A longstanding goal of immunotherapies and vaccine research is to induce antibodies in humans that neutralize deadly viruses such as HIV and influenza. Of particular interest are antibodies that are “broadly neutralizing,” meaning they can in principle eliminate multiple strains of a virus such as HIV, which mutates rapidly to evade the human immune system. […]
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For people who are at high risk of developing breast cancer, frequent screenings with ultrasound can help detect tumors early. MIT researchers have now developed a miniaturized ultrasound system that could make it easier for breast ultrasounds to be performed more often, either at home or at a doctor’s office. The new system consists of […]
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New treatments based on biological molecules like RNA give scientists unprecedented control over how cells function. But delivering those drugs to the right tissues remains one of the biggest obstacles to turning these promising yet fragile molecules into powerful new treatments. Now Gensaic, founded by Lavi Erisson MBA ’19; Uyanga Tsedev SM ’15, PhD ’21; […]
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MIT Professor Emeritus Richard O. Hynes PhD ’71, a cancer biologist whose discoveries reshaped modern understandings of how cells interact with each other and their environment, passed away on Jan. 6. He was 81. Hynes is best known for his discovery of integrins, a family of cell-surface receptors essential to cell–cell and cell–matrix adhesion. He […]
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This is happening within the larger context of state attacks on reproductive rights and the right’s focus on creating the perfect conditions for its ideal heterosexual, cisgender, and white family with multiple kids, culminating in efforts such as the Heritage Foundation’s “culture-wide Manhattan Project.” In its report detailing this vision, the conservative think tank uses […]
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“Kudos to these Trump Deranged Liberals for constantly inventing new ways to light Democrat donor money on fire by spreading fake news,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told The Washington Post, in a Monday email. “Looking forward to your jail sentence, DJT!” one message on the card read, according to the Post. The original birthday […]
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The full list of countries subject to the freeze is: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, […]
Read MoreIn an advance that could help ensure people are taking their medication on schedule, MIT engineers have designed a pill that can report when it has been swallowed. The new reporting system, which can be incorporated into existing pill capsules, contains a biodegradable radio frequency antenna. After it sends out the signal that the pill […]
Read MoreDetecting cancer in the earliest stages could dramatically reduce cancer deaths because cancers are usually easier to treat when caught early. To help achieve that goal, MIT and Microsoft researchers are using artificial intelligence to design molecular sensors for early detection. The researchers developed an AI model to design peptides (short proteins) that are targeted […]
Read MoreIn elementary school, Sean Luk loved donning an oversized lab coat and helping her mom pipette chemicals at Johns Hopkins University. A few years later, she started a science blog and became fascinated by immunoengineering, which is now her concentration as a biological engineering major at MIT. Her grandparents’ battles with cancer made Luk, now […]
Read More“As far as American citizens, the vast majority of American citizens, especially that the U.S. Border patrol has arrested, many of those citizens assaulted federal officers, assaulted border patrol agents, in the performance of our duties,” Bovino said. “Anyone that assaults a federal officer, you’re gonna go to jail.” The Homeland Security Department released a […]
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“You know we won this thing by 400,000 or 500,000 votes,” Trump told Ralston, making up numbers out of thin air. “Just like we did Alabama and every other state in the South. And, uh, we won, we won, we won your state massively. They took votes away.” Ralston didn’t keep the call to himself, […]
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Antibody treatments for cancer and other diseases are typically delivered intravenously, because of the large volumes that are needed per dose. This means the patient has to go to a hospital for every treatment, where they may spend hours receiving the infusion. MIT engineers have now taken a major step toward reformulating antibodies so that […]
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In the vision disorder amblyopia (commonly known as “lazy eye”), impaired vision in one eye during development causes neural connections in the brain’s visual system to shift toward supporting the other eye, leaving the amblyopic eye less capable even after the original impairment is corrected. Current interventions are only effective during infancy and early childhood, […]
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Aggressive T-cell lymphoma is a rare and devastating form of blood cancer with a very low five-year survival rate. Patients often relapse after receiving initial therapy, making it especially challenging for clinicians to keep this destructive disease in check. In a new study, researchers from MIT, in collaboration with researchers involved in the PETAL consortium […]
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Around 25 million Americans have rare genetic diseases, and many of them struggle with not only a lack of effective treatments, but also a lack of good information about their disease. Clinicians may not know what causes a patient’s symptoms, know how their disease will progress, or even have a clear diagnosis. Researchers have looked […]
