29th Sci-Tech Festival of Kim Il Sung University Held

Pyongyang, March 19 (KCNA) -- The 29th Science and Technology Festival of Kim Il Sung University took place here on March 11-14.

On display at the festival, divided into discussion and exhibition of sci-tech achievements and exchange of new technologies, were at least 290 research findings and papers on latest science and technology and scores of new technologies and intellectual products in forms of model, diagram and CD, all of them which are conducive to the development of the basic science and the building of an economic power.

What was eye-catching are achievements presented by the IT Institute, the Nano Technology Institute and the Material Science Faculty of the university. Among them are a titanic ceramic tool, computer programs for ensuring video meeting in real time and putting the production and economic management on an IT basis, and functional nano powder materials.

The titanic ceramic tool is able to process high-intensity structural steel, and it is 2-3 times higher in cutting efficiency and twice longer in serviceable time than the hard alloy tool. Functional nano powder materials are of economic significance in the fields of medicine, food and consumer goods industries and agriculture for their use in the state of solid or liquid.

Pyongyang Medical College and Pyongyang Agricultural College under the university, too, presented tens of research findings, including biological medicines, a method of processing rice seed-covering material and an apparatus for measuring hydrogen exponent and water content of soil.

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29th Sci-Tech Festival of Kim Il Sung University Held

Photonics And The Future Of Medicine

By Clinton Shaffer

Photonics West serves as the perennial indicator of market trends for the photonics and optics industries. At this years event, held last month in San Francisco, one of the pervasive themes I observed at both the technical conference and the exhibition was the increasing role photonics and optics are playing in the development of advanced biomedical technologies. That trend is poised to continue well into the future.

I touched on this topic in my article Executive Perspectives On The World Of Optics And Photonics, which recapped a special panel session held during Photonics West 2014. The majority of the C-level panelists representing some of the most prominent technology providers in the industry agreed that the medical and life science markets were key to their companies success in 2013 and would continue to be a major area of emphasis moving into 2014.

The strong connection between optics and photonics and the biomedical sector was a theme repeated at many of the booths I visited on the Photonics West exhibit floor. What follows is a sampling of noteworthy new components and systems from the show that are representative of the cutting-edge solutions available to OEMs in the medical and life science industries.

Part of the appeal of photonics technology in the biomedical industry is its ability to miniaturize designs, and Coherents BioRay lasers only 95 mm long and weighing in at less than 70 g are perfectly aligned with that concept. While they were designed for integration into small, point-of-care medical devices, they can also be used as a cost-effective alternative for instrumentation in life science research and diagnostic applications. The lasers low heat output (up to 50 mW) and focusing optics also contribute to easy integration. They are currently available at five visible wavelengths: 405 nm, 450 nm, 488 nm, 520 nm, and 640 nm.

Another interesting Coherent product tailored to biomedical applications was the Fidelity femtosecond fiber laser. Its short pulsewidths (sub-70 fs at 1055 nm) and high-power capacity make the Fidelity ideal for applications in optogenetics, a booming field of research in the biomedical industry. Used in conjunction with a tunable femtosecond laser, the long wavelengths from the Fidelity can be used to activate specific groups of neurons, while the tunable laser interrogates others.

An additional application for Fidelity is second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging for preclinical purposes. The lasers wavelength is long enough for deep tissue penetration, but not so deep that the backscattered SHG is too weak.

The 6-watt LS-6 light source from Excelitasis another compact photonic product designed specifically for healthcare and life science applications. It generates light over a continuous spectrum, providing micro-second duration pulses ranging from UV to IR. Its broad range and high efficiency make it useful for applications like drug discovery, in-vitro diagnostics, proteomics, and absorption analysis, among others.

The LS-6 boasts an enhanced enclosure design, in which the flash lamp, power supply, and trigger circuit all reside within an electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppressant enclosure. In addition, the light source uses Xenon flash lamps, which are associated with high stability (<1 percent CV) and long lifetimes.

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Photonics And The Future Of Medicine

New tech can check whether your medicine is fake

The technology to differentiate between genuine and fake drugs would soon be at your disposal.

The move comes at a time when the domestic pharma industry is battling with issues relating to quality of drugs both within and outside the country.

While India is struggling to monitor counterfeiting, various government departments such as health, fertilisers, education and others are planning to adopt non-clonable identification (nCiD) technology in various projects and products, including medicines.

This technology will not only prevent duplication of identification or packaging, but will also enable consumers and regulatory agencies to test genuineness of a product.

Bilcare, the innovator of the nCiD technology, has licensed the same to public sector enterprises such as the Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL) and Indian Telephone Industries Ltd (ITI) which are implementing it in government as well as private sectors. While the technology is already installed by many of the government departments and agencies such as the Delhi Police and Department of Fertilisers, TCIL is in advance talks with the health ministry to make nCiD labels mandatory on medicines, Bilcare Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer Praful R Naik said.

According to Naik, some private sector companies such as Lupin and Biocon are already using the technology for their exports.

The nCiD technology was also used by the Delhi Police for identity cards for the entire force as well as for other staff deployed during the Commonwealth Games. Besides, other departments such as the Election Commission, National Jute Board and Department of Supplies and Disposals are also evaluating proposals to induct the technology for various purposes.

