Medicine

Researchers designed and tested several types of optical sensors that could be placed at the tip of an epidural needle and determined that the best is one that relies on Raman spectroscopy. This technique, which uses light to measure energy shifts in molecular vibrations, offers detailed information about the chemical composition of tissue.

Needles that hit the right mark

New sensor could help anesthesiologists place needles for epidurals and other medical procedures.

August 11, 2016

The Jolt Sensor, a wearable sensor for athletes, detects and gathers data on head impacts in real time.

When to get your head out of the game

Wearable sensor for athletes detects potential head injuries, gathers data on hard hits.

August 11, 2016

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and Indiana University at Bloomington describe a new system that permits database queries for genome-wide association studies but reduces the chances of privacy compromises to almost zero.

Protecting privacy in genomic databases

System helps ensure databases used in medical research will not leak patients’ personal information.

August 9, 2016

A new, portable production system is designed to manufacture a range of biopharmaceuticals on demand. The principal component of the microbioreactor is a plastic chip with microfluidic circuits (green), optical sensors (red and blue circles) for monitoring oxygen and acidity, and a filter to retain the cells while the therapeutic protein is extracted (white circle).

Portable device produces biopharmaceuticals on demand

System would use microbes for manufacturing small amounts of vaccines and other therapies.

July 29, 2016

Researchers at MIT are developing an adhesive patch that can stick to a tumor site, either before or after surgery. The patch delivers a triple-combination of drug, gene, and photo (light-based) therapy via specially designed nanospheres and nanorods, shown here attacking a tumor cell.

Patch that delivers drug, gene, and light-based therapy to tumor sites shows promising results

In mice, device destroyed colorectal tumors and prevented remission after surgery.

July 25, 2016

A new system that can anticipate room assignments and suggest which nurses to assign to patients for C-sections and other procedures provided satisfactory recommendations to nurses 90 percent of the time.

Robot helps nurses schedule tasks on labor floor

System from Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab suggests where to move patients and who should do C-sections.

July 13, 2016

Andrea Campbell, the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and head of the MIT Department of Political Science

How political science can help us solve global health care issues

MIT political scientist Andrea Campbell discusses the impact of equity on health care innovation and outcomes.

July 12, 2016

Image courtesy of the MIT Laboratory for Computational Physiology.

Supporting clinical research with an intensive-care database

Crowdsourcing clinical data from some 40,000 patients could vastly improve research and critical-care decisions.

July 8, 2016

“How lithium acts on the brain has been this great mystery of psychopharmacology,” says Joshua Meisel, an MIT postdoc and lead author of a new study. “There are hypotheses, but nothing’s been proven.”

New clue to how lithium works in the brain

Biologists find a possible explanation for why the drug helps bipolar patients.

July 7, 2016

MIT researchers discovered that certain genes in endometrial cancer are inactivated in only some parts of the tumor. Tumor suppressor ARID1A is expressed in the primary tumor (left, brown staining) but not in its paired metastasis (right).

Study sheds light on role of mutations in metastasized cancer

Researchers identify genes that mutate in endometrial cancer, create a family tree describing the evolutionary history of the disease.

July 5, 2016

Mapping molecular neighborhoods

Associate Professor Ernest Fraenkel uses biological network modeling to identify new targets for disease.

July 5, 2016

A new report, “Convergence: The Future of Health,” draws on insights from scientists and researchers across academia, industry, and government. The cover of the report is an image of lungs, one of the major sites of metastasis. To help protect the lungs (blue) from this deadly process, bioengineers have created microscopic drug depots (red) to focus the effect of anti-cancer drugs that may hav...

A strategy for “convergence” research to transform biomedicine

Report calls for more integration of physical, life sciences for needed advances in biomedical research.

June 23, 2016

Gene circuits in live cells can perform complex computations

Technique combines analogue and digital processes in engineered cells.

June 3, 2016

Cara Lai, MIT Class of 2016, is double-majoring in literature and mechanical engineering.

Powered by literature on her way toward an MD

Senior Cara Lai cites MIT Literature studies as key to her preparation for medical practice.

June 1, 2016

A Massachusetts General Hospital surgeon demonstrates the Lincoln Laboratory’s near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF) system.

Glowing tumors light a path to cancer treatment

Mechanism developed at MIT and Massachusetts General Hospital shows promising results for improved ovarian cancer detection and removal.

May 20, 2016

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