Wyss InstituteSurgery – Wyss Institute

20ish Questions with Elliot Chaikof

Jessica Leff — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 14:00:23 +0000

20-ish Questions shows a different side of Wyss Institute faculty, touching on aspects of their personal life, hobbies, interests, as well as their research. This round follows Elliot Chaikof, an Associate Faculty member at the Wyss Institute as well as the Chair of the Department of Surgery & Surgeon-in-Chief at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University…

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Injectable Hydrogel Adhesive for Improved Muscle Regeneration

Jessica Leff — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 14:30:59 +0000

Although it was only given a clinical definition in 2010, volumetric muscle loss (VML) has been a persistent problem in medicine for centuries. VML can be caused by injuries, diseases, and some surgical procedures like removing a tumor, and results in so much damage to a muscle that its function is permanently compromised, leading to long-term disability. There is currently no effective treatment…

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In a first, genetically edited pig kidney is transplanted into human

Mariel Schoen — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 21:16:08 +0000

By Mass General Brigham Communications In a first-of-its-kind medical procedure, Harvard Medical School physician-scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have transplanted a genetically edited pig kidney into a human. While many unknowns remain about the viability of the newly transplanted organ and the patient’s long-term health, the procedure — made possible in part by scientific…

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Repairing patients’ dura more durably

Jessica Leff — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 17:55:14 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — The dural membrane (dura) is the outermost of three meningeal layers that line the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord. Together, the meninges function as a shock-absorber to protect the CNS against trauma, circulate nutrients throughout the CNS, as well as remove waste. The dura also is a critical biological barrier that…

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A new glue, potentially also for you

Jessica Leff — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 15:50:09 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials conquering an increasing number of biomedical areas. Consisting of water-swollen molecular networks that can be tailored to mimic the mechanical and chemical features of various organs and tissues, they can interface within the body and on its outer surfaces without causing any damage to even the most delicate parts of the…

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Staying dry for months underwater

Mariel Schoen — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 17:18:22 +0000

By Leah Burrows/SEAS Communications (CAMBRIDGE) — A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider, known as the Argyroneta aquatica, has millions of rough, water-repellent hairs that trap air around its body, creating an oxygen reservoir and acting as a barrier between the spider’s lungs and the…

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Wyss Institute promotes Christopher Chen to a Core Faculty member and appoints Ellen Roche and Michael Springer as new members of its Associate Faculty

Jessica Leff — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:58:15 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Christopher Chen, M.D., Ph.D. has had a long and prolific past at the Wyss Institute and its 3D Organ Engineering Initiative as an Associate Faculty member, and based on his deep commitment to the Institute and its translational mission, he has now been promoted to become one of the Institute’s 12 Core Faculty members. The Wyss Institute is also excited to welcome…

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Creating a blueprint for optimized ear tubes and other implantable fluid-transporting devices

Jessica Leff — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:57:49 +0000

By Benjamin Boettner (BOSTON) — Infections of the middle ear, the air-filled space behind the eardrum that contains the tiny vibrating bones of hearing, annually affect more than 700 million people worldwide. Children are especially prone to ear infections, with 40% of them developing recurrent or chronic infections that can lead to complications like impaired hearing…

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Soft hydrogel electrodes for better, safer implants

Jessica Leff — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:25:31 +0000

Brain implants are relative newcomers on the medical device scene, but are now being routinely used to record, stimulate, or block neural impulses in patients with a variety of conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. In order to effectively monitor or interact with brain cells, all brain implants need to contain an electrically conductive material, and the material of choice thus…

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Manufacturing Mini Surgical Robots

Jessica Leff — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 15:29:21 +0000

Surgical robots have revolutionized procedures for patients around the world, making them more precise and less invasive than earlier tools. But most surgical robots are massive devices that can take up an entire room and cost millions of dollars. And the surgical tools themselves that enter the patient’s body are currently too large to access certain organs and tissues.

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