New Inhaled Tuberculosis Vaccination Developed

Here you can find an article written by Ms. Susan Jacob* as a guest blogger.

University of North Carolina (UNC) and Harvard scientists have recently teamed up to develop an inhaled tuberculosis vaccine. This vaccine is a godsend for developing countries, as it won't require refrigeration and medical-grade water like the typical vaccine.

Professor Tony Hickey, who teaches at the School of Pharmacy at UNC, tells The Kansas City Star, “This is arguably the first step towards future potential vaccines that elicit greater immunity to tuberculosis." Indeed, third-world countries are still being ravaged by the respiratory illness, which reportedly kills millions of people a year in developing areas.

This new inhalant was created by taking the regular tuberculosis vaccine and changing it into fine powder. Experts from both UNC and Harvard collaborated on this project in the laboratory of David Edwards. Edwards is a professor of biomedical engineering at Harvard. The development of the new vaccine was made possible by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Though the inhalant has yet to be tested on human subjects, guinea pigs have responded well thus far. Scientists have administered the drug to the animals, then exposed them to tuberculosis. Not only did the vaccine work well, it appeared to be even more effective than the regular vaccine injections.

The new vaccine will be administered with a plastic tube, which is reportedly similar to a drinking straw. The inhalant is taken orally, which can pose problems with young children. To combat this issue, a special pacifier may be designed for babies to that the inhalant will be blown into the back of their mouths.

The next step to getting the drug on the market is to begin human clinical trials. Hopefully, the vaccination could be used in South Africa as soon as 2009.

*Susan Jacobs is a teacher, a freelance writer as well as a regular contributor for NOEDb, a site helping students obtain an online nursing degree. Susan invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address susan.jacobs45@gmail.com .

Bioengineering symposium announcement

Bioengineering 08 ,Imperial College, London, Thursday 18 September-Friday 19 September

If you are interested to attend to this symposium or get more information, click here.

Bravo® Catheter–free pH Monitoring System

Use of wireless systems in medical devices brings in most of cases more comfort and less damage to the patient. As an example one can name the Bravo pH monitoring system of Medtronics.

The catheter-free Bravo pH Monitoring System is a pH testing with a capsule that collects pH data and transmits it via radio frequency telemetry to a small external pager-sized receiver worn by the patient.

The ambulatory pH test has long been referred to as the "gold standard" for diagnosing reflux disease. This test provides information about the duration, pattern and symptom correlation of distal esophageal acid exposure from gastro-esophageal reflux(GER).

compared to conventional methods associated with using catheter pH systems, this method:

• Allows patients to maintain regular diet and activities
• Minimizes throat and nasal discomfort
  
• Allows physicians to extend pH data collection to 48 hours — 24 hours beyond the recording capability of conventional catheter systems

more information: click here

A New Fluorescent collagen probe to use on fresh tissue

Collagen is one the important load-bearing components in the body and the collagen structure has a distinct role in mechanical properties of the tissue. One of the challenges today is to visualize the collagen structure in live tissues or fresh tissues without fixing the tissue. It's clear that fixing methods are invasive and may alter the tissue structure. As an example, in tissue engineering experiments, visualization of changes in collagen three dimensional structure is essential for the understanding of collagen fibrils formation and remodeling.

Fluorescent CNA35 collagen probe developed in the laboratory of macromolecular and organic chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, shows much specificity to collagen compared to other existing fluorescent techniques currently used for collagen visualization in live tissues and shows improved details compared to SHG ( second harmonic generation microscopy). However, in my opinion, the tissue should be relatively thin to let the prob perfuse all over the tissue.

The figure shows a mouse carotid artery, (Up) SHG signal of collagen (green), (down) fluorescence signal of collagen probe (green, CNA35-OG488) in a mouse carotid artery recorded at the same focal position obtained with two-photon laser scanning microscopy (15 μm deep)

reference:
High resolution imaging of collagen organisation and synthesis using a versatile collagen specific probe, Journal of Structural Biology
Volume 159, Issue 3, September 2007, Pages 392-399

FP7 Collaborations in the Manufacturing Sector,17-18 th Jan 2008

International Partnering Meeting & Successful R&D Project Preparation for the Second Call for Proposals in the Nanotechnology, Materials and New Production Technologies Programme

Initiate your collaborative project or become a partner in an EU-project
The general aim of the international partnering meeting is to facilitate transnational R&D-collaboration between industry, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and research organisations active in the field of manufacturing and in particular to setup Framework Programme 7 (FP7) projects.

Targeted Audience: European and Swiss representatives from manufacturing industry and related academia; etc.

