Strongself

Research at the University of Rhode Island, which was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, has developed a bandage that can detect whether a covered wound is becoming infected. What they did was embed nano sensors into the fibers of the bandage. When a wound is covered with a bandage there is always the possibility of it becoming infected. The carbon nanotubes will identify an infection by detecting concentrations of hydrogen peroxide produced in the wound when bacteria are present. This “Smart Bandage” will be monitored by a small, wearable device that will transmit a signal to a smartphone which the patient or caregiver will receive. Hope is that by early detection of an infection there will be less need for antibiotics and even more drastic occurrences such as limb removal. This could be life saving especially for patients with diabetes who have difficulty with wound healing and for those living in remote rural areas. Verification of the product still needs to be done with live culture cells found in wounds via a petri dish.

https://beta.nsf.gov/news/smart-bandage-detects-may-prevent-infections#:~:text=By%20embedding%20nanosensors%20in%20the,an%20infection%20in%20a%20wound.

Three people have been cured of H.I.V. The first 2 received Stem cells taken from bone marrow. The third was cured using a new transplant method of umbilical cord blood. This new method does not require that the recipient be closely matched as does the bone marrow transplants to the donor. Most registered donors are of Caucasian origin which has made those receiving bone marrow transplants available to specific recipients. This is not the case with this new method. Results were presented at a conference for Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections held in Denver, Colorado. Bone marrow transplant donors need to carry a mutation that can block H.I.V. Most are of northern European descent and are numbered at about 20,000. Side effects as well as the treatment can be taxing on the immune system of the recipient. The woman who received the umbilical cord treatment was biracial and was being treated for leukemia. She was able to leave the hospital after 17 days with minimal side effects. A small amount of blood cells from a close relative were also given to speed the process. The woman was able to discontinue antiviral therapy 37 months after the transplant and is now H.I.V. free. One theory is that Umbilical cord cells can adapt to a change in environment quickly since they are the cells of a newborn.

https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2022/03/hiv-cure-cord-blood.html