https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can help scientists determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins in unprecedented detail. Jacques Dubochet, former group leader at EMBL, shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for the development of this technique, which led to the "resolution revolution" in structural biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-unique-instruments-automate-sample-quality.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:50:04 EDT news701449321 Scientists from National Taiwan University (NTU) and Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) have developed a precision-engineered nanoplatform to conquer glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. Treating glioblastoma is notoriously difficult due to its diffuse infiltration, the formidable blood-brain barrier (BBB), and a highly complex tumor microenvironment. A major component of this protective microenvironment are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)—stromal "helper" cells that support tumor growth and suppress the immune system. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-scientists-trojan-horse-conquer-aggressive.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:20:02 EDT news693668190 ORNL is a leader both in developing advanced radiotherapies and in providing the radioisotopes needed for those therapies. According to Karen Sikes, director of the National Isotope Development Center, the lab is home to more than 300 isotopes that are available to researchers and others. Besides actinium-225, medical radioisotopes on the list include lead-212, an in vivo alpha emitter generator going through clinical trials for the treatment of liver, prostate, skin and other cancers, and actinium-227, which decays to the alpha emitter radium-223, found in the approved drug Xofigo used to treat prostate cancers that have spread to bone. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-alpha-therapy-compound-cancer.html Materials Science Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:30:01 EDT news692965186 Chemists from St. Petersburg University has developed a new family of luminescent iridium complexes that, for the first time, realize a unique mechanism of photoactivated proton transfer. In the future, this discovery will potentially allow for the creation of a fundamentally new class of "smart" antitumor drugs that can be activated directly inside tumor cells and tracked in real time by the change in the color of their glow. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-chemists-iridium-compounds-synthesis-smart.html Biochemistry Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:10:01 EST news691679679 Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have discovered a way to breach one of cancer's most stubborn defenses: the impenetrable fortress that solid tumors build around themselves. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ultrasound-jiggled-nanobubbles-cancer-collagen.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:00:44 EST news690650412 Researchers at Oregon State University have developed and tested in a mouse model a new type of nanoparticle that enables the removal of melanoma tumors with a low-power laser. After the systemically administered nanoparticles accumulate in cancerous tissue, exposure to near-infrared light causes them to heat up and destroy the melanoma cells, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nanoparticles-melanoma-tumors-mice-power.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:00:02 EST news689953688 Traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains one of the most pressing public health challenges, leaving millions with lasting disabilities each year. When the brain suffers a sudden impact, from a fall, vehicle accident, or sports collision, it triggers inflammation, oxidative stress, and nerve damage that continue long after the initial trauma. Despite decades of research, the traditional diagnosis and treatment strategies often face limitations such as poor detection and inefficient drug delivery. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-exploring-smart-nanomaterials-traumatic-brain.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 12 Nov 2025 13:36:04 EST news682176961 A new study has found for the first time that magnetoelectric nanoparticles—tiny, wirelessly controlled particles activated by magnetic fields—can both locate and destroy pancreatic tumors in preclinical models, offering a potential new approach to minimally invasively treating one of the deadliest cancers. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-magnetoelectric-nanotherapy-pancreatic-tumors-survival.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:48:04 EST news681479281 Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment, it continues to impose a significant health burden globally. Researchers have now started exploring various innovative methods, such as engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) that can enable targeted drug delivery to cancer cells. While promising, the in vivo behavior of pH-responsive ENMs, which continuously interact with body fluids once administered, remains poorly understood. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-ph-responsive-graphene-nanocarriers-precision.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 07 Aug 2025 10:20:04 EDT news673780802 The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has successfully developed a nanomaterial capable of simultaneously performing cancer diagnosis, treatment, and immune response induction. Compared to conventional nanomaterials that only perform one function, this new material significantly enhances treatment efficiency and is expected to serve as a next-generation cancer therapy platform utilizing nanotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-smart-nanomaterial-cancer-diagnosis-treatment.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:10:01 EDT news670780817 The drug pipeline—the process through which a potential new drug gets discovered, tested, approved, and marketed—is a notoriously long and arduous process, and even the most promising drugs can languish or die on the road to the clinic. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-polymeric-package-breast-cancer-nanoparticle.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 13 Jun 2025 08:55:47 EDT news669023743 Researchers have developed an innovative nano-immune agonist that significantly improves immunotherapy outcomes for melanoma—a highly aggressive and hard-to-treat form of skin cancer. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-smart-nanotherapy-immune-melanoma.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 22 Apr 2025 12:47:20 EDT news664544837 Traditionally, radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery have been the most common ways to remove and destroy malignant cells. However, because these treatments can also damage healthy cells, they often have significant side effects. Today, more precise and targeted therapies are emerging, designed to attack cancer cells while sparing normal tissues. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-precision-cancer-treatment-magnet-nanoparticles.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 06 Mar 2025 12:09:04 EST news660485341 Photoimmunotherapy is an innovative cancer treatment that combines phototherapy with immunotherapy to selectively target and destroy cancer cells. In photoimmunotherapy, a photosensitizer or nanomaterial is introduced into the tumor tissue, and upon exposure to light of a specific wavelength, it triggers a localized therapeutic response. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-nanoplatform-boost-cancer-photoimmunotherapy-effectiveness.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 19 Feb 2025 09:41:22 EST news659180477 Melanoma is a fast-progressing skin cancer characterized by a high mortality rate after metastasis. Local chemotherapy could be considered a therapeutic approach only in stage 0 of progression (in situ melanoma) and in the postoperative phase after surgical removal of suspected skin lesions. For this purpose, drugs such as Imiquimod, 5-Fluorouracil, Dacarbazine, and Doxorubicin have been tested and shown positive effects. Recently, metal nanoparticles as separate therapeutic units or drug carriers have also fallen into the research focus. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-green-tea-derived-nanosilver-complex.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 31 Jan 2025 10:29:02 EST news657541741 Atherosclerosis is the build-up of plaque in the arteries which causes their narrowing. It is a primary cause of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and ischemic stroke (IS), both of which are major contributors to the 17.9 million deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases each year globally. The incidence of atherosclerosis-related conditions has been rising steadily over the past three decades, and particularly in younger populations. The increase is driven by lifestyle factors such as unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-nanoparticle-technology-diagnosis-treatment-atherosclerosis.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 18 Sep 2024 16:38:27 EDT news645896304 A research group from Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) developed a novel method for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) therapy by transplanting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which improved the therapeutic efficacy and realized real-time treatment visualization. The study was published in Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-trimetallic-based-nanocarriers-method-visualized.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:47:03 EDT news645698821 Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have established a new optogenetic approach that can control the bacterial production of proteins at the mRNA level using blue light. The new system gates the activation of the genetic substance particularly effectively and thus surpasses previous approaches. It provides new tools for basic research and biotechnology. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-responsive-gene-mrna.html Biotechnology Wed, 14 Aug 2024 09:17:11 EDT news642845827 In a study published in PNAS, a research team has resolved the first high-resolution structure of the sgc8c DNA aptamer that targets protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7), engineered two optimal sgc8c variants for disease theranostics efficiently, and revealed new principles for the sophisticated structural and functional organization of DNA molecules. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-deciphers-intricate-3d-dna-aptamer.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 19 Jul 2024 11:51:03 EDT news640608662 Bacterial biofilm infections are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among patients with cystic fibrosis or those with weakened immune systems. Treatment for biofilm infections usually entails intensive antibiotic therapy. There is an urgent need for well-designed agents to achieve in vivo diagnosis and precise anti-biofilm therapy without bacterial resistance. Unfortunately, no effective agent has been designed to perform these tasks adequately. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-lanthanide-nanohybrids-pulmonary-biofilm-infections.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:39:48 EDT news637317584 Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, posing a serious threat to female health. Due to the high inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of breast cancer, clinical treatment and prognosis can vary greatly in patients. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-dual-mirna-triggered-dna-nanomachine.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 26 Mar 2024 15:45:03 EDT news630686701 If left to their own devices, bacteria on our teeth or wounded skin can encase themselves in a slimy scaffolding, turning into what is called biofilm. These bacteria wreak havoc on our tissue and, being shielded from antibiotic medication by the slime, are difficult to dislodge. A new strategy may offer a simple way to break up the muck and destroy the bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-sugar-coated-gold-nanoparticles-quickly.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:24:03 EDT news629547841 Recently, a research team led by Prof. Wu Zhengyan from Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration Binzhou Medical University, successfully designed a nanostructure that improves the detection and treatment of tumors. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-tumor-microenvironment-nanostructure-enables-precise.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:45:03 EST news623951101 When it comes to delivering drugs to the body, a major challenge is ensuring that they remain in the area they're treating and continuing to deliver their payload accurately. While major strides have been made in delivering drugs, monitoring them is a challenge that often requires invasive procedures like biopsies. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-self-assembling-self-illuminating-therapeutic-proteins.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 21 Dec 2023 10:47:04 EST news622378021 Upconversion (UC) luminescence is a process that converts low-energy photons into higher-energy ones with promising applications in diverse fields. However, known UC mechanisms mainly focus on the energy transfer processes between metal ions, while the role of organic ligands needs to be explored. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-excited-multimer-supramolecular-upconversion-multicomponent-lanthanide-organic.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 02 Nov 2023 09:57:02 EDT news618137820 Physicians and researchers rely on biomedical imaging to examine the structure and function of living tissue. This enables disease diagnostics and experiments that reveal the mechanisms behind pathologies and ways to treat them. The most popular techniques for radiation-free imaging are ultrasound and MRI scans. Optoacoustics, on the other hand, is a promising emerging approach only recently introduced into clinical practice. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-scientists-mri-ultrasound-optoacoustics-medical.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 26 Sep 2023 09:05:55 EDT news614937950 Fluorescence-guided intervention strategies can improve standard therapies to detect and treat microscopic tumors to thereby prevent lethal recurrence. Cancer biologists have made tremendous progress in photoimmunotherapy and nanotechnology to treat metastasis, although the effects of such techniques are limited by heterogeneous effects. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-nanotherapy-fluorescence-guided-photoimmunotherapy-peritoneal-carcinomatosis.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 25 Sep 2023 11:10:01 EDT news614857190 Atherosclerosis is characterized by the hardening of blood vessels, especially certain arteries, due to the local buildup of fibers and lipids (mainly cholesterol) in the inner wall of an artery, causing it to narrow. It is a complex disease that can trigger life-threatening events, such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-atherosclerosis-diagnosis-ultrasmall-calcium-carbonate.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 14 Sep 2023 09:52:03 EDT news613903921 Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a new approach to potentially detect and kill cancer cells, especially those that form a solid tumor mass. They have created hybrid nanoparticles made of gold and copper sulfide that can kill cancer cells using heat and enable their detection using sound waves, according to a study published in ACS Applied Nano Materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-hybrid-nanoparticles-cancer-cells.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:49:03 EDT news613648141 A new nanocomplex renders a tumor harmless—and, on top of that, it trains the immune system to detect and eliminate metastases. https://phys.org/news/2023-09-nanocomplex-unleashes-immune-metastases.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 07 Sep 2023 10:07:03 EDT news613300021