Deadline to send 5 min presentations: 11 Jan 2008

more detailed information: click here!

Virtual Colonoscopy Procedure for Easier Colon Screening

Numerous patients who need a screening of the colon do not go through the procedure for fear of the procedure. The colonoscopy procedure that is currently available involves inserting a flexible tube with a viewing instrument into the rectum. It requires anaesthesia and there's a remote chance that the colon wall could be perforated by the tube. However, patients now have an easier option with the discovery of a procedure called 'Virtual Colonoscopy'. This procedure, allows computerized scanning of the colon which is more comfortable for the patient. The patient is made to lie down in a computerized tomography (CT) scanner while a small probe is inserted into the rectum so that the colon can be inflated with carbon dioxide gas. The CT scanner then takes 3 dimensional images of the whole colon, which can then be examined for polyps. The patient does not need anaesthesia and the procedure takes only half an hour. However, the procedure is purely diagnostic and if doctors find a polyp, the regular colonoscopy procedure has to be done for removal and assessment of the polyp. Further, cleansing of bowel is still required that most of patients find unpleasant.

reference: Bio-Medecine

upcoming event: the 2007 annual conference of the EPFL chapter of BMES, LAUSANNE,Switzerland

The meeting would be interested for those working in the field of Bioengineering in Switzerland. The conference is organised by the BMES* chapter at EPFL( Swiss federal institute of Technology,Lausanne)

Bioengineering in Academics and Industry:

Meet the two Worlds
31^st October 2007 (9h00 to 14h00)
Deadline for title submission for posters: 20th October

In order to register, simply send your poster title to bmes@epfl.ch before 20^th of October. You don’t need to send any abstracts.

Please note that two cash prizes will be given to the selected posters by our jury.

Program of the meeting is available at http://bmes.epfl.c

For more information please contact bmes@epfl.ch

*: BMES Biomedical Engineering Society

Robotic Therapy Tiles: Playing Your Way to Health

Patients recovering from surgery or injuries may soon be able to physically play their way to a full recovery with intelligent robotic systems that generate specialized games to challenge the human body's abilities.

abilities Henrik Hautop Lund, a robotics and artificial-intelligence professor at the University of Southern Denmark is developing therapy tiles that guide patients through physical routines and help them heal.

Each tile is a miniature robotic system employing neural networks. The system looks like an elaborate, electronic version of Twister. As patients step on or press the tiles with their hands, the tiles give feedback, indicating whether ther pressure is firm enough, or if the user is moving quickly enough. Individuals can use the game alone, or up to four patients can compete against each other in a game. The tiles can be assembled in any configuration on the walls and floor to create an intelligent game space.

reference

Drugless approach that could thin blood during open-heart surgeries

Brigham Young University researchers recently developed a new anticoagulation strategy for use during extracorporeal circulation (ECC) that does not involve systemic administration of heparin, which causes negative reactions in three to 10 percent of surgical patients. "Rather than give something to the patient to prevent coagulation, let's take something out," says BYU biomedical engineer Kenneth A. Solen, who led the study published in the August issue of ASAIO Journal (the journal of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs).

Solen’s team inhibited coagulation by absorbing plasma clotting factors using protamine immobilized on a Sepharose matrix (PSM). In a porcine ex-vivo circuit, plasma was separated from blood via plasmapheresis, passed through a column containing PSM beads, and then returned. After 90 minutes, prothrombin time (PT) was prolonged more than 10 times the baseline and blood clotting Factors I (fibrinogen), II (prothrombin), VIII, and X were decreased more than 90 percent. This state was maintained for 2 ½ hours without any detectable adverse consequences. Within 60 minutes of ECC cessation, PT approached normal levels and hemostasis was restored.

For More readings: Take a look at here.

Source:

Blake Ferguson
University Communications
Brigham Young University

The Venture business plan competetion 2008 Switzerland

"Venture 2008 takes you from business idea to professional business plan and all the way to the financing and founding of a company. The Venture business plan competition takes place every two years and combines a competition, learning events and contact forum in one."

Venture 2008 is an initiative of the ETH Zurich and McKinsey & Company, Switzerland. The Swiss-wide business plan competition supports young entrepreneurs in founding a company.

Experienced coaches support competition participants in the preparation of their business plans and in the search for suitable partners and the necessary capital. Participants also receive feedback from the team of highly qualified jurors. The jurors (approximately 80 people) belong to one of two groups: entrepreneurs, who evaluate the formal and business aspects of an idea, and venture capitalists, who evaluate its financial attractiveness. Jury members also act as coaches. Venture 2008 offers total prize money of CHF 150,000 for the winning business ideas and business plans.

For details of the competion click here.