New stroke rehabilitation system

NTU develops new stroke rehabilitation system

The Nanyang Technological University has developed a new stroke rehabilitation system to accelerate a stroke patient's recovery.

To do that, it brings together the mind and body, helping stroke patients further recover muscle control in parts of the body that have stopped seeing progress -- even after extended periods of rehabilitation.

The system is known as SynPhNe, which stands for Synergistic Physio-Neuro Platform, and it monitors signals from the patient's brain and muscles as they mimic instructional videos.

These signals, in the form of simple visual cues allow the patient to know if the right muscle is activated. This is known as associative learning, whereby the patient finds out the link between cause and effect, or intent and physical result, so that they can self-correct movements to match intended actions.

The people behind SynPhNe said it takes advantage of the disconnect between muscle and brain post-stroke.

Banerji Subhasis, a PhD student at Nanyang Technological University, said: "For stroke patients, when you ask them to activate one particular muscle, they activate some other muscle, which really does not relate to the action at all. And this happens because they are trying to compensate one way or the other, building up these habits."

The system also provides feedback on stress, attention and relaxation levels in real time. This allows the patient and therapist to better manage the intensity of the rehabilitation.

Ang Kok Tong, a stroke patient using the system, said: "Last time my fingers were closed, now they can open. Now I can do more things, like holding a bottle, turning the pages (of a book). You can know what is happening to your brain and your muscle, because you can get a feedback from there. So you feel encouraged."

As patients become more confident and grow more independent, therapists can tend to more patients at one time.

The system can also be used by a wide spectrum of stroke patients -- even those showing little promise of recovery.

Mr Subhasis added: "In some cases, the signals are very weak. However our system amplifies it to such an extent that it becomes visible and obvious to the patient. And we know that once the patient gains control over even small movements, through repetitive trianing, it can be made stronger and stronger."

The team behind SynPhNe is still carrying out patient trials in hospitals, before getting approval to conduct a large scale clinical trial. They intend to commercialise the system in three years.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

New medical school to pioneer use of plastinated bodies

NTU's new medical school to pioneer use of plastinated bodies



The Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) new medical school will be pioneering the use of plastinated bodies for medical education in Singapore.

They are real human bodies donated to science, and preserved using a method called plastination.

In these models, water and fat are replaced with certain plastics to produce specimens that can be touched and do not smell or decay.

The bodies are from Germany, and will be used to teach anatomy at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, which has been jointly set up by Imperial College London and NTU.

The school will no longer need to rely on traditionally-preserved cadavers, which are in short supply.

Assistant Professor Dinesh Srinivasan of Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine said: "(Plastinated bodies) can be used to demonstrate difficult structures and dissection areas in high definition, such as the blood vessels in the brain or the nerves in the spine. And there is no need for special chemicals, unlike traditional cadavers."

～News courtesy of Channel Newsasia～

南大首批医科生 真人标本“高清”上课

南大首批医科生　真人标本“高清”上课



李光前医学院解剖部主任万胜说，比起一般的防腐尸体，人体塑化标本更持久，预计可用上十年。（图／南大提供）

南洋理工大学李光前医学院投入近100万元，从德国购入由遗体塑化成的标本，让即将在8月开学的首批医科学生，可通过更持久、高品质，且能更清晰呈现人体细节的真人标本，深入了解人体构造。

由南大和伦敦帝国理工学院合办的李光前医学院昨天召开记者会，向记者介绍人体塑化标本。

塑化人体是在人死后，使用塑化技术把尸体保存起来，体内的脂肪和水分会由硅聚合物取代。这些经塑化的人体，来自生前已表示希望在死后将身躯捐出，作为医学教学与科学发展用途的公众。

国大也考虑购买人体塑化标本。

《联合早报》

南大找出有效抗癌物质

南大找出有效抗癌物质 未来或有防癌药膏药油

南大与瑞典科研人员研发可杀灭癌细胞、无副作用的天然物质“HAMLET”，可让肿瘤缩小40％，未发病者也可预防肿瘤的生长。这项研究由南洋理工大学的Gerhard Grüber教授，以及瑞典龙德大学（Lund University）的Catharina Svanborg教授，和Manoj Puthia博士共同进行。

“HAMLET”与人类母乳中所含的天然蛋白质类似，它对人体产生的副作用几率较低，只会攻击癌细胞，不会伤害到人体内的健康细胞。

Svanborg教授说，由于“HAMLET”与母乳成分类似，因此，适合人们口服来预防癌症。如果要对付HPV或子宫癌，“HAMLET”则可能做成药膏或药油，让人们涂抹。Svanborg教授也说，他们正在研究是否能够注射“HAMLET”，对付可能扩散到其他器官的癌细胞。

研究小组计划在新加坡进行临床试验。小组的目标是在接下来5至10年内，研发公众可使用来治疗癌症的药品。

～以上新闻转载自OMY～

NTU, Lund University bioengineer molecule which can kill tumour cells

NTU, Lund University bioengineer molecule which can kill tumour cells

Scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Lund University in Sweden have bioengineered a molecule which can kill 40 different types of tumour cells.

