Research Highlights

Showcase of NIBIB-Supported Research: 2008

Self-Assembling DNA Tiles – Deciphering the Biology of Individual Cells: December 19, 2008
Using DNA as building blocks, researchers from Arizona State University are designing miniature devices to unravel molecular identity cards of individual cells – one of the most difficult challenges in modern biomedical research.

Biologically Active Nanofibers – Paralyzed Limbs Move Again: November 26, 2008
To date, there has been little hope for recovery after severe spinal cord injury. A new injectable bioactive material designed by scientists at Northwestern University enabled paralyzed mice to move their legs again by instructing damaged nerve cells to grow extensions up and down the spinal cord.

Optical Coherence Tomography Poised to Improve Diagnostics: October 23, 2008
With roots in the telecommunications revolution, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become the gold standard in retinal imaging. Advances in imaging speeds and quality now make OCT a promising technique for a variety of clinical specialties including oncology, cardiology, and gastroenterology. OCT data may also enhance point-of-care diagnostics.

Picturing Liver Disease with Shear Waves: August 28, 2008
Needle biopsies to track the progress of liver disease may find their way to medical history books if progress continues with a new imaging technique called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Based on magnetic resonance imaging and developed by Mayo Clinic researchers, MRE gives data-rich pictures of the liver so clinicians can see areas of scar tissue development called fibrosis.

Circulating Tumor Cells Captured at Last: July 31, 2008
To monitor tumor response to therapy without the need for painful biopsies and harmful scanning, scientists created a device that can capture circulating tumor cells from a small volume of blood. Analyzing the number and genetic profile of these cells will help doctors make an early diagnosis as well as treatment decisions and adjustments.

Monitoring Sleep One Z at a Time: June 27, 2008
A new device, the size of a cell phone, may hold the key to better monitoring of sleep. Developed by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, the device provides a three-dimensional map of sleep quality at a fraction of the time and cost required in a traditional sleep lab.

Novel PET/MRI Scanner Expands Cancer and Drug Studies: May 28, 2008
To fully realize the promise of personalized medicine, researchers and clinicians need tools to track the body’s response to both disease progression and therapy. A novel PET/MRI imaging system developed by a University of California, Davis-led team may be poised to overtake PET/CT as the workhorse of cancer, cardiovascular, and brain imaging studies.

Dedicated Breast CT Scanner Offers Alternative to Mammography: April 29, 2008
Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a dedicated breast CT scanner that provides three-dimensional images of the breast that are comparable to mammograms and does so without the discomfort sometimes associated with the conventional technique.

Nanoplatform Offers Key to Rare Lung Diseases: March 31, 2008
Unchecked, a rare lung disease – idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) – leads to heart failure and death. Understanding the mechanism that promotes thickening of the pulmonary artery is a key to arresting the disease’s progress. Using a new nanoscale platform developed by a team at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, researchers are beginning to examine how cells in IPAH patients differ from normal individuals and how they respond to the application of external forces.

New Adhesives for Damaged Joints: February 29, 2008
Disease and injuries damage cartilage in joints, resulting in painful and restricted movement. A Johns Hopkins University research team is developing new techniques for cartilage repair that rely on adhesives.

Optical Microchip Tracks Molecules for Research and Clinical Applications: January 31, 2008
A simple and inexpensive optical technique developed by a team at Vanderbilt University may help researchers arrest the growth of cataracts in aging eyes, as well as provide a powerful tool to diagnose disease. Based on backscatter interferometry, the device provides quick readouts 10,000 times more sensitive than conventional molecular surveillance methods.

Back to Top