News in Numbers

350,000 

Deepmind’s AlphaFold program has been used to predict the structures of 350,000 proteins belonging to humans and other organisms.

1,000

Medical imaging company Nanox has partnered with EiLEENO Pharma to send 1,000 of its digital X-ray systems and companion cloud service software to Nigeria.

120,000 

Using an automatic tool, a team from the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London were able to label more than 120,000 MRI images in less than 30 minutes.

2.1 billion 

The approximate number of personal protective equipment items that have been deemed unfit for use in clinical settings in the UK, according to the Commons Public Accounts Committee.

30,000

The number of children across England that are due to be assessed using a heel prick blood test to identify if they have a ‘faulty gene’ that causes familial hypercholesterolaemia.

  Top Stories 

New AI tech for early detection of prostate cancer

An artificial intelligence (AI) program developed at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia could catch signs of prostate cancer earlier, allowing for incidental detection through routine computed tomography scans.

Source: Eureka Alert

Blood flow monitored with stretchable ultrasound patch

The new ultrasound patch developed at the University of California San Diego can continuously monitor blood flow, blood pressure and heart function in real-time. Wearing such a device could make it easier to identify the onset of cardiovascular problems.

Source: The Engineer

Medical devices industry tests UK plans for post-Brexit divergence

Hopes of the UK becoming a global innovation hub for new medical devices after Brexit will be stifled if the UK diverges from EU standards in search of a post-Brexit regulatory dividend, industry experts have warned.

Source: Financial Times

DNA origami to trap viruses inside body

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a method to create tiny virus traps that can bind viral particles and render them harmless within the body. The technique relies on DNA origami to create self-assembling hollow nanocapsules, which are lined with molecules that will bind viruses and prevent them from leaving.

Source: Medgadget

Embracing Emerging Technologies 

AAVantgarde Bio

Italy-based AAVantgarde Bio is an innovative biotech start-up that is currently focused on developing gene therapies for inherited retinal disorders.

Source: AAVantgarde Bio

Echopoint Medical

Echopoint Medical is a spinout company from University College London, UK, which develops optical sensing technology to help heart disease patients where the need for treatment is unclear.

Source: Echopoint Medical

Celeris Therapeutics

Austrian start-up Celeris Therapeutics is a deep learning company that uses innovative, computer-based methods to degrade undruggable targets.

Source: Celeris Therapeutics

Nines

US-based company Nines is a tele-radiology and artificial intelligence startup. Its product NinesAI is FDA-cleared to triage time-critical, life-threatening indications of mass effect and intracranial hemorrhage.

Source: Nines

Lucira Health

Biotechnology company Lucira Health offers disposable at-home test kits to detect infectious diseases, such as Covid-19.

Source: Lucira Health

Bloomlife

US-based company Bloomlife is using technology, data science and medical expertise to address issues in maternal health.

Source: Bloomlife