The nCiD chips comprises nano-micro particles of diverse size of several metals. When a micro quantity of this metal composite is randomly embedded on to the chip's base, it creates a distinctly unique and non-reproducible pattern.

This pattern when scanned with a magneto-optic sensor results in generation of a complex magneto-optic digitised image information, which enables real-time communication through internet or mobile gateways. For instance, once nCiD chips are installed on medicine packs, consumers can access details such as its manufacturing site, date of manufacturing, expiry etc through a nCiD reader available with the chemist.

"Such a unique feature is completely non-reproducible even by the inventors themselves, and hence non-clonable. This unique feature of non-reproducible pattern which can talk and communicate sets the nCiD chip apart from other communicable embedded security measures like smart chips or non-communicable authentication technology," says Naik.

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New tech can check whether your medicine is fake

NanoIsrael 2014: Top Global Researchers & Companies, Achievements in Science and Business, and Potential Investors

TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoIsrael 2014, the 4th international conference & exhibition, which will be held on March 24th-25th , at the TelAviv David Intercontinental Hotel, Israel, will focus this year on innovations and business opportunities in the fields of medicine, materials, defence, electronics, photonics and energy. The event is expected to draw over 1,000 participants from Israel and around the world, including Nano related companies, venture capital experts, institutional and organizational investors, regulators, government decision makers, leading scientists and researchers.

"Israel is recognized as a centre for innovation and research in Nanotechnology, with documented achievements across many business sectors such as energy, water and the environment, aerospace and defense, medicine and biotechnology, electronics and communications," says Nava Swersky Sofer, the conference cochair. "Top companies and researchers from around the world will come to Israel to share their knowledge. The best of Israels achievements in science and business will be presented and potential investors and business partners will attend the event to seek collaborations.

Prof Uri Sivan of the Technion, renowned scientist and the first head of the Russell Berry Nanotechnology Centre at the Technion, is chairing the scientific committee this year, and Rafi Koriat of INNI is the third co-chair.

"We expect a great turnout, as we have had in previous conferences. At the first conference, we had a ratio of 80:20 between academia and industry and slowly but surely this is moving towards the applied arena while keeping the scientific aspects at the highest level and the next generation of developed applications," concludes Swersky Sofer.

NanoIsrael 2014 is held in cooperation with the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI) and the nanotechnology centers at Israeli universities, and is supported by the Ministry of Trade & Industry, the Foreign Ministry, key companies, universities and organizations from Israel and abroad.

The conference site: http://www.kenes.co.il/nano

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NanoIsrael 2014: Top Global Researchers & Companies, Achievements in Science and Business, and Potential Investors

Nano innovation could mean eye injections are a thing of the past

8 hours ago

Drugs used to treat blindness-causing disorders could be successfully administered by eye drops rather than unpleasant and expensive eye injections, according to new research led by UCL scientists that could be a breakthrough for the millions worldwide suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other eye disorders.

1 in 5 people over 75 have AMD with well-known sufferers including actress Dame Judi Dench and author Stephen King. The research findings are significant due to growing patient numbers and an increasing demand for the eye injections that halt the progression of the disease.

The research, demonstrated in animal models and published today in nanotechnology journal Small, demonstrates that it is possible to create formulations of tiny nanoparticles loaded with the AMD drug Avastin and deliver significant concentrations to the back of the eye. Lead author Professor Francesca Cordeiro (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) said: "The development of eye drops that can be safely and effectively used in patients would be a magic bullet a huge breakthrough in the treatment of AMD and other debilitating eye disorders.

"The current treatment of injecting drugs into the eye is uncomfortable, detested by patients and often needs repeated monthly injections in hospital for as long as 24 consecutive months. It's impossible to exaggerate the relief patients would feel at not having to experience injections into their eyes."

The NHS is currently overburdened with patients who need repeat eye injections and the numbers are set to rise exponentially over the next ten years. Demand is so high that injections are difficult to administer, time-consuming and very expensive. The treatment also carries a risk of infection and bleeding, increased by the frequency of recurrent injections into the eyes. In the USA, well over one million ocular injections were given in 2010. In the UK, 30,500 injections were estimated to have been given in 2008 a 150-fold increase in 10 years.

Effective delivery of drugs to the retina of the eye is considered one of the most challenging areas in drug development in ophthalmology, due to the presence of anatomical barriers. It was previously thought that drugs used to treat AMD such as Avastin and Lucentis have molecules that are simply too large to be effectively transported in an eye drop.

First author Dr Ben Davis (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) added: "There is significant interest in the development of minimally invasive systems to deliver large drug molecules across biological barriers including the cornea of the eye.

"We have shown in experimental models a formulation system to get substances including Avastin across the barriers in the eye and transport them across the cells of the cornea. In theory, you could customise the technology for different drugs such as Lucentis, commonly used for AMD treatment in the UK, as it is a smaller molecule than Avastin so likely to be delivered effectively via this method.

"All the components we used are safe and well established in the field, meaning we could potentially move quite quickly to get the technology into trials in patients but the timescales are dependent on funding." The paper includes functional data showing that the avastin administered stops the blood vessels from leaking and forming new blood vessels, the basis for wet AMD.

