21st Century Innovative Technologies and Developments as also discoveries, curiosity ( insolite)...

Scientists have discovered an enzyme used in nature to make powerful chemicals from catnip to a cancer drug, vinblastine. The discovery opens up the prospect of producing these chemicals cheaply and efficiently.

Read more, very interesting:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121145634.htm#.UK5M4zXokII.twitter

The $100,000 Zhang earned comes with first prize in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.

Her project, “Design of Image-guided, Photo-thermal Controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells,” was apparently as complex, thorough, and revolutionary as it sounds.

The nanoparticle Zhang created is already being referred to as something of a “swiss army knife” in the area of cancer treatment. That’s not to say it’s dull and rusty because I you didn’t take care of it when I was you were out camping, but rather that it has a whole bunch of useful applications.

The nanoparticle is delivered to tumors via the drug salinomycin where it kills cancer cells and deposits gold and iron-oxide materials to help with MRI imaging.

Tests will be carried out on 10,000 patients identified as having a higher risk of developing disease...

A simple blood test capable of identifying lung cancer at an early stage is to be trialled by the NHS on thousands of smokers.

It his hoped the new test, developed in Britain and already piloted in the US, will drastically cut death rates, reduce medical bills and lead to an overhaul in the way cancer is diagnosed and treated.