Wake Forest

Human knees are notoriously vulnerable to injury or wearing out with age, often culminating in the need for surgery. Now researchers have created new hybrid bioinks that can be used to 3D print structures to replace damaged cartilage in the knee.

Dopamine and serotonin are brain chemicals implicated in a range of neurological disorders including Parkinson’s and depression. A new tool is offering an unprecedented look at these neurotransmitters in action.

A study tracking the potency of cannabis products found most medical marijuana is stronger than it needs to be for pain relief. The research suggests high THC levels are unnecessary for medical uses and can increase the risk of negative side effects.

To help patch up large wounds that might normally require a skin graft, researchers at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) have developed a new bioprinter that can print dual layers of a patient’s own skin directly into a wound.

Researchers appear to have found a promising alternative to opioid pain killers in the form of a chemical compound called AT-121. With promising results seen in non-human primates, hopes are high the compound will work just as well in people.

Currently, PTSD is usually treated with psychotherapy and antidepressants, but those aren’t always effective. Now a study conducted at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has found that a novel form of treatment reduced symptoms of the disorder by letting patients “hear” their own brainwaves.

Mini lab-grown organs are helpful test subjects for new drugs, but they don’t replicate how drugs affect other parts of the body. Now, researchers at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine have combined several of these organ models into one system, to create a detailed “body-on-a-chip."

Stem cells in rats and mice have been mobilized to form new muscle tissue "in situ" (i.e., in the body), possibly paving the way for similar treatment in people with damaged muscle regions.