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Nano innovation could mean eye injections are a thing of the past

Research tests which nano system works best cancer treatment

17 hours ago by M.b. Reilly View of iron-oxide nanoparticles embedded in a polystyrene matrix as seen via a transmission electron microscope. These nanoparticles, when heated, can be applied to cancer cells in order to kill those cells.

(Phys.org) In current research related to improving cancer treatments, one promising area of research is the effort to find ways to selectively pinpoint and target cancer cells while minimizing effects on healthy cells.

In that effort, it's already been found in lab experiments that iron-oxide nanoparticles, when heated and then applied specifically to cancer cells, can kill those cells because cancer cells are particularly susceptible to changes in temperature. Increasing the temperature of cancer cells to over 43 degrees Celsius (about 109 degrees Fahrenheit) for a sufficient period of time can kill those cells.

So, a University of Cincinnati-led team along with researchers at Iowa State University, the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University recently conducted experiments to see which iron-oxide nanoparticle configurations or arrangements might work best as a tool to deliver this killing heat directly to cancer cells, specifically to breast cancer cells. The results will be presented at the March 3-7 American Physical Society Conference in Denver by UC physics doctoral student Md Ehsan Sadat.

In systematically studying four distinct magnetized nanoparticle systems with different structural and magnetic properties, the research team found that an unconfined nanoparticle system, which used an electromagnetic field to generate heat, was best able to transfer heat absorbed by cancer cells.

So, from the set of nano systems studied, the researchers found that uncoated iron-oxide nanoparticles and iron-oxide nanoparticles coated with polyacrylic acid (PAA) both of which were unconfined or not embedded in a matrix heated quickly and to temperatures more than sufficient to kill cancer cells.

Uncoated iron-oxide nanoparticles increased from a room temperature of 22 degrees Celsius to 66 degrees Celsius (about 150 degrees Fahrenheit).

Iron-oxide nanoparticles coated with polyacrylic acid (PAA) heated from a room temperature of 22 degrees Celsius to 73 degrees Celsius (about 163 degrees Fahrenheit.)

The goal was to determine the heating behaviors of different iron-oxide nanoparticles that varied in terms of the materials used in the nanoparticle apparatus as well as particle size, particle geometry, inter-particle spacing, physical confinement and surrounding environment since these are the key factors that strongly influence what's called the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), or the measured rate at which the human body can absorb energy (in this case heat) when exposed to an electromagnetic field.

According to Sadat, "What we found was that the size of the particles and their anisotropic (directional) properties strongly affected the magnetic heating achieved. In other words, the smaller the particles and the greater their directional uniformity along an axis, the greater the heating that was achieved."

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Research tests which nano system works best cancer treatment

Optical nano-tweezers take over the control of nano-objects

19 hours ago The image on the left is an electron beam microscopy image of the extremity of the plasmon nano-tweezers. The image on the right is a sketch illustrating the trapping of a nanoparticle in the bowtie aperture. Credit: Institute of Photonic Sciences

As science and technology go nano, scientists search for new tools to manipulate, observe and modify the "building blocks" of matter at the nanometer scale. With this in mind, the recent publication in Nature Nanotechnology in which ICFO researchers demonstrate for the first time the ability to use near-field optical tweezers to trap a nano-size object and manipulate it in the 3 dimensions of space, is an exciting achievement. Romain Quidant, ICREA Professor and leader at ICFO of the Plasmon Nano-Optics research group comments that "this technique could revolutionize the field of nanoscience since, for the first time, we have shown that it is possible to trap, 3D manipulate and release a single nano-object without exerting any mechanical contact or other invasive action".

Imagine an elephant trying to grab an object the size of a needle with its gigantic hoof? Clearly this would be a tremendous if not impossible challenge because of the elephant's enormous size in comparison to that of the needle. Now imagine that our needle is a single molecule or tiny object about the size of a few nanometers and we, with our conventional tools, need to trap it and manipulate it in in order to, for example, understand its implication in the development of a disease. We have the same problem, first because a conventional optical microscope is not capable of visualizing a single molecule and second, because the physical limitations of our conventional tweezers are simply not capable of grasping or manipulating such small objects.

Invented in Bell Labs in the 80's, the original optical trapping demonstrated great capability to trap and manipulate small objects of micrometer size dimensions using laser light. By shining a laser light through a lens, it is possible to focus light in a tiny spot, creating an attractive force due to the gradient of the light intensity of the laser and thus attracting an object/specimen and maintaining it in the spot/focus.

While Optical tweezers have changed forever the fields of both biology and quantum optics, the technique has considerable limitations, one of which being its inability to directly trap objects smaller than a few hundreds of nanometers. This drawback prompted the pursuit of new approaches of nano-tweezers based on plasmonics, capable of trapping nano-scale objects such as proteins or nanoparticles without overheating and damaging the specimen. A few years ago, ICFO researchers demonstrated that, by focusing light on a very small gold nano-structure lying on a glass surface which acts as a nano-lens, one can trap a specimen at the vicinity of the metal where the light is concentrated. This proof of concept was limited to demonstrate the mechanism but did not enable any 3D manipulation needed for practical applications.

