MedTech News
.................... by Andrew Celentano
Experimental drug shows potential for hard-to-treat heart disease
An experimental drug has been shown to improve symptoms, exercise capacity and heart failure status in patients with an inherited heart disease, according to a pair of newly published studies.
Scholar Rock secures first FDA approval for muscle-targeting rare disease drug
Scholar Rock’s spinal muscular atrophy drug, now to be called Isembyld, was originally rejected in September 2025, when the FDA cited compliance problems at a third-party manufacturer.
Hidden proteins in ‘non-coding’ RNA may offer new clues to cancer progression
Scientists have long believed that large stretches of our genetic material, known as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), help regulate genes but do not produce proteins. A new study by Stav Zok and Professor Michal Linial from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggests that this picture is incomplete.
Magnetic pulses reprogram immune cells to fight breast cancer in preclinical models
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have demonstrated an innovative approach for targeted breast cancer therapy using pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs). The NUS team successfully reprogrammed tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), a corrupted class of immune cells that typically promote cancer growth, into an active anti-tumor state that attacks and destroys cancer cells.
Blocking gene boosts T-cell attacks on chronic hepatitis B virus and tumors
A research team led by Professor Zhou Xuyu from the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from Beijing Ditan Hospital and Capital Medical University, has identified ANKRD11 as a key regulator that reduces the activity of CD8+ T cells during chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and cancer. The researchers found that ANKRD11 suppresses the AP-1 signaling pathway, which usually helps CD8+ T cells mount effective responses against infections and tumors.
Smartphone-controlled microneedle patch could offer drug-free pain care from afar
A “wearable electroceutical” has been developed that could reduce the need to visit a hospital or rely on painkillers every time pain occurs. When attached to the skin, it modulates pain through electrical stimulation and can be remotely controlled via smartphone even across long distances, such as between Korea and the United States.
Brain-computer interface enables avatar speech and gestures for people with paralysis
A scientific team has shown that a new brain-computer interface (BCI) can allow people with vocal tract and bodily paralysis to convey both speech and upper-body gestures simultaneously. While BCIs have facilitated one or the other in the past, this new system is the first to enable both modes of communication at once, more closely replicating natural expression.
Microproteins provide new playbook for Alzheimer’s research
Scientists researching Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration have been playing a difficult game. Their scientific playbook has been limited by the available resources that, while capturing loads of genes, proteins and cells, have been missing something: microproteins.