Latest news stories - April 2025 - Click the links to read more
Uncovering the relationship between life and sound
There's a sensation that you experience -- near a plane taking off or a speaker bank at a concert -- from a sound so total that you feel it in your very being. When this happens, not only do your brain and ears perceive it, but your cells may also. Sound is also a vital source of environmental information for living beings, while its capacity to induce physiological responses at the cell level is only just beginning to be understood.
First Patients Join Study of Home-Use Exoskeleton
Wandercraft, a pioneer in walking robotics and a Cure resident company, has enrolled the first patients in its U.S.-based pivotal clinical trial of its novel Personal Exoskeleton, the first self-balancing robot designed for home use. The trial marks a major step forward in Wandercraft’s mission to restore walking mobility to individuals with severe mobility impairments, particularly severe spinal cord injuries (SCI).
Individual organ age could predict dementia and heart disease
A team led by researchers at University College London in the United Kingdom has found that a blood test to detect the biological age of organs can predict the risk of health conditions years, or even decades later. Their study, published in The Lancet Digital Health, found that faster aging of a specific organ increases the likelihood of diseases affecting the whole body.
Bite-sized chunks of chicken with the texture of whole meat can be grown in the lab
A bioreactor that mimics a circulatory system can deliver nutrients and oxygen to artificial tissue, enabling the production of over 10 grams of chicken muscle for cultured meat applications. "This system enables cell distribution, alignment, contractility, and improved food-related properties. It offers a practical alternative to vascular-based methods and may impact not only food production but also regenerative medicine and drug testing."
Genetic data is another asset to be exploited – beware who has yours!
The bankruptcy of genealogy company 23andMe has resulted in a fire sale of millions of people’s genetic information – and there’s no shortage of eager buyers with questionable motives. Genetic data can reveal a lot about a person, from health predispositions to food preferences. But the important thing is that genetic data is unique and immutable. If your credit card is hacked, you can get a new replacement. But you can’t get a new genome.