Researchers from the Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine (CAMP), an interdisciplinary research group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), supported by SMART Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) IRG and in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and National University of Singapore (NUS), have developed a first-of-its-kind rapid, non-destructive method to monitor iron flux — the movement and rate at which cells take in, store, use and release iron — in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), which can provide insights within a minute on the cell’s ability to grow cartilage tissue for cartilage repair. This breakthrough offers a promising pathway toward more consistent and efficient manufacturing of high‑quality MSCs used in regenerative therapies, which are used to treat joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, chronic joint degeneration conditions, and cartilage injuries.

For many women with breast cancer, the very treatment that saves their lives can also bring fatigue, loss of muscle mass, emotional strain and other daunting obstacles. A new Sylvester study shows that exercise during chemotherapy measurably improves quality of life while treatment is underway.