https://phys.org/nanotech-news/bio-medicine/ en-us The latest science news on nanobiology, nano medicine, nanotechnology, nanoscience, and nanotech. Scientists have long been interested in cellular nanodiscs, tiny particles made from natural cell membranes that mimic many of the functions of living cells. While previous studies demonstrated the therapeutic potential of nanodiscs for drug delivery, detoxification and vaccines, one fundamental question remained unanswered: How does size influence how well they work? https://phys.org/news/2026-10-supercomputer-reveals-size-future-nanomedicine.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:20:05 EDT news711718502 Scientists have long explored the idea of using insects as our agents in the field in places where humans won't fit or survive. Imagine a cockroach in an earthquake zone, able to skitter into the rubble to map out exactly where human chemical signatures can be found, or a grasshopper leaping through a minefield to bring back a map of the bombs based on the vapors it encountered. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-locusts-sensory-nanomaterials-chemicals.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:40:07 EDT news711706419 It looks like a small, transparent patch with a rainbow on its surface—or for those old enough to remember, the back of a CD. The patch is the first of its kind in the world and, when combined with an ordinary smartphone camera, can measure two things: pulse and blood vessel stiffness. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-octopus-patch-skin-reveals-pulse.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:00:16 EDT news711705901 A technology developed at The University of Queensland allowing scientists to observe how disease-related proteins behave inside living neurons will be used to advance early drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases. The NASTIC (Nanoscale Spatiotemporal Indexing Clustering) platform, spun out into Brisbane-based startup Accretion Bio, enables researchers to study real-time biological processes in living cells across space and time at the single-molecule level for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoscale-tech-tracks-proteins-neurons.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 19 Oct 2026 21:00:02 EDT news711645258 A research team led by senior researcher Minyoung Lee and principal researcher Sunggyu Park of the Advanced Bio and Healthcare Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has developed a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) analysis technology that rapidly detects extremely low concentrations of viable bacteria by directly growing plasmonic metal nanostructures on and around bacterial cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-plasmonic-coating-bacterial-surfaces-paves.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 19 Oct 2026 09:40:01 EDT news711619741 Penicillin has cured syphilis cases since 1943, but symptoms of the sexually transmitted infection, known as "the great imitator," mimic many other diseases and can come and go without treatment while the infection keeps causing harm. If it remains undetected, it can spread to partners and to babies during pregnancy, causing lifelong effects. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-rapid-syphilis-layered-nanoparticles-infection.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:05 EDT news711364981 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University have developed a way to observe how antibodies interact with a cancer-related protein carried on tiny membrane-bound vesicles released by cells. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy, they found that measuring how much of the protein is present does not necessarily show how accessible it is to antibodies. The findings reported in the journal Small Methods provide a new way to investigate differences between individual cancer-derived vesicles although further research is needed before the approach can be used clinically. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-real-nanoscale-imaging-reveals-differences.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:00:02 EDT news711355812 Materials that change their shape upon exposure to light are attracting growing interest in applications such as soft robotics, microscale actuators and smart materials. However, the connection between molecular-level structural changes and larger-scale deformation remains incompletely understood. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-tiny-molecular-big-microparticle-deformation.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:20:06 EDT news711352990 Blood clots that develop after spinal surgery can lead to serious complications. When blood accumulates around the spinal cord, it may increase pressure on surrounding nerves, potentially causing severe pain, muscle weakness or even paralysis. Early detection and timely treatment are therefore essential. However, continuously monitoring these complications remains challenging, and conventional treatments may require additional surgery. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-smart-patch-blood-clots-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:20:18 EDT news711271273 MIT engineers have developed a new way to program natural killer (NK) immune cells to target cancerous T cells or T cells that have become autoreactive, leading to diseases such as lymphoma and autoimmune hepatitis. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanoparticle-reprograms-nk-immune-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:20:16 EDT news711107494 Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurological disorders associated with later life, and its prevalence rises sharply with age. It affects the brain systems that control movement, often causing tremor, stiffness, slowness and problems with balance, all of which can reduce independence and quality of life in older adults. The condition is mainly linked to the gradual loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-nanostructure-ultrasound-potential-parkinson-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:00:08 EDT news711038281 A spinach leaf can turn light into chemical energy. A struggling heart cannot. Researchers in China have brought part of the leaf's energy-making machinery into rat heart cells to test whether borrowed photosynthesis could help an overworked heart. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-spinach-nanoparticles-rat-hearts-photosynthesis.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 11 Oct 2026 07:40:01 EDT news710599646 A novel nanovesicle-based platform developed at Institute of Science Tokyo can measure hydrostatic pressure by converting pressure-induced molecular changes into fluorescence signals. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-adjustable-nanosensors-pressure-fluorescent-stiffness.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:00:02 EDT news710771521 Finding a single cancer cell in a tube of blood is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. As researchers seek to detect ever-smaller and rarer targets, from viruses to circulating tumor cells in blood, the demand for ultrasensitive, robust sensors that are practical for real-world samples continues to grow. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-method-free-particle-sensor-surfaces.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:40:06 EDT news710766515 Nanobodies are extremely small antibody fragments that bind to specific molecules. When nanobodies are labeled with dyes, they can be used as probes to enhance super-resolution microscopy. However, conventional blinking dyes often perform poorly when attached to nanobodies, limiting their practical advantages. