.
Nanomagnets ‘could target cancer’ , Blood test hope for mood disorder
Health News
Nanomagnets ‘could target cancer’
T
iny magnets
made by bacteria could be used to kill tumours, say researchers. A team at the University of Edinburgh has developed a method of making the nanomagnets stronger, opening the way for their use in cancer treatment. The bacteria-produced magnets are better than man-made versions because of their uniform size and shape, the Nature Nanotechnology study reported.
It is hoped one day the magnets could be guided to tumour sites and then activated to destroy cancerous cells. The bacteria take up iron from their surroundings and turn it into a string of magnetic particles. They use the chains of particles like a needle of compass to orient themselves and search for oxygen-rich environments. For nanoparticles to be used in medicine you need them to be a very uniform size and shape bacteria are very good for that.
Blood test hope for mood disorder
S
cientists have found that the presence of certain chemicals in the blood may be a sign of mood disorders. Concentrations of the key “biomarkers” were directly linked to the severity of the disorder.
The researchers are hoping the breakthrough may lead to simple blood tests and a much faster way to assess the impact of medication. This discovery is a major step towards bringing psychiatric on par with other medical specialities. Although psychiatrists have been aware that bipolar illness and other psychiatric conditions produced molecular changes in the brain, there was no way to measure those changes while the patient was living.
The researchers plan a large study examining how the biomarkers respond when patients are given medication.
S.T
Published: March 21, 2008
More summaries by Stev71287
More