Stiffness: a new piece of the breast cancer puzzle
A new study has linked the stiffness of breast tissue to the progression of a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer. Published in Nature Medicine this month, the study may help clinicians differentiate between aggressive forms of the disease, which tend to have a poor prognosis, and less deadly forms. University of Toronto Assistant Professor […]
Health grants advance research in dental disease and cancer therapy
From gum disease to new cancer therapy, health concerns that affect millions are at the heart of two new Collaborative Health Research Projects (CHRPs) involving Professors Warren Chan (IBBME) and Eli Sone (IBBME, MSE). Making recovery from gum disease “stick” Assistant Professor Sone and his collaborators, Associate Professor Bernhard Ganss and Professor Chris McCulloch, are […]
Can epileptic seizures be predicted and prevented?
Every day, 42 Canadians learn they have epilepsy. This chronic disorder touches 50 million people worldwide, and in the past, it’s even affected geniuses like Napoleon Bonaparte, Beethoven and Vincent Van Gogh. For Epilepsy Awareness Month, U of T’s Erin Vollick sat down with a leading neurological researcher at the University of Toronto, Professor Berj […]
A tale of two guts: Joint study discovers digestion mechanisms
You may have heard of a pacemaker for improving function of a human heart, but have you ever considered one for bowel functions? In a study published this week in Nature Communications, a group of researchers have uncovered a previously unknown process in the human digestive system. This discovery could lead to successful ‘pacemaker’ treatments […]
3D Microgels “On-demand” Offer New Potential for Cell Research, the Future of Personalized Medicine
Stars, diamonds, circles. Rather than your average bowl of Lucky Charms, these are three-dimensional cell cultures that can be generated by a new digital microfluidics platform from researchers at U of T’s Institute for Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). Published this week in Nature Communications, the tool can be used to study cells in cost-efficient, […]
Turning Back the Clock on Aging Muscles? New Study Supports the Possibility of Localized Rejuvenation
A study co-published in Nature Medicine this week by University of Toronto researcher Penney Gilbert (IBBME) has determined a stem cell based method for restoring strength to damaged skeletal muscles of the elderly. Skeletal muscles are some of the most important in the body, supporting functions such as sitting, standing, blinking and swallowing. In aging […]
Collective Migration Study Suggests That Cells Move Like School of Fish
A new study from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) is challenging some of science’s fundamental understandings of cellular behaviour. The foundational study, published in this month’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests that unlike what was previously understood, cells do not communicate movements by being joined, but instead move […]
U of T Engineer Seeks To Solve the Sitting Dilemma
Pressure sores. They’re the number one reason for infection, hospitalization and mortality amongst North America’s 2.2 million wheelchair users. And a new sensory system developed by U of T Professor Milos Popovic (IBBME) and partner SensiMAT Systems could help eradicate them. Although seemingly minor, even the most well treated sores can be life threatening. This […]
Milica Radisic Wins NSERC Steacie Fellowship
U of T engineer Milica Radisic (IBBME/ChemE) has won one of six E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowships. The competitive and prestigious fellowship is given by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) to enhance the career development of outstanding and highly promising university faculty who are earning a strong international reputation for original research. […]
