Tag Archives: medicine

Recent clinical trials of microfluidic devices

After I heard about a clinical trial for a microfluidic device that detects circulating cancer cells, I started wondering how many other microfluidic devices are in clinical trials.  A quick search turned up only seven studies (and two of those were withdrawn). Interestingly, five of the seven trials have some connection to the University of [...]
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Microfluidics for studying cancer metastasis

What causes cancer cells to become metastatic, moving beyond their local environment to infiltrate other parts of the body? Some researchers have called metastasis “the most dangerous event in cancer,” and many believe that a better understanding of metastasis could lead to new cancer treatments. Microfluidics researchers have long been investigating metastasis, because metastasis is all [...]
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Microfluidics tackles HIV

In recognition of World AIDS Day today, here’s a highlight of some of the microfluidics work addressing HIV. In particular, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology professor Utkan Demirci has published several recent papers on using microfluidics for HIV, in addition to work from the Toner lab, Rodriguez lab, Whitesides lab and others. Using microfluidics for point-of-care [...]
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Dec 3rd: The Social Responsibility of the Scientist

I’ve been interested in technology and culture issues for a long time. I remember as a kid reading a speech by Richard Feynman on the value of science. In it, he tells a story about how science is like a key that can open the gates of heaven or hell, depending on how we use [...]
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Dec 1st CIMIT Forum: Life Science Innovation

I’ve posted about the CIMIT forum before — it’s a terrific series of talks on the integration of technology and medicine.  This week there’s an especially cool program on investing in life science innovation, including speakers Juan Enriquez of Excel Medical Ventures and Biotechonomy and Luis Barros of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. In [...]
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Why the boom in cancer nanotechnology?

In the last decade, a ton of work has been done in cancer nanotechnology, with over 2500 articles published since the 80s, entire conferences devoted to the topic, and products already launched, such as the nanoparticle paclitaxel drug Abraxane. Of the 74 nanoparticle clinical trials currently on record in the US, 65 of them are [...]
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Science In the News – a Harvard seminar series

More talks! Swine flu, green technologies, stem cells, gene therapy–we hear about science almost every day in the news. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more, check out this seminar series run by Science In the News (SITN),  a group of Harvard Ph.D. students enthusiastic about communicating science to the public. On Wednesday, September 23rd, [...]
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3 great microfluidics talks on the web

If you can’t attend the microfluidics talks I’ve posted for the Boston area, there are some excellent talks on the web. Check out these three from leaders in the field: 1. George Whitesides talks about paper microfluidic diagnostics and much more at TEDBoston. 20 minutes. (2009) 2. Stephen Quake asks, “Is it beyond the reach of physics [...]
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Micro/Nano-technology Seminar Series @MIT

The organizers of the Micro/Nano-technology Seminar Series (MNSS) at MIT have put together a fantastic lineup this fall. Unless otherwise noted, the talks are held on Thursdays at 3pm in Building 36 on the fourth-floor (Room [...]
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Screening of Coma with author Robin Cook

As part of its Science on Screen series, the Coolidge Corner Theatre will be showing the film Coma (1978) on Monday, September 21st at 7pm. Author Robin Cook will give an introduction, discussing medical and ethical issues in the film, which was directed by fellow physician-author Michael Crichton. A young surgical resident unearths a chilling conspiracy [...]
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