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Converting Medical Scans to 3D Models and Augmented Reality for Medical Education
Medical imaging has revolutionized our ability to non-invasively peer into the body and spot problems. However, interpreting such images correctly is a skilled task, requiring years of specialized training. Medical scans show a series of 2D images representing a cross-sectional view of the body; so, identifying specific features and understanding how the image relates to the patient’s body is not straightforward. While 3D medical images can sometimes be created by stacking 2D images together, this typically requires specialized computers, software, and training, making such imagery less accessible for medical education. Illustrative images that can be created quickly and cheaply could greatly enhance medical education and would also be beneficial for clinicians.
Radialis: Organ-Targeted PET Imaging for Precision Medicine
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique widely used to diagnose and monitor cancer patients. Before undergoing a PET scan, a clinician injects radiotracers into a patient’s bloodstream, which accumulate in different tissues. These radiotracers emit radiation that can be detected by the PET scanner, resulting in an image that shows their distribution throughout the body. By analyzing the images, a clinician can identify problematic tissues based on differences in radiotracer distribution. For example, certain radiotracers accumulate more in cancer cells, meaning that tumors appear brighter on a PET image. Unfortunately, PET scans expose patients to potentially harmful amounts of ionizing radiation.
Dr Sibylle Maria Kneissl | The Flipped Classroom: Facilitating Deeper Learning in Veterinary Education
This term, the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna is implementing a new learning approach called ‘flipped classroom’. The flipped classroom approach reverses the conventional classroom environment. Instead of attending lectures and doing tasks at home, students first learn at home, share their opinions in an online forum, and then collaborate to complete assignments in the classroom. Traditional learning approaches typically control students’ learning, directing their thoughts and feelings. In contrast, flipped classrooms allow students to study in their own time, motivating them to take control of their own learning and receive guidance from teachers when they need it.
Dr Juan José Martínez-García | Unlocking the Secrets of Sepsis: How Early Immune Responses Hold the Key to Survival
Inflammation is a coordinated response to bacterial and viral infections, involving the activation of white blood cells through receptors on their cell membranes. Normally, this process is highly regulated. However, if an imbalance occurs, complications can arise, such as sepsis, which is an excessive inflammatory response promoted by infections. During sepsis, an intense immune response is triggered, and a cascade of inflammatory molecules are released.
Dr. Jennifer Wilson | A New Approach for Identifying Drug Interactions
Understanding how different drugs can interact with one another is vital for patient wellbeing. While some drug combinations can cause worsening symptoms or dangerous complications, others may alleviate symptoms and help the patient to recover more quickly. Therefore, knowing which drug combinations to pursue and which to avoid is critical. In many cases, the effects of drug combinations arise because two drugs bind to the same target protein, particularly if they share similar properties. However, this is not the case for all drug interactions.
Professor Agata Mikolajczyk-Martinez | Dehydration, Heat and Chemotherapy Could Offer a Knockout Punch for Peritoneal Cancer
When cancer spreads to the peritoneal cavity, where the stomach and intestines are located, the prognosis is typically poor. In many cases, peritoneal cancer is discovered at an advanced stage, and survival rates can be as low as three months. Such cancers appear as many tiny nodules on the outside of organs in the cavity, making surgical removal difficult. One option is to introduce chemotherapy drugs directly into the cavity, where they can bathe the outside of the organs. Heating the fluid containing the drug to approximately 43 degrees Celsius has been shown to improve effectiveness in killing the cancer. However, even with these enhancements, the treatment only helps a small proportion of patients. There is a clear need for more effective therapies.
Dr Lars Wojtecki | Treating Alzheimer’s Disease with a New Brain Stimulation Technique
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that causes problems with memory, mood, and the ability to perform daily activities. Although there are medicines available to ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, there is currently no cure. Therefore, patients slowly deteriorate over time due to neural damage that prevents the exchange of messages between cells. The search for a treatment to slow or even reverse the progression of the disease is ongoing. Recently, a new type of brain-stimulation therapy, called transcranial pulse stimulation, or TPS, has been approved for use in Alzheimer’s patients.
Good Practice for ALK+ Lung Cancer Patients
This animation has been prepared by the ALK Positive Lung Cancer charity and is intended for patients who have been diagnosed with ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer, most of whom are diagnosed at stage 4. Patients have the right to accurate and up-to-date information on their prognosis, treatment and care from their medical team and patient organisations. Being informed and empowered to participate in shared decisions about their own treatment can be hugely beneficial for patients, and this animation will cover some of the topics that patients may have questions about.
Dr Yong Cheng | New Insights into How Blood Cells are Produced
During the production of new blood cells, stem cells first develop into progenitor cells. These progenitor cells undergo further rounds of differentiation to produce different types of blood cells. Each type of blood cell has a different function. For example, red blood cells transport oxygen around the blood, whereas various types of white blood cells play different roles in fighting infection. However, overactive white blood cells also play a role in auto-immune conditions, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. As such, scientists are trying to better understand how blood cells develop, to find new ways of treating these conditions.
Understanding ALK+ Lung Cancer
If you have recently been diagnosed with ALK+ lung cancer, you likely have many questions. This short animation will discuss what ALK+ lung cancer is, common symptoms, and some commonly prescribed treatments. We will also include information for carers of those with ALK+ lung cancer and discuss the value of other forms of support, such as attending support groups, and making lifestyle choices that can help you to maintain physical and mental wellbeing.
Prof. Christian Bréchot | A New Therapeutic Avenue for Alzheimer’s and Diabetic Neuropathy
Many diseases can emerge as we age, with metabolic disorders such as diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, representing two reasonably common age-related illnesses. Many age-related diseases share common underlying mechanisms, including inflammation, a build-up of reactive oxygen molecules that can damage cellular components, and insulin insensitivity. Treatments that can target these mechanisms could have transformational effects on age-related diseases.
Empowering Families with FRAIT: A Transformative Public Health Tool
Family resilience is the ability of a family to respond positively to an adverse situation, and emerge from the situation feeling strengthened, more resourceful and more confident than its prior state. The family is seen as a unit, and resilience refers to the family itself rather than the individual members. Families can be confronted with a multitude of challenges at any time. Those with newborn babies and young children are particularly vulnerable to stress. In the face of economic hardship, health crises, and other unforeseen adversities, it is remarkable to see families harnessing their resilience.
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