News & Views

A light-sheet microscope offers fast three-dimensional imaging of intact clinical tissue samples over large fields of view.

T-cell-binding nanoparticles bypass the complexities of in vitro gene transfer to deliver genes to T cells within the host.

An optimized drug-eluting polymer for the surface of articulating artificial joints may make them infection-free.

A CRISPR-associated nuclease that can promiscuously cleave RNAs enables a rapid and cheap test for the single-molecule detection and single-base discrimination of nucleic acids.

Implanted scaffolds bearing 3D-printed parallel endothelialized channels restore blood perfusion in ischaemic hind limbs and infarcted hearts in rodents.

The recruitment of neutrophils is indispensable for the formation of functional blood vessels in bioengineered grafts.

A subcutaneous depot of a diabetes drug fused to a thermosensitive biopolymer leads to blood-glucose control, for over one week after a single injection, in animal models of type-2 diabetes.

A universal ‘add-on’ method based on the ultrafast and localized deposition of polydopamine amplifies the sensitivity of a variety of bioassays for clinical diagnostics.

High-frame-rate, high-resolution photoacoustic computed tomography reveals, for small live animals, the brain's functional connectivity and the dynamics of breathing, blood oxygenation and circulating melanoma cells.

A system consisting of an aptamer-based microfluidic biosensor and a simple feedback-control algorithm adjusts therapeutic dosing in near real time in small animals.

The efficient generation of mature podocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells makes possible the recapitulation of renal blood filtration on a chip.

Optoacoustic mesoscopy promises to be a fast and reliable non-invasive method for the diagnosis of psoriasis.

An intracortical brain–computer interface combined with functional electrical stimulation allows an individual with traumatic spinal cord injury to perform coordinated reaching and grasping movements.

Pancreatic cysts can be detected via the optical-scatter patterns of these submicroscopic sack-like pockets of tissue.

Optical probes that are activated only in the tumour microenvironment dramatically improve the sensitivity of cancer detection.

Functionalized quantum dots emitting short-wavelength infrared light enable small-animal imaging with deep penetration, high spatial resolution and fast acquisition speeds.

Two approaches for quantifying extracellular vesicles in blood samples facilitate the search for highly specific cancer biomarkers.

A fluorescent peptide that blocks the dimerization of a protein associated with the Epstein–Barr virus enables the imaging and growth inhibition of tumours attributed to the pathogen.

Carbon nanotubes enable the optical detection of nucleic acids in biofluids.

An implantable soft robotic sleeve restores circulation and muscle function in infarcted pig hearts.