day be used to reduce anxiety, treat addiction, and even reverse blindness. A newly developed device could soon also make it considerably less invasive, and thus more doable.

For many people with arthritic knees, a surgical procedure known as a high-tibial osteotomy (HTO) often brings relief. Thanks to 3D printing technology, however, it could soon be even more effective – and also safer to perform.