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) has now shown that self-blinking dyes—which can switch between bright and dark states on their own—bypass this limitation. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-dyes-nanoscale-imaging-sacrificing-precision.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:30:01 EDT news710609642 A research team has developed a highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor capable of rapidly and accurately diagnosing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks that may occur following head surgery or trauma. The team established a diagnostic platform that uses enzymes to detect subtle differences in sugars attached to protein surfaces and converts these differences into measurable electrical signals. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-highly-sensitive-biosensor-enables-rapid.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:20:01 EDT news710516761 A team from Flinders University's Biomedical Nanoengineering Laboratory has found that vanillin has pronounced antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it a good candidate for wound-healing formulations. Their work is published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-vanillin-sweet-solution-chronic-wound.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:20:07 EDT news710495881 Contrast agents are compounds routinely used in clinical analysis to enhance differentiation between tissues or to increase the visibility of structures or fluids within the body, thus facilitating medical diagnosis. A study led by researcher Lucia Cardo and Ikerbasque research professor and AXA chair Maurizio Prato (both at CIC biomaGUNE) confirms that manganese-doped carbon nanodots could be the next generation of contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-manganese-doped-carbon-nanodots-rival.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:40:11 EDT news710411041 Recently, spatial omics has become a powerful tool, enabling researchers to see not only what molecules are present in a tissue, but also where they are located and how they are organized across cells, tissue structures and local microenvironments. This spatial context has deepened our understanding of cancer, neurobiology and immunology. Yet as the field advances, an important question remains: How many of these powerful technologies are ready for routine clinical use? https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoneedle-arrays-rna-fresh-tissue.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 04 Oct 2026 17:00:06 EDT news709827261 From vaccines to gene therapies, mRNA medicines often rely on tiny fat-based particles called lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, to carry treatments where they need to go. But researchers still face a fundamental challenge: getting those therapies to the organs where they are needed most while limiting side effects elsewhere in the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-gut-mrna-tech-supercharges-vaccine.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:00:02 EDT news710062742 A research team led by an Oregon State University scientist has demonstrated in a mouse model a potentially better way to care for women facing the life-threatening condition of ectopic pregnancy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-mouse-reveals-magnetic-nanoparticles-potential.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:20:16 EDT news709999622 Instead of capturing a memory with an iPhone camera, Carnegie Mellon University's Nivedita Shyamsundar used hers to make a scientific discovery. A senior in the Department of Chemistry, Shyamsundar studies tiny particles that could help medicines and vaccines travel more effectively through the human body and reach their targets. Her work may one day lead to better cancer treatments and stronger vaccines. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticle-mystery-iphone-camera.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:20:14 EDT news709887062 Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the front lines. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wearable-nanotech-combat-nerve-agents.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:40:02 EDT news709889641 The research group at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Pontedera (Pisa), led by Gianni Ciofani, has developed new organic nanoparticles that combine multiple therapeutic functions in a single material for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-dopamine-based-nanotubes-combine-electrical.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:40:08 EDT news709831081 Researchers at the Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) at Kanazawa University have directly visualized how enzymes find and break DNA molecules in real time. Using high-speed atomic force microscopy, the team followed individual enzymes as they moved along DNA and found that they repeatedly returned to vulnerable regions before breaking them apart. The findings reveal how the structure of DNA influences its vulnerability to enzymatic breakdown. The research was led by Richard Wong and his team: Jingge Yang, Yujia Qiu, Keesiang Lim and Toshio Ando. The work is published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-exposed-dna-enzymes-imaging-reveals.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 18:00:17 EDT news709825561 RNA vaccines and other nucleic acid therapeutics are typically packaged within fatty molecules known as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). MIT researchers have now developed a way to produce these particles much more quickly and with more precise control over their size and shape. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-automated-lipid-nanoparticle-production-rna.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:20:07 EDT news709813443 New international best practice guidance, co-written at ANSTO, sets out how to measure where nanoparticles like titanium dioxide end up in the body and how long they remain. The guidance has been shared by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a forum and knowledge hub for data, analysis and best practices in public policy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-body-scientist-guidance.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:00:09 EDT news709795441 Researchers often use antibodies to detect specific molecules or biological markers because they are remarkably precise at recognizing their targets. However, finding the faint signals of cancer in blood samples is a challenge even for the most reliable techniques. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-laser-enables-colorectal-cancer-biomarker.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:00:01 EDT news709553761 Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have teamed up with pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company to uncover how storage conditions affect mRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines and other treatments, and how to make them more effective. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-threatens-mrna-delivery-tris-buffer.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 25 Sep 2026 13:40:05 EDT news709550701 Many liver and lung cancers arise in tissue that's already been scarred by chronic disease, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or long-term lung damage. That scarring creates an environment that suppresses nearby immune cells, so by the time a tumor takes hold, it's often already shielded from the immune system and immunotherapy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-tumor-scarring-enable-immunotherapy.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:00:20 EDT news709548841