Droplets emanating from a molecular "nano-tap" would behave very differently from those from a household tap 1 million times larger - researchers at the University of Warwick have found. This is potentially crucial step for a number of emerging nano technologies, e.g., manufacture of nano-sized drug particles, lab-on-chip devices for in situ diagnostics, and 3D printers capable of nanoscale resolution.

New research on how cancer mutations influence a certain type of receptor on the cell membrane opens the way for the development of tailored drugs for certain cancers, such as rectal cancer and lung cancer. This according to researchers at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University, who have been collaborating with researchers in the UK and USA.

An MIT-led research team has developed a drug capsule that could be used to deliver oral doses of insulin, potentially replacing the injections that people with type 2 diabetes have to give themselves every day. About the size of a blueberry, the capsule contains a small needle made of compressed insulin, which is injected after the capsule reaches the stomach.

A simple drug cocktail that converts cells neighboring damaged neurons into functional new neurons could potentially be used to treat stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and brain injuries. A team of researchers at Penn State identified a set of four, or even three, molecules that could convert glial cells - which normally provide support and insulation for neurons - into new neurons. A paper describing the approach appears online in the journal Stem Cell Reports on February 7, 2019.

Medical marijuana has gained attention in recent years for its potential to relieve pain and short-term anxiety and depression. Now, Penn State College of Medicine researchers say some cannabinoid compounds may actually inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in the lab.

People who inherit a faulty copy of the so-called "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 and BRCA2 are at high risk of cancer. About 10 percent of breast cancer cases and 15 percent of ovarian cancers can be traced back to a flaw in one of these genes. A class of drugs known as PARP inhibitors was designed to target tumors with defective BRCA genes.

One major factor that determines the efficacy of a drug is the structure that its molecules form in a solid state. Changed molecular structures can entail that pills stop functioning properly and are therefore rendered useless. A team led by researchers from the University of Luxembourg in collaboration with Princeton University, Cornell University, and Avant-garde Materials Simulation GmbH, has developed