DNA test in 1h

Researchers from Panasonic and Belgian lab IMEC have created a new chip that could be a breakthrough in genetic disease detection and personalized treatment. It is a small chip, the size of a coin, which is capable of testing an individual's DNA in one hour. Just a drop of blood is required for the analysis. The tiny invention carries out the whole process fully automatically, even at the level of detecting variations in the DNA sequence.

Variations on an individual base of DNA are known as SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism). To detect and analyze them with the current technology and processes takes up to four days and can only be performed in specialized laboratories, thus the cost is very high. This new system not only reduces the time and cost of the process, but also makes available this analysis technique to more medical centers and hospitals. Researchers still have not provided data on how much it would cost, but at least it safe to assume that it will be an important step in creating personalized medical treatments for each patient.

The video below explains in detail the technology.

Source: http://www.diginfo.tv/v/13-0022-r-en.php

A microscopic chip records neural activity and release drugs in the brain

A multidisciplinary team from the National Research Council in Spain (CSIC), the Technological Research Centre of Ikerlan and the Engineering Research Institute of Aragon, Zaragoza University, has developed a microscopic probe which can be used to record neuronal activity and deliver drugs at the same time in the brain.

The new device, flexible and biocompatible, is fabricated on a polymer, which can interact at microscopic scales never before achieved. It has been tested experimentally in living rats.

The development, described in a paper published in the journal 'Lab on a Chip', represents a step further in the pharmacological, genetic and electrical intervention in order to study the neuronal activity, as it improves the circuits and miniature devices fabricated on silicon substrates.

"In many cases, detection of epilepsy, Parkinson's and Alzheimer can only be done through semi-chronic electrodes implanted in the brain of patients. Therefore, the technologies used for this purpose must be as least invasive as possible and ensure biocompatibility and the integrity of neuronal circuits adjacent to the implant, "says Liset Menendez de la Prida, scientific coordinator of the project.

New device designed by Spanish researchers

The new device is manufactured on the SU-8 polymer and it is able to integrate analysis of the neuronal activity at microscopic level with the use of fluidic channels for drug application.

"The design diverge from silicon implants, which are more rigid in comparison and still have side effects, something that limited the final expansion of this technique for the development of brain-machine interfaces," says Rosa Villa, a researcher at the Institute of Microelectronics Barcelona.

Ane Altuna, Ikerlan researcher and head of the technological part, states: "We have managed to provide a novel approach in manufacturing and design, which allowed us to integrate the electrodes at the same level as the surface of the polymer. The subsequent integration of the fluidic channels was performed using lithographic techniques and development of an encapsulation system which ensures recording and simultaneous release of the drug. "

Researchers are now looking for companies interested in their patent in order to produce this technology on a large scale. To do this, they have started to design a program in beta phase to test the new device in human users with the aim of designing prototypes oriented to biomedical application.

CSIC press release (in Spanish)

A pharmacy inside the body

The results of tests conducted by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the company MicroCHIPS in a group of women with osteoporosis opens the door to the widespread use of remote administration of drugs. This was achieved by inserting a microchip under the skin which is capable of administering a medicine, thus allowing the patient to avoid daily injections of drugs.

And can’t patches do that already? Well, there are two main differences: the microchip allows remote control of drug release and also it can be used to administer more than one drug. The chip acts like a pharmacy inside the human body, a technology that can be used to treat from cancer to multiple sclerosis. Thinking further, I also envisaged the possibility of using the chip to administer vaccines automatically at the different stages of human development. And all this in a device with the size of a small pen drive!

And how does it work? The chip contains a daily dose of medication in small wells that are covered by a thin layer of gold nanoparticles which protects and prevents the drug from coming out.  The chip can be programmed to administer the medication according to a programmed schedule or commands sent wirelessly through a special frequency. These commands cause the gold to dissolve and allow the drug entering the bloodstream.

For testing, a group of seven women aged between 65 and 70 had the chip implanted through a simple procedure performed under local anesthesia. For four months the chip administered them an osteoporosis drug called teriparatide in doses comparable to those provided by injections, without any negative side effects.

“We hope this really is the dawn of a whole new way of thinking about delivering medications,” said co-author Robert Langer, a professor of cancer research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  However, for he and his and colleagues, “the ‘hairpin’ road to the clinic might be long and winding, but a versatile implantable device that exploits the microchip approach for controlled drug delivery will be well worth the wait for patients with chronic diseases,”