medicine Archives

The importance of image viewing conditions for timing and precision in minimally invasive surgery

Written by

Minimally invasive medical procedures such as laparoscopic surgery are challenging because they involve navigating the instruments in use via image views from tiny cameras attached to them. Surgeons need to interpret visual information correctly to guide their instruments with precision. Understanding how the brain adapts to these procedures will help improve fine surgical skills. Dr Birgitta Dresp-Langley, Research Director at […]

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022 – #GetScreened!

Written by

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2022 raises awareness about one of the world’s most prevalent forms of cancer. Breast cancer usually starts in the lining cells of breast ducts, but in 15% of cases arises first in lobules in the glandular tissue of the breast. While initially harmless, Breast cancer is potentially dangerous due to the risk of metastasis, which is […]

Can anti-cancer drugs be used as an effective therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease?

Written by

Background Worldwide, around 50 million people have dementia. According to the World Health Organization reports, this number is expected to increase threefold by 2050. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, which is characterised by deterioration in cognition and behaviour. The underlying aetiopathogenesis of AD is still little understood. The amyloid plaques theory and tau hyperphosphorylation are […]

Save Frankincense: Overharvesting of a precious commodity and approaches to ensure sustainability

Written by

Frankincense resin is highly sought after and as a consequence, frankincense-bearing trees are being overharvested.

In Somaliland, a northern area of Somalia that operates as an independent country, many of the population rely on frankincense for income. Frankincense is a resin derived from the Boswellia tree. However, the trees are being overharvested, and locals have found themselves in a poverty trap. Despite a huge increase in the price of frankincense on the global market, harvesters […]

Using technology to improve needle procedures

Written by

Inthis article: Dr Gabor Fichtinger and Dr Jan Fritz have been collaborating to create a computerised system that overlays 2D magnetic resonance images onto a patient during surgical procedures.

Dr Gabor Fichtinger is Chair of Cancer Care Ontario Research and Professor at Queen’s University School of Computing in Kingston, Ontario. His interests are in computer-assisted surgery and interventions. Dr Jan Fritz is the Director of Interventional MR Imaging and an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. The two have […]