Now researchers at ICFO have taken this a crucial step further by implementing the concept of plasmonic nano-tweezers at the extremity of a mobile optical fiber, nano-engineered with a bowtie-like gold aperture. Using this approach, they have demonstrated trapping and 3D displacement of specimens as small as a few tens of nanometers using an extremely small, non-invasive laser intensity. Central to the great potential of this technique is that both trapping and monitoring of the trapped specimen can be done through the optical fiber, performing the manipulation of nano-objects in a simple and manageable way outside of the physics research lab.

This technique opens a plethora of new research directions requiring non-invasive manipulation of objects at the single molecule/virus level. It is potentially attractive in the field of medicine as a tool to further understand the biological mechanisms behind the development of diseases. Likewise, it holds promise in the context of nanotechnologies to assemble future miniature devices, among other exciting potential applications.

Explore further: An optical switch based on a single nano-diamond

More information: Nature Nanotechnology DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2014.24

Journal reference: Nature Nanotechnology

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Optical nano-tweezers take over the control of nano-objects

Top Nanotechnology Expert Joins UVA

Charlottesville, VA (PRWEB) February 27, 2014

Recognizing the potential of microscopic nanotechnology to revolutionize the field of medicine, the University of Virginia has recruited one of the nations top experts to serve as co-director of the Institute for Nanoscale and Quantum Scientific and Technological Advanced Research (nanoSTAR). In his new role, Mark Kester, PhD, will seek to foster cutting-edge interdisciplinary research at UVA that will produce important medical breakthroughs and transform how medicine is practiced in the 21st century.

Kesters hiring will bolster the School of Medicines involvement in nanoSTAR, a pioneering program that brings together researchers from across the university, including the School of Engineering & Applied Science, the Curry School of Education, the Darden School of Business and the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Stu Wolf, PhD, director of nanoSTAR, said Kesters arrival will advance the groups mission of using nanotechnology to accomplish the previously impossible. As the new co-director of nanoSTAR, Dr. Mark Kester brings a key new dimension to our institute, Wolf said. His connection to nano-medicine and the medical school will enable nanoSTAR to move forward on many new fronts of great importance to nanoscience, nanotechnology and of course UVA.

Transforming Cancer Care Kesters work focuses on the use of nanotechnologies to deliver drugs for cancer treatment. By coating microscopic amounts of drugs or molecular agents in nontoxic wrappers, treatments that would otherwise be harmful or deadly to a patient can be administered and directed to just where theyre needed.

Nanos allow us to protect and package the therapeutic and deliver it stealthily, Kester said. Basically, I design FedEx trucks. Theyre designed to deliver on time, all the time, to the tumor.

Past and Future Kester comes to UVA from the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, where he was the G. Thomas Passananti Professor of Pharmacology and the inaugural director of the Penn State Center for NanoMedicine and Materials. He has founded several companies devoted to the development of what he calls nanoSolutions. Hes also co-author of the lauded Integrated Pharmacology textbook.

In his new role at nanoSTAR, Kester said, he aims to expand the research interactions between engineers and scientists, while also fostering collaborations with the College of Arts & Sciences, Darden, the Curry School and the School of Law. These collaborations would explore the many ethical, legal, commercial and intellectual issues associated with nanotech. He also intends to enhance the role of nanotechnology applications in the School of Medicines curriculum.

In addition to his role with nanoSTAR, Kester will serve as a professor of pharmacology at the School of Medicine.

For Reporters: Kester will be available for interviews this morning. To arrange an interview, contact Josh Barney at 434.906.8864 or jdb9a(at)virginia(dot)edu.

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Top Nanotechnology Expert Joins UVA

Concise Analysis of the International Biochips and Microarrays Market

DUBLIN, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets

(

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2cs339/biochips_and

) has announced the addition of a new report

"Concise Analysis of the International Biochips and Microarrays Market"

to their offering.

(Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130307/600769)

This report is an analysis of biochip/microarray markets based on technologies and applications. The report starts with a description of technologies as a basis for estimation of markets. Technologies include array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), copy number variation (CNV), DNA methylation, ChIP-Chip, RNA splice variants, and microRNA. Separate chapters are devoted to protein biochips/microarrays, microfluidics and nanobiotechnology-based nano-arrays.

Various applications of biochips and microarrays are described throughout the report. Areas of application such as point-of-care, genetic screening, cancer, and diagnosis of infections are included. Separate chapters are devoted to applications in drug discovery and development as well as personalized medicine

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Concise Analysis of the International Biochips and Microarrays Market

global nano medicine market – Research Papers – Inwithabhi

Brochure More information from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/2617729/

Global Nanomedicine Market 2012-2016 Description:

The analysts forecast the Global Nanomedicine market to grow at a CAGR of 12.57 percent over the period 2012-2016. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the emergence of nanorobotics. The Global Nanomedicine market has also been witnessing the increasing use of novel nanomaterials. However, lengthy approval procedures could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. The report, the Global Nanomedicine Market 2012-2016, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market in the Americas, and the EMEA and APAC regions; it also covers the Global Nanomedicine market landscape and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market. The key vendors dominating this space include Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Celgene Corp., GlaxoSmithKline plc, and Pfizer Inc. The other vendors mentioned in this report are Ablynx NV, Acusphere Inc., Aphios Corp., Arrowhead Research Corp., BioForce, Nanosciences Holdings Inc., Bio-Gate AG, Biophan Technologies Inc., BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc., CombiMatrix Corp., Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc., GE Healthcare Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., IDEX Corp., IGI Laboratories Inc., Kereos Inc., Kimberly-Clark Corp., MIV Therapeutics Inc., Nanobiotix S.A., NanoCarrier Co. Ltd., Nanogen Inc., NanoLogix Inc., NanoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc., Nanotherapeutics Inc., NanoViricides Inc., Paladin Labs Inc., pSivida Corp., Qiagen N.V., Roche Holding AG, Skyepharma PLC, Smith & Nephew plc, Starpharma Holdings Ltd., Stryker Corp., and Tecan Group Ltd. Key questions answered in this report: - What will the market size be in 2016 and what will be the growth rate? - What are key market trends? - What is driving... [continues]