The molecule is based on a natural protein present in human breast milk.

The molecule, known as HAMLET (Human Alpha-lactabumin Made Lethal to Tumour cells), has been found to attack tumour cells such as brain tumours and bladder cancer, leaving healthy cells intact.

Researchers found that laboratory mice, genetically modified to develop colon cancer, were protected to a large extent when fed HAMLET-laced water.

Clinical trials on human skin papillomas and human urinary bladder cancer conducted in Sweden have also shown promising results.

There are plans to conduct human trials in Singapore.

After completing various trials, scientists hope to develop a commercially-available product for cancer treatment in the next five to ten years.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

人乳蛋白质 能灭癌细胞

南大研究显示：人乳蛋白质　能灭癌细胞

 
瑞典隆德大学的科学家格哈特格鲁伯（左）及凯瑟琳娜（右）率领的科研小组。

南大及隆德大学科研人员从人乳中的一种天然蛋白质中，萃取出一种前所未有，能杀灭癌细胞的原创灭癌分子。

南洋理工大学及瑞典最大的高等学府和科研机构隆德大学的一组科学研究人员，今早宣布发现这种前所未见的灭癌分子。

临床试验与实验室研究显示，灭癌分子可杀灭多种不同的肿瘤细胞，包括脑肿瘤，膀胱癌肿瘤细胞，引发子宫颈癌的人类乳头状病毒，及其它药物难治的癌细胞。

灭癌分子与某种油脂结合后，就会成为可强力杀灭肿瘤的多种物质，这些油脂包括一些有机分子如氨基酸和碳水化合物，组合成碳和氢，帮助储存能量并构组成生物膜。

《新明日报》

First overseas water treatment plant in Vietnam

NTU start-up launches first overseas water treatment plant in Vietnam

A start-up from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has launched its first overseas water treatment plant in Vietnam.

Located at Duc Hoa, at Long An province near Ho Chi Minh City, the newly-built plant is about the size of a five-room HDB flat but has an output of 1 million litres of drinking water daily.

The high-tech remote-monitored plant built by NTU's new start-up, De.Mem Pte Ltd, will supply cleaner and cheaper potable water, at just two-thirds of current prices there.

NTU said the plant is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia and is unique because it requires just one person to operate.

The plant will be linked wirelessly via an NTU-designed network back to the Singapore office, which will oversee and manage its daily operations.

The plant, a joint venture between De.Mem and Vietnam company GD Wasser, is backed by Singapore-based investment firm, New Asia Investments, which had invested $300,000 into De.Mem.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Funding for water research institute

NTU to receive S$132m over next 3 years for water research institute

Over the next three years, the Nanyang Technological University will be getting another S$132 million for its water research institute, bringing its total funding to about S$400 million by the end of 2016.

The funds are from the government, as well as multinational corporations and small and medium enterprises, signalling closer collaboration with industry.

Sewage and industrial wastewater may not seem that different to the layman.

But researchers have said industrial wastewater normally contains waste that is specific to the industry, which then requires specialised treatment systems.

The new wave in water purification techniques now is how to refine biomimetic membranes - said to be the next generation of membranes which are based on proteins.

The challenge for researchers is how to lower energy consumption in the process of purifying water.

Professor Ng Wun Jern, executive director of the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), said: "Ironically, to treat wastewater - because it needs energy to do so - there is in fact an impact on the environment. So if you are going to use a lot of energy to treat wastewater, then on the one hand, you save the world by producing cleaner water, but on the other hand, you may cause some damage because of the energy footprint.

"So the challenge now is how do we treat industrial wastewater adequately and yet be able to do it with as little energy as is possible, and ideally perhaps even to recover energy from the industrial wastewater."

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, said: "We have translated a vulnerability in terms of access to water basically into now, a question of energy because with reverse osmosis, as long as I have energy, I can produce water, so water per se is not the limiting factor, but energy is.

"And short of a breakthrough in new renewable and cheap and plentiful energy... the only thing we have left to rely on is energy efficiency. And that is why biomimetic membranes are going to be crucial.

"This combination of academia and industry in the real world space where there are real demands and needs... is an example of translating what was a strategic vulnerability into a global opportunity, and that is why this is so important."

Professor Ng added: "The future would increasingly belong to systems that mimic nature more and more. So on the one hand, we will continue to work on engineering systems because we have to be relevant to the economy now, but at the same time, we will put part of our efforts to look into systems that mimic nature, and this could probably be ready for applications perhaps in 10 to 15 years' time."

NEWRI has also moved into its new premises at JTC CleanTech Park, a business park catered to green firms.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~