news 2016

Magnets instead of antibiotics could provide a possible new treatment method for blood infection. This involves the blood of patients being mixed with magnetic iron particles, which bind the bacteria to them after which they are removed from the blood using magnets.

ETH researchers have discovered that certain cells in the immune system suppress the development of lymphedema. Anti-inflammatory therapies could therefore be the key to treating this previously incurable condition. When the tissue fluid in our arms or legs can no longer drain properly, it begins to accumulate.

ETH researchers have discovered a molecule in liver cells that controls the release of fat into the bloodstream. This 'lock keeper? is present in large quantities in overweight people and leads indirectly to vascular narrowing. Anyone attending Munich's famous Oktoberfest will know it can leave physical traces; fatty foods and plenty of alcohol cause the liver to work overtime.

A research team at Empa and ETH Zurich has developed single crystals made of lead halide perovskites, which are able to gage radioactive radiation with high precision. Initial experiments have shown that these crystals, which can be manufactured from aqueous solutions or low-priced solvents, work just as well as conventional cadmium telluride semi-conductors, which are considerably more complicated to produce.

EPFL researchers have used a nanowire to detect prostate cancer with greater accuracy than ever before. Their device is ten times more sensitive than any other biosensor available. Researchers at EPFL's Integrated Systems Laboratory (LSI/STI) have developed a new type of sensor that can detect tiny quantities of these markers and thus improve diagnostic accuracy.

Synthetic biology is an emerging and rapidly evolving engineering discipline.

Many tourists returning from India were found colonized with multidrug-resistant 'superbugs'.

Two research projects of the National Research Programme Resource Wood have developed new processes to replace petroleum with wood for the production of important chemicals.

Novartis today released new results from the largest global survey to date of people with psoriasis.

14. Scientists at EPFL have found a way to starve liver cancer cells by blocking a protein that is required for their metabolism - while leaving normal cells intact. The discovery opens new ways to treat liver cancer. Primary liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with current treatments being very limited.

13. One of the major obstacles with treating cancer is that tumors can conscript the body's immune cells and make them work for them. Researchers at EPFL have now found a way to reclaim the corrupted immune cells, turn them into signals for the immune system to attack the tumor, and even prevent metastasis.

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) In colorectal cancer, the presence of invasive tumor cells at the advancing edge of the tumor can provide valuable information on prognosis.

22. EPFL scientists have elucidated for the first time how a notoriously elusive serotonin receptor functions with atom-level detail. The receptor transmits electrical signals in neurons and is involved in various disorders, meaning that the discovery opens the way for new treatments. Serotonin is a major neurotransmitter, regulating mood, appetite, sleep, memory, learning, and other functions by binding to dedicated receptor proteins.

Media releases, information for representatives of the media Media Relations (E) Paracetamol did not show any clinically relevant efficacy in the most comprehensive analysis of pain relievers among patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis to date. In contrast, the medicine diclofenac is more effective than many newer pain relievers on the market.

Colon cancer cells that are pretreated with an ingredient found in cruciferous vegetables are more likely to be killed by a cancer drug that is currently in development, found ETH scientists. This is one of only a few examples of a food ingredient that, in moderate amounts, has a positive influence on the efficacy of a cancer drug.

Genetic sequencing is in widespread use today, but until now has not been accurate enough to identify an antibody immune response. Now, thanks to a new control system based on genetic barcodes, the technique is far more reliable - and ready for use in the development of vaccines and antibody drugs. Researchers in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich in Basel have developed a new method that allows them to record the vast range of antibodies in an individual, genetically in one fell swoop.

Tissue section from an intraductal xenograft's hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, stained for fibrillar collagen networks © G. Sflomos/EPFL 03. EPFL scientists have developed an animal model for breast cancer that faithfully captures the disease. Tested on human breast tissue, this the most clinically realistic model for breast cancer to date.

22. A portable and low-cost diagnostic device has been developed at EPFL. This microfluidic tool, which has been tested with Ebola, requires no bulky equipment. It is thus ideally suited for use in remote regions. When remote regions with limited health facilities experience an epidemic, they need portable diagnostic equipment that functions outside the hospital.

In patients with heart failure, the pumping power of the heart decreases in a fatal downward spiral. Pharmacologists at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich have now succeeded in breaking this vicious circle in the mouse model. Their approach could one day also benefit humans. Everyday physical activities become an ordeal, climbing stairs is a major undertaking, and patients often become completely bedridden, suffering from constant fatigue.

19. Researchers led by EPFL have found how lactate, a waste product of glucose metabolism can protect neurons from damage following acute trauma such as stroke or spinal cord injury. Stroke or spinal cord injury can cause nerve cells to receive excessive stimulation, which ultimately damages and even kills them.