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global nano medicine market - Research Papers - Inwithabhi

Magnetic Medicine: Nanoparticles target cancer-fighting immune cells

Using tiny particles designed to target cancer-fighting immune cells, Johns Hopkins researchers have trained the immune systems of mice to fight melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. The experiments, described on the website of ACS Nano on February 24, represent a significant step toward using nanoparticles and magnetism to treat a variety of conditions, the researchers say.

"Size was key to this experiment," says Jonathan Schneck, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of pathology, medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Institute for Cell Engineering. "By using small enough particles, we could, for the first time, see a key difference in cancer-fighting cells, and we harnessed that knowledge to enhance the immune attack on cancer."

Schneck's team has pioneered the development of artificial white blood cells, so-called artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs), which show promise in training animals' immune systems to fight diseases such as cancer. To do that, the aAPCs must interact with immune cells known as naive T cells that are already present in the body, awaiting instructions about which specific invader they will battle. The aAPCs bind to specialized receptors on the T cells' surfaces and "presenting" them with distinctive proteins called antigens. This process activates the T cells, programming them to battle a specific threat such as a virus, bacteria or tumor, as well as to make more T cells.

The team had been working with microscale particles, which are about one-hundredth of a millimeter across. But, says Schneck, aAPCs of that size are still too large to get into some areas of a body and may even cause tissue damage because of their relatively large size. In addition, the microscale particles bound equally well to naive T cells and others, so the team began to explore using much smaller nanoscale aAPCs. Since size and shape are central to how aAPCs interact with T cells, Karlo Perica, a graduate student in Schneck's laboratory, tested the impact of these smaller particles.

The so-called nano-aAPCs were small enough that many of them could bind to a single T cell, as the team had expected. But when Perica compared naive T cells to those that had been activated, he found that the naive cells were able to bind more nanoparticles. "This was quite surprising, since many studies had already shown that naive and activated T cells had equal numbers of receptors," Schneck says. "Based on Karlo's results, we suspected that the activated cells' receptors were configured in a way that limited the number of nanoparticles that could bind to them."

To see whether there indeed was a relationship between activation and receptor clustering, Perica applied a magnetic field to the cells, causing the nano-aAPCs to attract one another and cluster together, bringing the receptors with them. The clustering did indeed activate the naive T cells, and it made the activated cells even more active -- effectively ramping up the normal immune response.

To examine how the increased activation would play out in living animals, the team treated a sample of T cells with nano-aAPCs targeting those T cells programmed to battle melanoma. The researchers next put the treated cells under a magnetic field and then put them into mice with skin tumors. The tumors in mice treated with both nano-aAPCs and magnetism stopped growing, and by the end of the experiment, they were about 10 times smaller than those of untreated mice, the researchers found. In addition, they report, six of the eight magnetism-treated mice survived for more than four weeks showing no signs of tumor growth, compared to zero of the untreated mice.

"We were able to fine-tune the strength of the immune response by varying the strength of the magnetic field and how long it was applied, much as different doses of a drug yield different effects," says Perica. "We think this is the first time magnetic fields have acted like medicine in this way."

In addition to its potential medical applications, Perica notes that combining nanoparticles and magnetism may give researchers a new window into fundamental biological processes. "In my field, immunology, a major puzzle is how T cells pick out the antigen they're targeting in a sea of similar antigens in order to find and destroy a specific threat," he says. "Receptors are key to that action, and the nano-aAPCs let us detect what the receptors are doing."

"We have a bevy of new questions to work on now: What's the optimal magnetic 'dose'? Could we use magnetic fields to activate T cells without taking them out of the body? And could magnets be used to target an immune response to a particular part of the body, such as a tumor's location?" Schneck adds. "We're excited to see where this new avenue of research takes us."

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Magnetic Medicine: Nanoparticles target cancer-fighting immune cells

HealthWatch: Dial a Diagnosis-Cell Phones to the Rescue: Medicine's Next Big Thing?

LOS ANGELES, Cali. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Almost seven billion of us use one, and now researchers say that phone you talk, text, and tweet with could one day do much more for your health.

Hannah Gooch is allergic to eggs.

"We did a strict avoidance," Necia Joy Gooch, Hannah's mom, told Ivanhoe.

Spike Loy has diabetes.

"Since I was seven and a half, I had to take between two and 10 blood tests a day," Spike said.

Both could one day benefit from a medical breakthrough that you carry around every day.

"You can imagine your cell phone working like a very advanced microscope for looking at various different specimen," Aydogan Ozcan, PhD, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and BioEngineering, UCLA, told Ivanhoe.

