The World Health Organization estimates that a quarter of death and disease globally is caused by hazards and environmental burdens in developing countries with little to no access to preventative care and diagnostic devices. Since developing countries are poor agricultural regions that are still becoming economically and socially advanced, it is harder for doctors to […]
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Neuroimaging could be the key to early autism diagnoses
Functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) may be able to predict the chances of developing autism by the age of 2 in high-risk 6-month old infants, according to a new study in the Science Translational Medicine journal. Autism is characterized by challenges in social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. People with autism also […]
Researchers combine modified insulin and red blood cells to regulate blood sugar in diabetic mice
Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have designed a glucose-responsive “smart” insulin delivery system using modified insulin and red blood cells. In an animal study of mice with Type I diabetes, the system effectively reduced blood sugar levels for 48 hours. The team’s work was published […]
Researchers win $1.8m NIH grant to develop implantable system for HIV prevention
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill won a $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop an implantable drug delivery system for sustained HIV-prevention. The team said it plans to develop an injectable system that steadily releases pre-exposure prophylaxis over long periods of time. The injectable compound is […]
Paper pump powers microfluidic devices for less than a dime
North Carolina researchers have developed a pump that powers microfluidic devices using paper. The inexpensive paper pump – developed by researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – uses capillary actions to power portable microfluidic devices, which control fluids of 1 ml or less volume. “One longstanding […]
Researchers develop responsive, insulin-releasing skin patch
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a skin patch that measures blood glucose levels and releases insulin when levels climb too high. The team’s work testing the patch in mice was published earlier this month […]