Strength of repaired cruciate ligament can be evaluated using new imaging process

A new imaging technique using magnetic resonance tomography can evaluate precisely both the load-bearing capacity of the "new" cruciate ligament and the risk of a renewed rupture. 8 Mar 2015

Nanoparticles release drugs only at the site of lung cancer 
German scientists have developed nanoparticles that release drugs only in the presence of lung tumour cells in human and mouse lungs. 8 Mar 2015

Eye-tracking device measures severity of concussion and brain injury
A novel eye-tracking device can effectively measure the severity of concussion or brain injury in patients presenting to emergency departments following head trauma. 12 Feb 2015

The 'Angelina Jolie effect' caused surge in women testing for breast cancer gene
Testing for the BRCA 1 gene mutation soared by nearly 40% in the week that Angelina Jolie announced that she had chosen to have a double mastectomy because she carried the gene, according to a new AARP Public Policy Institute study. 13 Feb 2015

New pentagonal form of carbon could outperform graphene
A new structural variant of carbon called penta-graphene is a semiconductor and has physical properties that could outperform graphene, according to researchers from the US, China and Japan. The newly discovered material is a single layer of carbon pentagons and appears to be dynamically, thermally and mechanically stable. 5 Feb 2015

Added fructose in foods is worse than other sugars in driving diabetes
Eating foods with added fructose-containing sugars results in higher risk of suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular disease according to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 10 Feb 2015

3D printed model of child's heart helps surgeon plan life-saving heart surgery
A cardiac surgeon at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has used a 3D printed replica of a heart (image below left) to plan a life-saving procedure for a young patient born with a rare heart defect.

Biomedical engineer Dr Robert Langer wins Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering
Dr Robert Langer, a David H. Koch Institute Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT, has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. A chemical engineer by training, Prof Langer was the first person to engineer polymers to control the delivery of large molecular weight drugs for the treatment of diseases.

First map of all known proteins in human body is goldmine for drug discovery
The Human Protein Atlas is an open source interactive map showing all the known proteins in the human body and how they are distributed in tissues and organs. It gives a detailed picture of the proteins that are linked to cancer and the targets for all approved drugs on the market.

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Features and Opinions

Applying big data analytics to improve patient-centric care
The changing economic, regulatory, technological and healthcare environment has given rise to a strategic shift from product and physician-centric strategies to a ‘patient centric’ approach. Sumit Prasad of Mu Sigma discusses the opportunities of this shift for the pharmaceutical sector. 7 Jan 2015

The barriers to tapping into Big Content and how to overcome them
The healthcare sector, like every other industry, is creating not just more data, but ever increasing amounts of information on diagnoses, treatment options, new medications, trials and research, as well as general health factors. Jeremy Bentley, Chief Executive of Smartlogic takes a look at the problems of making use of the unstructured side of Big Data.

How Big Data is being used in healthcare today
We are being bombarded from all directions with information about "Big Data" and how it will change our lives, especially as it pertains to our health. But what is Big Data, and how is it actually being used in the healthcare system today, asks Uri Laserson, Data Scientist, Cloudera.

Protecting critical healthcare data in the era of Big Data
The Internet of Things, Big Data and cloud storage have transformed the way in which data is accessed, processed and stored. As a result, the pressure is on for all organisations to develop a data-centric security approach. By Martin Sugden, Managing Director, Boldon James.