Cochlear implants already help those with auditory damage to hear better , but what if they could also grow new nerves while they’re there? Scientists at the UNSW have discovered a way to do just that, at least in hamsters. After they introduced a gene therapy solution, a modified cochlear implant used electrical pulses to deliver the treatment directly to auditory nerve cells. That successfully re-generated so-called neurotrophins in the animals, which in turn aided nerve development and significantly improved the implant’s effect. Such therapy could one day help the hearing-impaired to pick up sounds better, especially the subtle tones in music. There’s a long ways to go prior to human trials, however, since it was only effective in the hamsters for a short time. But it could one day be included as part of cochlear implant therapy and even help other nerve-related conditions, like Parkinson’s disease or depression. [Image credit: UNSW Translational Neuroscience Facility] Filed under: Science , Alt Comments Via: The Verge Source: UNSW

See original article:
Amped-up ear implant helps to re-grow auditory nerves

Despite how far we’ve come with technology, malaria is still a serious threat for huge chunks of the developing world. A prototype tool from UK-outfit QuantuMDx, however, could help stave off mosquito-related deaths by giving health-workers the power to diagnose the disease in 10 – 15 minutes. As the team tells it , typical DNA sequencing can take days, weeks or even months, but its “lab on a chip” can rapidly diagnose a disease and accurately predict which drug and what dosage to administer — all based on the virus’ genetic code. That last bit is key because malaria has a nasty habit of being resistant to medications. The device hitting prototype phase is one of the first steps along the way to mass-deployment, and its initial round of clinical trials is scheduled for later this year. QuantuMDx stresses that the device is a low-cost way for workers in developing countries to help battle the disease; the team’s aiming for, “around the price of a smartphone, ” with test cartridges costing $5-10. {Image credit: Dmitrijs Bindemanis/Shutterstock ] Filed under: Science , Alt Comments Source: QuantuMDx

View article:
Hand-held malaria tester sequences DNA, suggests meds quickly