Disease

Cell stiffness may indicate whether tumors will invade

Study shows tumors with softer, larger cells at their periphery are more likely to spread; may suggest new route for cancer therapy.

October 21, 2019

A white-stained cluster of amyloid plaque proteins, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease pathology, is evident in the mammillary body of a 2-month-old Alzheimer's model mouse. A new study finds that plaques begin in such deep regions and spread throughout the brain along specific circuits.

Alzheimer’s plaque emerges early and deep in the brain

Clumps of amyloid protein emerge early in deep regions, such as the mammillary body, and march outward in the brain along specific circuits.

October 8, 2019

MIT chemical engineers have developed a new series of lipid nanoparticles to deliver RNA vaccines.

Delivery system can make RNA vaccines more powerful

Vaccines packaged in novel nanoparticles could offer a new way to fight cancer and infectious diseases.

September 30, 2019

An airman performs the final set of checks during transportation isolation system (TIS) training while practicing patient care in a containment unit. Engineered and implemented after the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak, the TIS is an enclosure the U.S. Defense Department can use to safely transport patients with highly contagious diseases.

Uninfected patients key to improving Ebola response

New methodology may be used to respond to other endemic diseases.

September 16, 2019

A new experiment conducted by MIT researchers in Kenya shows that a digital program used on mobile phones helps patients successfully finish their TB treatments.

A tech intervention to tame tuberculosis

An interactive program using mobile phones helps more patients conclude treatment successfully.

September 4, 2019

MIT researchers have 3-D printed ultrathin ceramic films that convert energy from one form into another for flexible electronics and biosensors. Here, they’ve printed the piezoelectric films into a pattern spelling out “MIT.”

Ultrathin 3-D-printed films convert energy of one form into another

Low-cost “piezoelectric” films produce voltage, could be used for flexible electronic components and more.

August 28, 2019

MIT and Boston Children’s Hospital researchers have devised a minimally invasive way to monitor intracranial pressure in patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries or infectious diseases. Current techniques for measuring pressure within the brain are so invasive that the measurement is only performed in high-risk patients.

A much less invasive way to monitor pressure in the brain

New technique could help doctors determine whether patients are at risk from elevated pressure.

August 23, 2019

MIT biologists found that intestinal stem cells express high levels of a ketogenic enzyme called HMGCS2, shown in brown.

Study links certain metabolites to stem cell function in the intestine

Molecules called ketone bodies may improve stem cells’ ability to regenerate new intestinal tissue.

August 22, 2019

The blood-brain barrier — the normally tight border that prevents harmful molecules in the bloodstream from entering the brain — can be damaged by the protein aggregates that form in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

Tissue model reveals role of blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s

Study finds that Alzheimer’s damage allows toxins to enter the brain, further harming neurons.

August 12, 2019

Speeding up drug discovery for brain diseases

Whitehead Institute team finds drugs that activate a key brain gene; initial tests in cells and mice show promise for rare, untreatable neurodevelopmental disorder.

July 31, 2019

An MIT-invented microfluidics device could help doctors diagnose sepsis, a leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, by automatically detecting elevated levels of a sepsis biomarker in about 25 minutes, using less than a finger prick of blood.

Microfluidics device helps diagnose sepsis in minutes

When time matters in hospitals, automated system can detect an early biomarker for the potentially life-threatening condition.

July 23, 2019

MIT chemists have determined the structure of the amyloid fibers formed by the hormone glucagon when it is dissolved in liquid. Each fibril is made of sheets of peptides that run antiparallel to each other.

Chemists discover structure of glucagon fibrils

Study may be a step toward shelf-stable versions of the hormone, which is used to control diabetes.

June 24, 2019

Robin Scheffler and his new book, “A Contagious Cause: The American Hunt for Cancer Viruses and the Rise of Molecular Medicine.”

In cancer research, a winding road to discovery

Book by MIT professor examines the circuitous history behind the investigation of cancer as a contagious illness.

May 14, 2019

Aneuploid cells, such as this one, have too few or too many chromosomes. A new study has revealed that highly aneuploid prostate tumors carry a higher risk of lethality.

Measuring chromosome imbalance could clarify cancer prognosis

A study of prostate cancer finds “aneuploid” tumors are more likely to be lethal than tumors with normal chromosome numbers.

May 13, 2019

3Q: Susan Hockfield on a new age of living machines

Convergence research at MIT and beyond seeks new solutions for global challenges.

May 7, 2019

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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