https://phys.org/nanotech-news/bio-medicine/ en-us The latest science news on nanobiology, nano medicine, nanotechnology, nanoscience, and nanotech. Gliomas are a major cause of cancer-related deaths in younger adults. About 7,000 patients harbor a common genetic mutation that affects the enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase 1. This mutated enzyme, called mIDH1, can produce a molecule that can reprogram both the tumor cells and the environment in which they grow. The molecule, known as 2-hydroxyglutarate, can also circulate in the blood and reprogram immune cells in the bone marrow. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-sensitize-gliomas-radiotherapy.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:20:01 EDT news709215301 Researchers have engineered a drug treatment that shows rapid effectiveness against endometriosis in early testing, laying the foundation for a potential therapy for an incurable, chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 women. The targeted nanotherapy, developed by a team of scientists at Washington State University, reduced endometriosis symptoms and disease progression after a single dose in a mouse model. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticle-drug-delivery-method-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:40:02 EDT news709215002 Seeing a bachelor's thesis published in a scientific journal is relatively uncommon. For three theses linked to the same research group to result in scientific publications within just three months is downright rare. Yet that is exactly what has happened in Elsebeth Schröder's research group at the Division of Quantum Device Physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-amino-acids-bone-mineral-magnesium.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:40:01 EDT news708954721 What if signs of disease could be detected using nothing more than a tiny chip that fits in the palm of your hand and a camera, without ever visiting a hospital? A scene that once seemed possible only in science fiction has now moved one step closer to reality. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-portable-metasurface-biosensor-molecular-images.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:30:02 EDT news708875641 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University, Kyoto University, SOKENDAI and the National Institute for Physiological Sciences have revealed how CaMKIIα—a key brain protein involved in learning and memory—organizes itself into chain-like structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-memory-protein-molecular-chains-imaging.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:10:05 EDT news708875281 Forty-four years ago, Nadrian Seeman published his groundbreaking ideas on using DNA as a structural material, expanding DNA's significance far beyond its role as a carrier of genetic information. Since then, the steadily growing field of DNA nanotechnology has seen numerous innovations. One was the DNA origami technique, which enables researchers to fold a single long strand of DNA into a desired 2D or 3D shape. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-big-dna-software.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:30:01 EDT news708795841 Oxford University researchers have captured the step-by-step assembly of individual virus-like particles, revealing how simple molecular interactions can reliably build these complex biological structures. The results were published today (September 16) in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-method-reveals-virus-particles-molecule.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:50:01 EDT news708790561 Very small biological samples and even individual biomolecules can now be examined under near-physiological conditions with high confidence at the BESSY II infrared beamline using a newly validated and improved technique: nanoscale infrared (IR) spectroscopy (s-SNOM) with ultrathin silicon-based membranes. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ultrathin-membranes-nano-infrared-views.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:10:01 EDT news708789601 Helicobacter pylori bacteria infect around half the global population and are a leading cause of stomach ulcers and gastric cancer. While antibiotics remain the standard treatment, they often fail to reach bacteria hidden beneath the stomach's protective mucus layer and deep within ulcer tissue. This often requires higher antibiotic doses, increasing the risk of adverse effects and antibiotic resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-smart-nanoparticles-antibiotics-pylori.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:20:01 EDT news708706381 The position of biomineralization peptides within liposomes can influence how gold nanoparticles grow, reports a research team from the Institute of Science Tokyo. Peptides localized at the membrane interface promote branched structures, while those confined to the liposome interior favor spherical nanoparticles. The findings offer a new strategy for controlling nanoscale reaction environments in nanoparticle synthesis. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-peptide-position-gold-nanoparticles-stay.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:04 EDT news708609646 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an artificial intelligence framework that helps researchers use atomic force microscopes to identify important nanoscale features while autonomously targeting the most informative areas of a sample for closer study. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-microscopes-nanoscale-features-sample.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 13 Sep 2026 16:00:01 EDT news708262090 A multidisciplinary scientific team at the University of Malaga has developed a new technology based on magnetic nanoparticles that enables precise, rapid and reliable diagnosis of allergy to beta-lactam antibiotics, including amoxicillin and other penicillins. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-magnetic-nanoparticles-amoxicillin-allergy-sensitivity.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 12 Sep 2026 19:30:01 EDT news708354110 Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain cancers known to medicine, carrying a median survival of just 12–15 months, even with the best available care. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanodevices-effective-treatment-drug-resistant.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:40:05 EDT news708253656 An electrical fingerprint found on tiny particles in the blood may help detect signs of pancreatic cancer that are often overlooked, according to new research from Rice University. The researchers developed a device that separates these particles based on their electrical charge, making cancer-associated signals more visible. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-electrical-fingerprint-tiny-cell-particles.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 09 Sep 2026 19:40:09 EDT news708189841 A research team led by Professor Yong Taik Lim at the SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT), Sungkyunkwan University, have developed an engineered nanoplatform named t-SMC (trained immunity-mediated splenic myelopoiesis converter), which precisely targets the spleen to reverse splenic myelopoiesis toward an antitumoral immune phenotype. The research is published in the journal Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-bacterial-nanoplatform-reprograms-spleen-immune.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:00:06 EDT news707649213 For children born with cleft lip and palate, repairing gaps in the jawbone often means waiting until they are 10 to 12 years old before undergoing invasive bone graft surgery. University of Sydney researchers have developed a biodegradable "nanobone" material that allows the body to harness its own healing properties to regrow bone, offering a potential future alternative to procedures that have changed little in more than 50 years. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-biodegradable-nanobone-day-regrow-bone.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:00:02 EDT news707586601 RNA-based therapeutics use RNA as a blueprint that enables cells to produce specific proteins—including proteins that can precisely modify genes. For this to work, the RNA must reach the inside of the cell intact. Delivery systems currently used for this purpose include virus-derived vehicles and lipid nanoparticles, tiny particles made of fat-like molecules. Both approaches have limitations. Researchers are therefore working on new mechanisms that can deliver RNA into cells more efficiently and, in the future, more selectively. