We are back with the new 'This Week in Science'! Today you will learn about some exciting advancements in cancer research, prosthetics, and brain health. Enjoy!
Breakthrough nanorobots target cancer with precision, reducing tumors by 70%. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have engineered nanorobots capable of selectively killing cancer cells in mice by leveraging a tumor-specific environment. Detailed in Nature Nanotechnology, these nanorobots utilize a hexagonal nanopattern of peptides to induce cell death. However, to prevent indiscriminate cell destruction, the lethal mechanism is concealed within a DNA nanostructure, a technique known as DNA origami. This structure reveals its toxic peptides only in the acidic microenvironment typical of solid tumors, ensuring targeted action. The nanorobot remains inert at a normal pH of 7.4 but becomes active at a pH of 6.5, commonly found around cancer cells.
Experiments in mice with breast cancer demonstrated a significant 70% reduction in tumor growth when treated with the nanorobot compared to a control group. Further research is needed to confirm the efficacy in more complex cancer models and to evaluate potential side effects before human trials. Future investigations aim to enhance the targeting specificity of these nanorobots by attaching proteins or peptides that bind to particular cancer types. The study received funding from several prominent institutions, and the technology is set to be patented.
Source: Nature Nanotechnology
New prosthesis technology unlocks natural walking with advanced neural prosthetics. MIT researchers, in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital, have developed a new neuroprosthetic interface and surgical procedure that enables amputees to walk more naturally. This advancement reconnects muscles in the residual limb, providing proprioceptive feedback, which allows patients to control their prosthetic limbs with their nervous system. In a study published in Nature Medicine, seven patients who underwent the procedure demonstrated significantly improved walking speed, obstacle navigation, and stair climbing compared to those with traditional prosthetics. This method, known as the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface (AMI), preserves natural muscle interactions, enhancing the brain's control over the prosthetic limb.
Patients with AMI surgery experienced less pain and muscle atrophy. The AMI procedure can be applied during initial amputation or as a revision surgery and has been performed on approximately 60 patients worldwide, including those with arm amputations. The study showed that even minimal neural feedback significantly improves the natural control and gait of the prosthetic limb, resembling non-amputee movements. The research team aims to integrate the brain more comprehensively with prosthetics, moving away from reliance on robotic sensors and controllers.
Source: Nature Medicine
Why tackling inflammation in your 20s could protect your brain in your 50s. A recent study from UC San Francisco reveals that higher inflammation levels in young adults, which are linked to obesity, inactivity, chronic illness, stress, and smoking, may lead to reduced cognitive function in midlife. While previous research had established a connection between inflammation in older adults and dementia, this study is one of the first to explore how early adult inflammation impacts cognitive abilities later in life.
The study, published in Neurology, analyzed data from 2,364 participants in the CARDIA study. It found that 21% of individuals with moderate inflammation and 19% with high inflammation performed poorly on tests of processing speed and memory, compared to only 10% of those with low inflammation. Even after adjusting for age, physical activity, and cholesterol levels, these disparities persisted.
Researchers identified that higher inflammation correlated with physical inactivity, higher BMI, and smoking, and they suggested that inflammation’s effects on cognitive function may begin in early adulthood. Dr. Kristine Yaffe, senior author of the study, highlighted that increasing physical activity and quitting smoking could be effective strategies for reducing inflammation and preventing future cognitive decline.
Source: Neurology
Cover image: Deploying nanorobots to cancer tumors may drastically reduce their growth. Image generated with Dall-E (https://copilot.microsoft.com/).
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