National Institutes of Health (NIH)

By exposing mice to a unique combination of light and sound, MIT neuroscientists have shown that they can improve cognitive and memory impairments similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s patients. At left, the mouse cortex shows a reduction in amyloid plaques following visual and auditory stimulation, compared to the untreated mouse at right.

Brain wave stimulation may improve Alzheimer’s symptoms

Noninvasive treatment improves memory and reduces amyloid plaques in mice.

March 14, 2019

Most pills and capsules, whether over-the-counter or prescription, include components other than the actual drug. A new study shows those components are made of ingredients that can cause allergic reactions or irritations in certain patients.

“Inactive” ingredients may not be, study finds

Most pills contain compounds with potential to cause allergic reactions or discomfort in some patients.

March 13, 2019

A representative prototype of a gastric resident device researchers have created to slowly release antibiotics in a patient's stomach over time.

Reducing the burden of tuberculosis treatment

Drug delivery system would allow patients to switch from daily to monthly doses.

March 13, 2019

The experimental setup used to study the behavior of spider dragline silk. The cylindrical chamber at center allowed for precise control of humidity while testing the contraction and twisting of the fiber.

Spider silk could be used as robotic muscle

Unusual property of the ultrastrong material could be harnessed for twisting or pulling motions.

March 1, 2019

MIT researchers have designed an MRI contrast agent that can detect calcium within neurons, allowing them to closely track brain activity.

New MRI sensor can image activity deep within the brain

Noninvasive measurements of calcium could reveal neurons’ roles in different types of behavior.

February 22, 2019

At left, photoreceptor cells of the retina have undergone severe damage after treatment with an alkylating agent. This damage is exacerbated by the DNA repair enzyme Aag. At right, photoreceptor cells lacking Aag appear normal following treatment with the alkylating agent.

Why too much DNA repair can injure tissue

Overactive repair system promotes cell death following DNA damage by certain toxins, study shows.

February 12, 2019

An MIT-led research team has developed a drug capsule that could be used to deliver oral doses of insulin.

New pill can deliver insulin

Capsule that releases insulin in the stomach could replace injections for patients with type 1 diabetes.

February 7, 2019

MIT researchers found that when they halted cell division in human fibroblast cells, they became abnormally large and then entered a non-dividing state known as senescence (right panel). Untreated, normal-sized fibroblasts are shown at left.

Biologists answer fundamental question about cell size

The need to produce just the right amount of protein is behind the striking uniformity of sizes.

February 7, 2019

MIT biological engineers have developed a way to rapidly measure cell survival rates by growing many cell colonies and imaging their fluorescently labeled DNA.

A better way to measure cell survival

New test rapidly evaluates the effect of drugs and potentially toxic compounds on cells.

February 5, 2019

The ingestible hydrogel device as a small pill can swell to a large soft sphere, and deswell to a floppy membrane.

Ingestible, expanding pill monitors the stomach for up to a month

Soft, squishy device could potentially track ulcers, cancers, and other GI conditions over the long term.

January 30, 2019

Crystal structure of Cas12b (purple) bound to RNA (gold) and DNA (brown).

Scientists engineer new CRISPR platform for DNA targeting

CRISPR team harnesses new Cas12b enzyme for use in eukaryotic cells, adding to the CRISPR toolbox.

January 22, 2019

MIT researchers’ new platform detects and extracts rare circulating tumor cells from live mouse models using a combination of laser excitation and a microfluidic chip.

From microfluidics to metastasis

New platform enables longitudinal studies of circulating tumor cells in mouse models of cancer.

January 21, 2019

Researchers have discovered that full-length introns — that is, those that have been cut out but remain otherwise intact — can persist and carry out useful biological functions.

Revising the textbook on introns

Whitehead Institute researchers uncover a group of introns in yeast that possess surprising stability and function.

January 16, 2019

This image, taken through an optical microscope, shows a cross-section of the tectorial membrane, a gelatinous structure that lies atop the tiny hairs that line the inner ear.

Mechanism helps explain the ear’s exquisite sensitivity

A critical gel-like structure in the inner ear moves according to a sound’s frequency, researchers find.

January 16, 2019

MIT and Arizona State University researchers have created a computer program that can translate drawings of arbitrary shapes into two-dimensional structures made of DNA.

DNA design that anyone can do

Computer program can translate a free-form 2-D drawing into a DNA structure.

January 3, 2019

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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