Researchers at UCLA created various attachments that fit on smart phones. One can perform an HIV screening. Another ONE detects allergens in food. A special tube measures allergens optically with the phone's camera.

"You can do this for peanuts or you can do this for other kinds of allergens," Dr. Ozcan said.

Other attachments measure the presence of E. coli in food, blood cell counts, and blood sugar levels. Cell phones are less expensive than a large lab and can be used in the field with immediate results.

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HealthWatch: Dial a Diagnosis-Cell Phones to the Rescue: Medicine's Next Big Thing?

Nanomedicine Market is Expected to Reach USD 177.60 …

Transparency Market Research added new report "Nanomedicine Market (Neurology, Cardiovascular, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-infective, and Oncology Applications) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share,Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019" to its database. Browse full report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/nanomedicine-market.html

Albany, NY (PRWEB) February 07, 2014

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research "Nanomedicine Market (Neurology, Cardiovascular, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-infective, and Oncology Applications) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share,Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019," the market for nanomedicine was valued at USD 78.54 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach a value of USD 177.60 billion in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 12.3% from 2013 to 2019.

Browse the full report with complete TOC at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/nanomedicine-market.html

The advent of new applications and technology in the field of nanomedicine will be one of the major growth factors for the global nanomedicine market. In addition, increase of funding aimed at boosting the research activities pertaining to nanomedicine by the government as well as private institutions will expedite the process of commercialization of new products and hence will drive the market. Other driving factors include rising base of geriatric population, presence of high unmet medical needs and rising worldwide incidences of chronic diseases.

The global nanomedicine market by applications was dominated by the oncology market with a market share of approximately 38.0% in 2012 on account of the presence of high number of commercialized products in this segment. Development of nanomedicine products enabling drugs crossing blood brain barrier and targeting the tumor in brain and at other sites in the body will prove to be a significant future growth driver for this market.

Related Report: Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Devices Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/gastrointestinal-endoscopic-devices.html

However, the global cardiovascular market for nanomedicine is the fastest growing application segment. Factors such as the presence of large patient prevalence coupled with rising demand for nanotechnology enabled drugs and devices catering to this segment, attribute to its high growth rate.

North America dominated the market in 2012 and is expected to maintain its market position till 2019. However, theAsia-Pacific market is estimated to grow at a faster pace (CAGR of 14.6% from 2013 to 2019).Europe is expected to grow at a relatively higher rate compared to North America owing to constantly improving regulatory framework and the presence of an extensive product pipeline portfolio.

Some of the key players in the global nanomedicine market include GE Healthcare, Merck & Co Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Pfizer Inc., Nanosphere Inc., Mallinckrodt plc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celgene Corporation, Novavax, Inc.; Life Technologies, MagArray, Inc., Gilead Sciences Inc. and others.

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Nanomedicine Market is Expected to Reach USD 177.60 ...

Nanobio-Europe 2014 focuses Nano Medicine/Nanomaterials in Diagnostics and Therapy

06.02.2014 - (idw) Center for Nanotechnology- CeNTech

The 10th Nanobio-Europe, Europe's leading conference in the field of nanobiotechnology, will take place June 2 4, 2014 in Mnster / Germany. The focus of the three-day conference is on medical applications of nanomaterials for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Of particular interest is the characterization of cellular processes and mechanisms by state of the art nano analytical and imaging techniques. Furthermore, the use of nanomaterials in medical implants, in regenerative medicine and diagnostics as well as for targeted drug delivery will be addressed. Toxicological studies of nanomaterials and presentations of large NanoBio EU projects complete the program.

After 2005, 2007 and 2010 the NanoBio-Europe will be in Mnster now for the fourth time. This conference provides the ideal platform for interdisciplinary communication and the initiation of new research projects for participants from academic and industry. In addition to an outstanding scientific program an industrial exhibition informs about new innovative products and technologies. Coordinator is the Center for Nanotechnology Mnster (CeNTech) in cooperation with Bioanalytik Mnster. Weitere Informationen:http://www.nanobio-europe.com Anhang pa_nanobio-europe_140206_eng

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Nanobio-Europe 2014 focuses Nano Medicine/Nanomaterials in Diagnostics and Therapy

Dr. Lawrence Mayer – President and Head of Research at Celator Pharmaceuticals – Video


Dr. Lawrence Mayer - President and Head of Research at Celator Pharmaceuticals
Script: As you probably know, treatment of AML have been the same for the last 30 years; and it has not been particularly effective. You uses two drugs: cyta...

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Dr. Lawrence Mayer - President and Head of Research at Celator Pharmaceuticals - Video

Electronically controlled drugs could minimize side effects

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

5-Feb-2014

Contact: Michael Bernstein m_bernstein@acs.org 202-872-6042 American Chemical Society

Potential side effects of many of today's therapeutic drugs can be downright frightening just listen carefully to a drug commercial on TV. These effects often occur when a drug is active throughout the body, not just where and when it is needed. But scientists are reporting progress on a new tailored approach to deliver medicine in a much more targeted way. The study on these new electronically controlled drugs appears in the journal ACS Nano.

