medical implants

(Yale University) Researchers at Yale University have created a blueprint for artificial cells that are more powerful and efficient than the natural cells they mimic and could one day be used to power tiny medical implants.

(Ohio State University) Plastic coatings could someday help neural implants treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease and macular degeneration.

The coatings encourage neurons in the body to grow and connect with the electrodes that provide treatment.

Researchers report for the first time that bacteria use a sense of touch in deciding where to form biofilms. Those colonies of microbes grow on medical implants and other devices and play a key role in the multi-billion-dollar-per-year problem of antibiotic resistant infections.

The finding could lead to safer implant materials for fighting biofilms, which are linked to thousands of deaths each year, the scientists say.

Researchers in Korea report development of a way to double production of a sticky protein from marine mussels destined for use as an antibacterial coating to prevent life-threatening infections in medical implants.

The coating, produced by genetically-engineered bacteria, could cut medical costs and improve implant safety, the researchers say.