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A noninvasive method for measuring blood glucose levels, developed at MIT, could save diabetes patients from having to prick their fingers several times a day. The MIT team used Raman spectroscopy — a technique that reveals the chemical composition of tissues by shining near-infrared or visible light on them — to develop a shoebox-sized device that can […]
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For the first time, MIT chemists have synthesized a fungal compound known as verticillin A, which was discovered more than 50 years ago and has shown potential as an anticancer agent. The compound has a complex structure that made it more difficult to synthesize than related compounds, even though it differed by only a couple […]
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More than 300 people across academia and industry spilled into an auditorium to attend a BoltzGen seminar on Thursday, Oct. 30, hosted by the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health (MIT Jameel Clinic). Headlining the event was MIT PhD student and BoltzGen’s first author Hannes Stärk, who had announced BoltzGen just a few days […]
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In April, MIT senior Josh Randolph will race 26.2 miles across Concord, Massachusetts, and neighboring towns, carrying a 50-lb backpack. The race, called the Tough Ruck, honors America’s fallen military and first responders. For Randolph, it is one of the most rewarding experiences he’s done in his time at MIT, and he’s never missed a […]
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Humans know they exist, but how does “knowing” work? Despite all that’s been learned about brain function and the bodily processes it governs, we still don’t understand where the subjective experiences associated with brain functions originate. A new interdisciplinary project seeks to find answers to these kinds of big questions around consciousness, a fundamental yet elusive […]
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A new delivery particle developed at MIT could make mRNA vaccines more effective and potentially lower the cost per vaccine dose. In studies in mice, the researchers showed that an mRNA influenza vaccine delivered with their new lipid nanoparticle could generate the same immune response as mRNA delivered by nanoparticles made with FDA-approved materials, but […]
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A large-scale screen of tuberculosis proteins has revealed several possible antigens that could be developed as a new vaccine for TB, the world’s deadliest infectious disease. In the new study, a team of MIT biological engineers was able to identify a handful of immunogenic peptides, out of more than 4,000 bacterial proteins, that appear to […]
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What if clinicians could place tiny electronic chips in the brain that electrically stimulate a precise target, through a simple injection in the arm? This may someday help treat deadly or debilitating brain diseases, while eliminating surgery-related risks and costs. MIT researchers have taken a major step toward making this scenario a reality. They developed microscopic, […]
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MIT engineers have developed a flexible drug-delivery patch that can be placed on the heart after a heart attack to help promote healing and regeneration of cardiac tissue. The new patch is designed to carry several different drugs that can be released at different times, on a pre-programmed schedule. In a study of rats, the […]
Read More MIT engineers have developed a flexible drug-delivery patch that can be placed on the heart after a heart attack to help promote healing and regeneration of cardiac tissue. The new patch is designed to carry several different drugs that can be released at different times, on a pre-programmed schedule. In a study of rats, the […]
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Professor Ioannis V. Yannas SM ’59, a physical chemist and engineer known for the invention of artificial skin for the treatment of severe burns, and a longtime member of the MIT faculty, died on Oct. 19 at the age of 90. “Professor Yannas was a beloved and distinguished colleague, teacher, and mentor. The impact of […]
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“As much as it’s our wish or aspiration, we have decided not to bring it [at] this stage to the Knesset, because now on the table, we have huge efforts to [do] everything that Trump’s plan will be successful, and we will invest in that,” Sa’ar said Wednesday. As President Donald Trump’s supposed “ceasefire” sets […]
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“As much as it’s our wish or aspiration, we have decided not to bring it [at] this stage to the Knesset, because now on the table, we have huge efforts to [do] everything that Trump’s plan will be successful, and we will invest in that,” Sa’ar said Wednesday. As President Donald Trump’s supposed “ceasefire” sets […]
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Pills are by far the most convenient form of cancer treatment, but most oral cancer drugs quickly dissolve in the stomach, delivering a burst of chemicals into the bloodstream all at once. That can cause side effects. It also may limit the drug’s effectiveness because its concentration in the blood may become too low after […]
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To help mitigate climate change, companies are using bioreactors to grow algae and other microorganisms that are hundreds of times more efficient at absorbing CO2 than trees. Meanwhile, in the pharmaceutical industry, cell culture is used to manufacture biologic drugs and other advanced treatments, including lifesaving gene and cell therapies. Both processes are hampered by […]
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