Miracles and wonders: brain in a dish

Microelectrodes measure stem cells

Here's the real story in healthcare -- the amazing discoveries coming every day.

Researchers at the University of Florida have found a way to reanimate brain cells that have been quieted by strokes and traumatic head injuries. "The brain in the dish, or as the scientists prefer to call it, the 'biologically relevant neural model,' is a computer chip with an array of 60 microelectrodes that measure the action potential of neurons grown on top. The microelectrode array, or M.E.A., records the brain cell signals so the scientists can analyze them." After simulating a stroke, which quiets the neurons on the chip, adult stem cells are added, after which the neurons regain strength.

Scientists are at last almost ready to unveil a new drug-delivery system that uses the membranes of red blood cells. It's biocompatible, it's efficient, and evolution has already conducted extensive trials. Researchers at the University of California at San Diego say this system is better than other nanoparticle drug-delivery devices because there is no need for a synthetic membrane. There is no better way to trick the body into believing the device belongs there if it is coated in a natural membrane.

Parallel developments in research may bring sufferers of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes very near a cure. A team of physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital have found a tuberculosis vaccine, called BCG, prevents T cells from destroying insulin-secreting cells, allowing the pancreas to regenerate and begin producing insulin again, curing the disease. Meanwhile, researchers in the U.K. have pioneered an extremely low-calorie diet of just 600 calories a day. In addition to lowering body fat, insulin levels returned to normal. Out of the eleven participants on the diet, seven were diabetes-free just three months later.

The Mermaid

Japanese researchers have developed the world’s first self-propelled endoscopy device, a remote controlled tadpole-like camera that can “swim” through the digestive tack gathering imagery along the way. This kind of endoscopy isn’t wholly new, of course, but previous iterations of ingestible cameras relied on natural muscle contractions to move them through the body. The “Mermaid,” as it is known, simplifies the process by moving quickly through the digestive tract to its destination, whatever that point may be. To speed the process, it can be inserted into the digestive system at either end, entering the body orally or--well, you know. The device is just 0.4 inches in diameter and just shy of two inches long, and uses magnetic machinery to control its movement and location. Doctors pilot the endoscope with a joystick, watching its progress on a monitor. All said, it takes only a few hours to traverse the whole system from esophagus to colon. It could help ease the strain on patients and detect hard-to-see cancers earlier than was previously possible.