Health sciences and technology

A step closer to artificial liversResearchers identify compounds that help liver cells grow outside the body.

Evaluating a new way to open clogged arteriesComputational model offers insight into mechanisms of drug-coated balloons.

Sorting out the structure of a Parkinson’s proteinComputer modeling may resolve conflicting results and offer hints for new drug-design strategies.

Peter Szolovits honored with Morris F. Collen Award of ExcellenceProfessor cited for 'commitment and dedication to biomedical informatics'

How the brain loses and regains consciousnessStudy reveals brain patterns produced by a general anesthesia drug; work could help doctors better monitor patients.

Some cancer mutations slow tumor growthSurprising result suggests that enhancing these mutations’ impact could offer a new way to treat cancer.

Big medical dataAt the intersection of medicine and computer science, researchers look for clinically useful correlations amid mountains of information.

New material harvests energy from water vaporPolymer film could be used in artificial muscle and to power micro- and nanoelectronic devices.

Tiny tools help advance medical discoveriesMIT researchers are designing tools to analyze cells at the microscale.

Recent Course X grad named one of Forbes magazine's '30 Under 30'Pedro Valencia PhD '12 honored for drug research.

New technology may enable earlier cancer diagnosisNanoparticles amplify tumor signals, making them much easier to detect in the urine.

Tissue engineering: Growing new organs, and moreResearch could lead to better ways to heal injuries and develop new drugs.

Inspiration from a porcupine’s quillsUnderstanding the mechanisms behind quill penetration and extraction could help engineers design better medical devices.

Precisely engineering 3-D brain tissuesNew design technique could enable personalized medicine, studies of brain wiring.

On the hunt for rare cancer cellsJellyfish-inspired device that rapidly and efficiently captures cancer cells from blood samples could enable better patient monitoring.

Medical devices powered by the ear itselfFor the first time, researchers power an implantable electronic device using an electrical potential — a natural battery — deep in the inner ear.

Inside the unconscious brainNew study reveals brain-wave patterns that mark loss of consciousness during anesthesia.

Taking the sting out of medical tapeNew adhesive comes off quickly, sparing infants’ delicate skin from damage.

How cancer cells break free from tumorsNew MIT study identifies adhesion molecules key to cancer’s spread through the body.

Replicating living structuresResearch examines how to control spatial distribution of cells in microenvironments

Merging tissue and electronicsNew tissue scaffold could be used for drug development and implantable therapeutic devices.

New nanoparticles shrink tumors in miceParticles that shut off cancer genes could also allow researchers to screen potential drug targets more rapidly.

Success of engineered tissue depends on where it’s grownCells grown on different types of scaffolds vary in their ability to help repair damaged blood vessels.

Sana AudioPulse wins Mobile Health Challenge

New energy source for future medical implants: sugarImplantable fuel cell built at MIT could power neural prosthetics that help patients regain control of limbs.

Researchers achieve RNA interference, in a lighter packagePared-down nucleic acid nanoparticle poses less risk of side effects, offers better targeting.

Alumnus, incoming MBA student win Soros Fellowships