Xinyan Tracy Cui and colleagues note that in the lab, "smart" medical implants can now release drugs on demand when exposed to various cues, including ultraviolet light and electrical current. These advances are largely thanks to developments in nanomaterials that can be designed to carry drugs and then release them at specific times and dosages. Researchers have also experimented with loading anti-cancer drugs on thin, tiny sheets of graphene oxide (GO), which have a lot of traits that are useful in drug delivery. But current techniques still require tweaking before they'll be ready for prime time. Cui's team wanted to work out some of the final kinks.

They incorporated GO nanosheets into a polymer thin film that can conduct electricity, loaded it with an anti-inflammatory drug and coated an electrode with it. When they zapped the material with an electric current, they showed that it released the drug consistently in response. They could do this several hundred times. Also, by experimenting with the sizes and thicknesses of the GO sheets, the scientists could change how much drug the nanosheets could carry. Cui said this approach could be useful in treating epilepsy, for example. In that case, medication already lying in wait inside the body could be released at the onset of a seizure.

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The authors acknowledge funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 161,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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Electronically controlled drugs could minimize side effects

Researchers study new ways of treating breast cancer

Published: 7:04AM Saturday February 01, 2014 Source: ONE News

Scientists are working on a cost-effective drug that targets only cancer tissue, leaving the rest of the body unscathed.

The Breast Cancer Foundation says it is excited by the Otago University research into finding new ways to treat breast cancer.

Breast cancer kills 650 New Zealand women a year and researcher DrRhonda Rosengren says the research findings so far are really good.

"We're seeing really nice suppression of tumour growth compared to the untreated control,"Dr Rosengren says.

Of the 3000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, about 20% had an aggressive form known as triple negative breast cancer and it is this form which is being targeted with "nano-medicine".

The treatment attacks only triple negative tumour tissue, reducing the need for costly and gruelling chemotherapy.

"Because of specific things that are different in the way a tumour is set up and healthy cells are set up, it goes specifically into that tumour and spares the rest of the body,"Dr Rosengren said, adding treatment can be targeted to individuals.

"Things we know about your tumour, we can give you more, give someone else less."

The Breast Cancer Foundation has committed $100,000 to the research.

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Researchers study new ways of treating breast cancer

New Jets for Composite Nano-Materials to be Presented at NanoTech Tokyo

(PRWEB) January 22, 2014

4SPIN device is to roll out new jets for the production of composite nanomaterials and core-shell nanofibres in Tokyo. These jets can be used to prepare nanomaterial samples composed of nanofibres of several different substances, or even to create nanofibres using different materials for the interior and the case of the fibre.

Composite materials have a great future in areas such as filtration and internal medicine. Consider, for example, new wound dressings made of composite nanofibres. The bandages carrier fibres are insoluble and their nanostructure ensures that no infectious bacteria penetrate the wound. The second type of nanofibre is gradually dissolved and releases wound-healing substances into the wound, says Ji ebek, a scientist from the nanofibre production device development laboratory, as he explains the benefits of composite fibres.

In addition to three new types of jets for the preparation of composite nanofibres, we will also be introducing a new linear mutli needle-less jet with high spinnability and very high productivity in Tokyo. This new needleless electrospinning emitter is capable of scaling up nanofibrous material production.

Another new emitter is our coaxial single jet, capable of producing hollow fibres and even processing core materials that will not form fibres via electrospinning on their own, said Dr. Victor Stickel, the Managing Director of Insight InterAsia the 4SPIN distributor on Asian markets as he shed light on the new developments.

The Nanotech International Nanotechnology Exhibition & Conference is the worlds largest nanotechnology fair and an essential event for state-of-the-art manufacturing. The exhibition will be held on 29 31 January 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Background The 4SPIN laboratory apparatus excels with its ability to spin even difficult-to-process solutions, create nanomaterials from natural polymers and produce materials in which the nanofibre orientation is flawlessly unidirectional. The apparatus also excels in its safety features and centralised control of nanofibre production processes. These advantages have predestined the device to be a key instrument in the development of new hi-tech materials. http://www.4spin.info

Contipro is an innovation-oriented manufacturer of active ingredients for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. Its core product is sodium hyaluronate. Nearly a hundred researchers work at its R&D laboratories, focusing on the main research areas of nanotechnology, wound healing, tissue engineering, drug delivery and anti-aging. http://www.contipro.com

Insight interAsia is the leading technical sales, marketing, and business development company helping technology companies to sell their products and services throughout Asia and North America. Insight interAsia sells the products of its European and American principals in the technology areas of semiconductors, MEMS, nanotech, sensors, PV, cleantech, biopharma, energy, and the automotive industry. The company has technical sales and service staff throughout Asia and the US markets. insightinterasia.com

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New Jets for Composite Nano-Materials to be Presented at NanoTech Tokyo

NanomedicineCenter.com – Nanomedicine, bionanotechnology …

A lot of patients suffering from colon cancer might well present no symptoms or signs during the earliest stages of the condition. When symptoms do eventually present, they can be many and varied, and can very much depend upon the size of the affliction, how far it has spread and also its actual location. It might be that some symptoms that present are as a result of a condition other than cancer itself, ranging from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and occasionally diverticulosis. Also, such problems as abdominal pain or swelling can be symptomatic of colon problems and may well require further investigation.

