https://phys.org/nanotech-news/bio-medicine/ en-us The latest science news on nanobiology, nano medicine, nanotechnology, nanoscience, and nanotech. Researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, found a way to optimize how cells bind to small packages they release called extracellular vesicles. By coating the vesicles with metal ions, they made cells and their corresponding vesicles stick together more strongly than they would naturally. This reduced the time needed for cells to capture their own vesicles, even in mixtures containing billions of other vesicles. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-metal-ion-coating-extracellular-vesicles.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:00:02 EDT news704109301 Researchers at Queen Mary University of London and University of Cambridge in collaboration with colleagues at HHMI Janelia and NIH, have created some of the most detailed three-dimensional maps ever generated of human airway cells, revealing how the specialized cells that protect our lungs are built and organized. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-3d-nanoscale-human-airway-epithelium.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:50:01 EDT news704038861 Immune cells protect and heal the human body. In medicine, they are specifically activated through biochemical reactions to treat certain diseases. Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, ETH Zurich, Humboldt University of Berlin, Charité Berlin and Inselspital Bern have now discovered that immune cells also respond to the surface structure of materials—without chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nanopores-human-cells-biochemical.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:00:03 EDT news704030701 Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of head and neck cancer, and the number of new cases is predicted to rise by 30% in the next decade. Despite decades of cancer research, treating OSCC remains a challenge. The five-year survival rate is approximately 50%, and standard treatments such as ablative surgery and radiation often leave patients with permanent disfigurement or profound, lifelong impairment of essential oral functions such as speaking and swallowing. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-lipid-nanoparticles-resistant-oral-tumors.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:00:02 EDT news704019430 Researchers at the University of Twente have developed an optical method that follows the shape changes of a single protein in liquid without attaching anything to it. It reads the protein's structure from its own molecular vibrations, free from the labels or tags that other techniques rely on. The method could help researchers study how proteins respond to drugs, toxins and other biomolecules. The paper is published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-optical-method-proteins-shift.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:20:01 EDT news703943222 In a promising development for cancer treatment, a collaborative research team has overcome two issues that have prevented photothermal therapy, a much less invasive treatment option than surgery and/or radiation, from becoming more common. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-combined-nanoparticle-internal-laser-method.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:20:07 EDT news703935118 For decades, water utilities have relied on giant tanks filled with ion-exchange resin beads to remove perchlorate, a harmful industrial pollutant, from drinking water. The system works by attracting negatively charged perchlorate ions to positively charged resin beads, allowing purified water to flow out of the tanks. But the process leaves behind a difficult problem: resin beads loaded with perchlorate that must be regenerated or disposed of as hazardous waste. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ruthenium-nanoparticles-captured-perchlorate-harmless.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news703865297 Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have developed a swallowable nanoscale delivery platform designed to transport therapeutic enzymes through the stomach's acidic environment and activate a cancer-killing reaction at tumor sites. Early preclinical findings suggest that the approach may offer a new strategy for treating gastric cancer more precisely while reducing damage to healthy tissue. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-acid-resistant-nanocage-gastric-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 20 Jul 2026 16:20:07 EDT news703779842 The immune system, the body's defense network against infections and injuries, can sometimes become too active. In these cases, it can produce too many immune mediators, fragments of genetic material or proteins that regulate immune responses. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nanoparticles-immune-molecules-blood.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 18 Jul 2026 13:40:01 EDT news703402994 Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the deadliest cancers because it is often diagnosed late and is difficult to treat. However, a South Korean research team has developed "smart nanoparticles" that remain hidden in normal tissue but shed their protective coating and release anticancer drugs once they reach tumor tissue. This drug delivery technology is attracting attention for its potential to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment while significantly improving treatment efficacy. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-stealth-anticancer-nanoparticles-mussel-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:20:07 EDT news703326031 Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal nanoparticles that target Candida albicans, a fungus responsible for oral and vaginal yeast infections as well as life-threatening bloodstream infections. In mice with severe Candida infections, the nanoparticles greatly reduced the amount of fungus in major organs and significantly improved survival. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-immune-cells-fungus-nanoparticles.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 11 Jul 2026 16:00:04 EDT news702808902 Modern medicine increasingly relies on targeted drug delivery—a process during which tiny particles (nanoparticles) transport drugs to specific parts of the body. To ensure these treatments are safe and effective, scientists need to understand exactly how these nanoparticles are built—including their size, shape, and internal structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-neutron-method-reveals-architecture-drug.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:00:04 EDT news702822140 Scientists have long known that heat can be used to help fight cancer. But heating tumors and cancer cells is trickier than it sounds. Apply too much heat and patients could get hurt; apply too little or target the wrong location and the therapy will not be effective. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-cancer-manganese-ferrite-nanoparticles-outperform.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:20:07 EDT news702721688 When drinking water is stored in containers, a thin layer of microorganisms can grow at the interface of the container and water. This thin layer is called a biofilm. It's made up of bacteria that make the water unsafe to drink. Slimy biofilms are harder to kill with ordinary disinfectants like chlorine. So scientists are always looking for new ways to clean water in household storage systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-slimy-bacterial-nanotechnology-solution.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 19:20:01 EDT news702562502 One day, tiny swimming robots may travel through the human body to deliver drugs. The medication would target only areas of need—chemotherapy drugs for a tumor, for example—avoiding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects. A research team led by Ebru Demir, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics in Lehigh University's P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, with collaborators On Shun Pak (Santa Clara University) and Roberto Zenit (Brown University), is studying how tiny robots move through bodily fluids. They recently published a paper in the journal Applied Physics Letters detailing new foundational insights. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-unexpected-motion-drug-delivery-robots.