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-proteins-enable-generation-rna.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:00:01 EDT news707581863 One of the major challenges in the quest to beat cancer is developing treatments that can selectively destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. With this in mind, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) have devised a gold nanorod-based platform that delivers therapeutic agents specifically to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a structure responsible for protein production and processing within cells, while also generating heat when exposed to near-infrared light. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-harnessing-gold-nanorods-cancer-therapy.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:10:01 EDT news707585822 Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutinin (HA), which controls how the virus attaches to human cells before entering them. Influenza viruses can evade immunity in two major ways: through the gradual accumulation of mutations that make HA harder for the immune system to recognize or through reassortment events that can introduce substantially different viral proteins and potentially lead to flu pandemics. To address this challenge, seasonal flu vaccines remain the primary approach because they can be developed to target the flu viruses circulating most predominantly in a given season. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-amino-acid-swap-nanoparticle-vaccine.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 01 Sep 2026 19:20:04 EDT news707502181 Researchers use tightly focused laser beams to image biological samples, shape materials with microscopic precision and generate displays. But using those beams in three dimensions requires more than sweeping light from side to side, as the light must also rapidly refocus at different depths. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-tiny-mirror-3d-microscopes-smaller.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:20:02 EDT news707393521 In a promising milestone for nanotechnology, Constructor University has contributed to a study demonstrating self-assembling nanopores capable of detecting disease proteins associated with illnesses like Parkinson's and ALS. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-flexible-nanopores-parkinson-als.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:40:11 EDT news707385721 A research team led by Sungwon Lee, a professor in the Department of Physics and Chemistry at DGIST, developed a hierarchical nano-on-nano structure by directly growing graphene nanowalls (GNWs) on polymer nanofibers and successfully used the structure to enhance the sensing performance of wearable gas sensors. The technology is expected to be applied to next-generation wearable sensors for real-time monitoring of individuals' breathing environments or hazardous gases in industrial settings. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-breathable-smart-sensor-real-hazardous.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 28 Aug 2026 13:40:02 EDT news707136781 Researchers at Delft University of Technology have demonstrated for the first time that nano-antennas can enhance the fluorescence of proteins in living human and other mammalian cells. Scientists already use smart fluorescent proteins that light up when the electrical voltage across a nerve cell changes. By placing nano-antennas close to these light-emitting proteins, researchers can monitor processes inside cells with much greater precision. The discovery adds a new tool for revealing electrical signals in the brain through nanotechnology as well as genetic engineering. The research has been published in Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nano-antennas-cells-brighter-faster.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:20:01 EDT news707135401 The COVID vaccine is perhaps the first thing many people think of when they hear about mRNA-based drugs. Small packages of genetic material are sent into the body, prompting cells to produce useful proteins in the fight against the virus. But the list of diseases that can potentially be treated with mRNA-based drugs is much broader than vaccines. mRNA is expected to be used to treat disorders including cardiovascular diseases, rare hereditary diseases and autoimmune diseases—and not least, cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-petri-dish-tomorrow-drugs-human.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news707054701 What does a clean room smell like? Many people say citrus, pine, or flowers because these fragrances are common in cleaning products. A research team led by Brandon Boor found that scent compounds in cleaning products—conventional and botanical essential oil-based—quickly react in the air, forming nanoparticles that can travel deep into the lungs if inhaled. To reduce exposure to this invisible pollution, the team suggests using unscented products, running exhaust fans, and avoiding ozone-generating devices while cleaning. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-scented-cleaners-nanoparticles-deep-lungs.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:00:03 EDT news706883273 The adult human brain has limited capacity to repair or regenerate neurons lost to Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. Existing treatments can slow disease progression but do not reverse cognitive decline. In a study published in the journal Cell Biomaterials on Aug. 26, researchers show that engineered nanoparticles can not only regenerate neurons in human brain organoids but also restore neural circuits and improve cognition in mice. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nanoparticles-neuroregeneration-alzheimer-disease.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:16 EDT news706802041 Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), and Tianjin Medical University General Hospital have developed a bioinspired lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that can deliver gene-editing machinery to the liver and reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "bad" cholesterol. The nanoparticles reduced LDL and total cholesterol by more than 20% after two doses, while showing fewer signs of inflammation and toxicity than comparator formulations. The findings were published in the Journal of Controlled Release. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-bioinspired-nanoparticles-gene-bad-cholesterol.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:12 EDT news706878661 A programmable microfluidic device developed at the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, combines deterministic lateral displacement, a microfluidic technique used to separate particles according to size, with temperature-responsive polymer micropillars to dynamically change separation conditions along a single channel. Using this device, researchers successfully separated multiple particle populations. Additionally, they efficiently isolated viable cancer cells, white blood cells and red blood cells from diluted whole blood. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-temperature-tunable-micropillars-enable-programmable.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 24 Aug 2026 17:40:09 EDT news706807501 A new nanoparticle vaccine could one day give patients immunity to the flu with fewer trips to the doctor and without requiring health officials to correctly guess which flu strains will become dominant each year. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nanoparticle-flu-vaccine-influenza-strains.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:00:03 EDT news706523163 Biomolecular nanomachines, such as enzymes and molecular motors, are the workhorses behind the synthesis and organization of complex materials in life. Powered by chemical energy, they build, transport and organize biomolecules, allowing living systems to create and maintain highly ordered structures far from thermodynamic equilibrium. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dynamic-duo-hierarchical-dna-materials.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news706360039