Micro-Leads Medical, Inc., a clinical neurostimulation startup developing a high-resolution spinal cord stimulation therapy for treating chronic focal pain without opioids, announced that it was awarded $10 million in therapy development funding. With the funding Micro-Leads will further develop its HD64TM implantable therapy system and launch a clinical study in patients led by Julie Pilitsis, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics and professor of Neurosurgery at Albany Medical College. Take a closer look.

Columbia scientists have captured the first images of a new gene editing tool that could improve upon existing CRISPR-based tools. The team developed the tool, called INTEGRATE, after discovering a unique “jumping gene” in Vibrio cholerae bacteria that could insert large genetic payloads in the genome without introducing DNA breaks. In the new study, published today in Nature, the researchers harnessed a Nobel Prize-winning technique called cryo-electron microscopy to freeze the gene editing complex in action, revealing high-resolution details about how it works. Take a closer look.

Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have developed a machine-learning algorithm capable of predicting biological targets of prospective drug molecules.The new tool, described in a paper in Nature Communications on Nov. 19, could speed the development of new and better drugs, as well as the repurposing of existing drugs. Working with a pharmaceutical company, the scientists used the artificial intelligence (AI) tool to predict the target of a potent anticancer compound whose mechanism in cells was not previously known. Take a closer look.

A new study reveals the mechanism that helps pancreatic cancer cells avoid starvation within dense tumors by hijacking a process that pulls nutrients in from their surroundings. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study explains how changes in the gene RAS-known to encourage the abnormal growth seen in 90 percent of pancreatic cancer patients-also accelerate a process that supplies the building blocks required for that growth. Take a closer look.

The names “Verma and Steidl” don’t roll off the tongue the way “Brady and Belichick” and “Bert and Ernie” do. But it would be hard to imagine a more productive research duo. That’s because over the past decade, longtime Einstein colleagues Amit Verma, M.B.B.S., and Ulrich Steidl, M.D., Ph.D., have coauthored several dozen peer-reviewed papers, adding immensely to the understanding of two closely intertwined diseases: myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia. Take a closer look.

Quadrant Biosciences Inc., a developer of novel diagnostic solutions, announced the release of Clarifi ASD™, the first-ever epigenetic test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Clarifi ASD™ is designed to aid the diagnosis of autism in children 18 months through six years of age. Quadrant Biosciences is a StartUpNY company headquarter at Upstate Medical University Central New York Biotech Accelerator. Take a closer look.

One of the potentially life-altering side effects that patients experience after cranial radiotherapy for brain cancer is cognitive impairment. Researchers now believe that they have pinpointed why this occurs and these findings could point the way for new therapies to protect the brain from the damage caused by radiation. The new study – which appears in the journal Scientific Reports – shows that radiation exposure triggers an immune response in the brain that severs connections between nerve cells. Take a closer look.

A computer betting game can help predict the likelihood that someone recovering from opioid addiction will reuse the pain-relieving drugs, a new study shows. The game, now being developed as an app, tests each patient’s comfort with risk-taking, producing mathematical scores called betas long used by economists to measure consumers’ willingness to try new products. The team then used a statistical test to see whether changes in risk-taking comfort tracked with opioid reuse, and found that people who placed higher-risk bets had higher beta scores. Take a closer look.

A study led by researchers from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and Oregon Health & Science University, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases,showed that, despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART), antigen specific memory to vaccinations that occurred before HIV infection did not recover, even after immune reconstitution. Additionally, a previously unrealized decline in pre-existing antibody response was also observed. Take a closer look.

New research appearing in the journal Scientific Reports unpacks the list of chemicals that comprise flavored e-liquids and pods used in vaping and details their harmful effects to lung tissue, including inflammation and genetic damage that could indicate long-term risk for respiratory disease and even cancer. Take a closer look.

Asthma is a serious health condition with a significant impact on our community. Flatbush and East Flatbush are on the list of top 10 New York City neighborhoods impacted by the disease. In fact, in Central Brooklyn, asthma prevalence is 14.1%, among the highest in the country. Research by Downstate’s highly respected Division of Allergy and Immunology continues to decipher the environmental and genetic bases of asthma with its most recent investigations focused on the link between childhood asthma and parental cancer. Take a closer look.

An estimated 30% of adults experience insomnia, and a new study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons suggests that diet may be partly to blame. The study found that postmenopausal women who consumed a diet high in refined carbohydrates-particularly added sugars-were more likely to develop insomnia. Take a closer look.

What is the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, and how is it changing the practice of health care as we know it? That was the subject of the eighth annual SinaInnovations Conference, held Tuesday, October 15, and Wednesday, October 16, in Stern Auditorium. The event featured leading physicians and scientists from academia and industry who spoke about their work in deploying AI-the most powerful technology under development-to augment discovery and clinical use. Take a closer look.

No one ever wants to hear about a sick or injured child. That’s especially true when the child’s condition requires emergency care. Unfortunately, there is a large gap in knowledge about pediatric emergency medical services (EMS), which makes research into significantly improving emergency care in young patients especially crucial. Take a closer look.

On this episode of “Well Said With Dr. Ira Nash” we’re talking about bisphenol-A or BPA, a chemical used to make plastics like water bottles and resins that line the inside of food and drink cans. Although there is ongoing debate about BPA safety, the US Food and Drug Administration maintains that BPA poses no risk to health in the tiny amounts of it we get in our diets. Yet many medical and scientific experts continue to raise the red flag about its potentially harmful effects, particularly to the development of infants and young children. Take a closer look.

Rachel Yehuda, PhD, a world-renowned researcher whose pioneering discoveries have revolutionized the study and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Yehuda is Professor and Vice Chair for Veterans Affairs for the Department of Psychiatry, Professor of Neuroscience, and Director of the Traumatic Stress Studies Division at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Take a closer look.

Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Virginia School of Medicine have received a grant from theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Three Lakes Partners , a philanthropic family organization, to fund the first precision medicine research initiative aiming to transform the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial lung diseases, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Take a closer look.

Brian B. Ratliff, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and physiology and director, Accelerated Master’s Program, and Michael S. Wolin, Ph.D., professor of physiology, received a five-year $410,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for “NOX4-associated Oxidative Stress Mediates Vascular and Kidney Impairment in the Low Birth Weight Adult.”Take a closer look.