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:40:05 EDT news702562945 Researchers from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have taken an important step toward developing intelligent molecular materials. The team headed by Dr. Bernd M. Schmidt (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry) and Professor Dr. Jan Meisner (Institute of Physical Chemistry) has shown that complex molecular nanostructures can be selectively activated, disassembled in a controlled way and even reassembled using ultrasound. The results, published in Nature Communications, could, for example, aid the development of more targeted cancer medication in the future. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-molecular-nanostructures-ultrasound.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:20:09 EDT news702562709 Researchers from UNSW Sydney have built the first artificial protein motor capable of taking controlled, directional steps along a DNA track. The protein, dubbed Tumbleweed, moves by alternating between three "feet" that bind to specific DNA sequences. By changing the surrounding chemical environment, the researchers can control both when the motor steps and the direction it travels. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-synthetic-protein-motor-dna-programmable.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:20:07 EDT news702562593 Ahead of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the U.S., an ozone nanobubble system has been used to keep the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool clear. Months before the celebrations, a massive cleanup of the pool had taken place, but despite this, an algae bloom had turned the water bright green. To deal with this, a US$1.7 million (£1.27 million) ozone "nanobubbler" injected microscopic bubbles into the pool. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nanobubbles-lincoln-pool-dying-seas.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Jul 2026 11:40:09 EDT news702550922 Nanoparticles are widely used in medicine to deliver drugs, genes or imaging agents to specific parts of the body. Once a nanoparticle reaches a cell, however, many things can happen—it can reach its target, be degraded, interact with proteins that help transport it, or interact with proteins that hinder its transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nanozymes-nanoparticle-routes-cells-genetic.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news702228661 Scientists have engineered a nanoscale switch using DNA "origami." Inspired by macroscale mechanical switches, the device achieves long-term functionality without the continuous forcing mechanism that past versions required while remaining capable of fast switching. The paper is published in the journal Science Robotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-dna-based-nanoswitch-flip-milliseconds.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:40:09 EDT news702132276 The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) have developed a new generation of wireless piezoelectric microdevices capable of electrically stimulating living cells at an individual level. The study, recently published in the journal Small and chosen as the cover image, demonstrates how these microdevices can convert mechanical forces, whether produced by the cells themselves or applied externally via ultrasound, into electrical signals that enable the controlled and noninvasive activation of cellular processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bioelectronic-microdevices-enable-remote-cell.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:00:06 EDT news702124081 What if the mechanical properties of a cell could be programmed like the components of a machine? Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered that two fundamental modes of cellular deformation—stretching and bending—can be independently controlled using different molecular building blocks. The finding provides a new strategy for engineering artificial cells, drug-delivery capsules and adaptive soft materials with precisely tailored mechanical functions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lipids-dna-nanostructures-independently-artificial.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:40:04 EDT news701962921 Endometriosis is a painful, common condition affecting women worldwide, but treatment and diagnosis options are scarce. A new University of Mississippi-led study may have found an answer to both problems. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-gold-laced-nanoparticles-eventually-endometriosis.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:00:04 EDT news701956262 Proteins are responsible for most functions in the human body. However, their analysis, which is essential for understanding diseases, developing drugs and discovering new biomarkers, remains highly complex. Using a technology called "nanopore detection," a team at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed a rapid and efficient method for identifying proteins, molecule by molecule. These findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, pave the way for faster diagnostics. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanopore-technology-proteins-molecule.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:40:06 EDT news701944261 Olive oil and water do not naturally mix. Water molecules are polar, having a net electric dipole moment due to the bend angle of about 104.5° between the two oxygen-hydrogen bonds. Olive oil is nonpolar due to its long hydrocarbon chains, which makes it hydrophobic and insoluble in water. Mixtures of the two are called emulsions, and emulsifiers exist that can stabilize them into a thicker temporary or permanent mixture. Cooks use such a technique to make vinaigrette, a salad dressing consisting primarily of oil and vinegar with emulsifiers such as mustard, honey or mayonnaise. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanoscale-droplets-dont-coalesce-microscale.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:00:04 EDT news701942376 Closing wounds, burns and deep cuts isn't enough to kick-start healing. A wound needs a clean environment, free of bacterial infection and interruption. That calls for three components working together—one to kill bacteria, one to clean the wound and one to support recovery. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-blue-gold-graphene-nanodots-wound.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 28 Jun 2026 11:40:02 EDT news701432439 McGill University researchers have developed a light-detecting nanoscale structure that mimics how a neuron processes information. The neuron-like behavior emerges from the materials themselves, reducing the energy demand associated with similar devices that rely on circuits or software. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-inorganic-nanoscale-device-neuron-doors.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:00:07 EDT news701617881 A Florida State University computational scientist is paving the way for future medical breakthroughs by developing mathematical models and simulations to predict the behavior of a unique drug-delivery method, which aims to deploy treatments directly to targeted sites in the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mathematical-advance-magnetic-particles-drug.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:30:01 EDT news701539141 Medical advancements over the last several decades have made great strides in the treatment of HIV. Pharmaceutical treatments are able to contain and reduce a patient's viral load to the point where it is nearly undetectable. But a cure remains frustratingly elusive due to the virus's ability to evade the immune system. Researchers from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, who specialize in modulating immune responses, have offered a new approach—one that's likely familiar to anyone who has dealt with pest removal: setting a trap. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanotrap-hiv-liposomes-repurposed-trigger.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:30:07 EDT news701538542 As the United States approaches its 250th birthday celebrations on July 4, Washington, DC's monuments, statues and fountains are being prepared to put on a show. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lincoln-memorial-pool-nanobubbles.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:20:02 EDT news701522163