You may also notice that, upon going to the lavatory, you have some blood in your stools, and this can be a symptom of cancer. Of course, having black poop doesnt ultimately mean that cancer is present. It can, however, also be indicative of other conditions and problems. For example, the kind of bright red blood that you may see on your toilet tissue could be as a result of hemorrhoids or anal fissures. It should also be remembered that various food items can also result in red poop, and these include beetroot and red liquorice. Some medications can also be culprits, and some can also turn the stools black-including iron supplements. Irrespective, any sign of blood or change in your stools should prompt you to seek advice from your GP, as it is always best to be sure that it is not a sign of a more serious condition, and with any cancer,early detection and treatment is essential to a successful recovery.

You should also note-if you are currently concerned-any change in the regularity of your stools-including whether or not they are more thin or irregular than usual-especially over a period of several weeks. Also, be mindful if you have diarrhea for several days in a row or, conversely, constipation.

You might also experience pain in your lower abdomen-including a feeling of hardness. You may also experience persistent pain or discomfort in your abdominal region, and this can include wind and cramps. You may also get the sensation that, when evacuating your bowels, that the bowel doesnt empty fully. Another symptom that you might recognize is colored stool mainly black stool, but could be green stool too. Also, if you have an iron deficiency (or anemia), it may be an indication that there is bleeding in your colon. Also, as in most cases and types of cancer, you should seek medical advice immediately if you experience any sudden and unexpected or unexplained weight loss, as this is one of the principal red flags. Also be aware of more vague, seemingly incidental symptoms, such as fatigue. IF you have a couple of symptoms and also feel fatigued for days in a row inexplicably, then this is also another warning sign and you should seek medical advice. It is important not to panic, but just to be aware of what might be going on.

Remember, cases of colon cancer account for around 90% of all cases of intestinal cancers, and also account for more deaths every year of men and women from cancer. Early treatment is an absolute must.

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NanomedicineCenter.com - Nanomedicine, bionanotechnology ...

AkesoGenX Corp. Assumes Control of Kanzius Cancer Treatment Technology

Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 15, 2014

Located in Houston, Texas, AkesoGenX Corp. has acquired and assumed control of the intellectual property and equipment related to the Kanzius Cancer Treatment technology from Therm Med LLC. The AkesoGenX management team envisions taking John Kanziuss patented Noninvasive Radio Wave Cancer Treatment from pre-FDA research through to human clinical trials, and if results are positive, to commercialization in concert with their strategic partners. The true goal is making this state-of-the-art technology available to treat those afflicted with cancer.

Origins The reality of current cancer treatment is nothing short of life changing for thousands of patients and their families annuallyno one understood this better than the late John Kanzius. The mission of AkesoGenX Corp. is to provide an alternative noninvasive cancer therapy, which will allow for an effective treatment for cancer patients while reducing side effects associated with traditional chemotherapies and radiation therapies.

The Team The founding members of AkesoGenX Corp. originate from diverse yet complementary sectors within the medical, science and technology industries and bring years of experience and management expertise. The AkesoGenX management team will provide a solid foundation for the human clinical trials needed for commercialization of this innovative cancer treatment technology.

Dr Steven Curley Renowned cancer specialist Dr. Curley will continue his role as lead researcher, now at Baylor College of Medicine in the Texas Medical Center. As a co-founder of AkesoGenX Corp., Dr. Curley will be focused on the direction and timing of FDA submission.

"I made a promise to my friend John Kanzius in 2008 that I would get his treatment into clinical trials in cancer patients. said Dr. Curley I told Nobel Laureate Professor Richard Smalley in 2005 that I would continue to work combining nano particles with the Kanzius RF field to find an effective, less toxic cancer treatment. I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation and to people everywhere who have supported the Foundation because this work would not have been possible without your optimism and unflagging support. To the people of Erie, Pennsylvania, Fort Myers, Florida and Sanibel Island, THANK YOU! I am confident this new venture will allow us to move this treatment forward in patients fighting against cancer, and I am excited about the future."

Robert Zavala, CEO Co-founder and CEO of AkesoGenX Corp. Robert will be responsible for developing the strategic direction, mission critical partnerships and overall business operations required to move this innovative-patented technology into human clinical trials. Dr. Curley and Mr. Zavala are honored to lead the efforts toward making this treatment available to those afflicted with cancer. Roberts expertise is within the nano-materials industry and because this cancer treatment is based in part on nano-technology, Roberts experience in that industry will benefit AkesoGenX commercialization efforts.

Im honored to be a part of the team which has been led by Dr. Curley. Said Robert, AkesoGenX is looking forward to fulfilling the dream of the inventor of the technology, the late John Kanzius. Both Dr. Curley and I are grateful for all of the continued support we have received from the Kanzius Family, the Erie, Pennsylvania and Sanibel Island, Florida communities and the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

In a statement released today, Maryann, the widow of John Kanzius said, We at Therm Med are very pleased that the technology invented by my late husband, John Kanzius, is in very capable hands with the scientific and business expertise necessary to take this very worthy project to the next level. We wish AkesoGenX the very best.

AkesoGenX Vision AkesoGenX Corp.s strategic vision is to bring to market significant new nano-diagnostic and nano-therapeutic medical products. The primary goal is to move the Kanzius RF field treatment forward to treat patients with highly lethal and resistant forms of cancer.

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AkesoGenX Corp. Assumes Control of Kanzius Cancer Treatment Technology