The CRISPR genome editing technique promises to be a 'transformative leap' in genetic engineering and therapy, affecting almost every area of medicine. That includes plastic surgery, with potential advances ranging from prevention of craniofacial malformations, to therapeutic skin grafts, to new types of rejection-free transplants, according to a new article.

Researchers have developed a method for quantitatively assessing atherosclerotic plaque buildup in mice. They transplanted X-ray-irradiated low-density-lipoprotein-knockout mice with bone marrow cells expressing near-infrared fluorescent protein, which subsequently developed into fluorescent macrophages. These macrophages congregated specifically in atherosclerotic plaques that arose after feeding on a high-cholesterol diet. In vivo imaging detected the amount of aortic plaque formed and its change over time, which could help in assessing the efficacy of anti-atherosclerotic drugs.

Physicians identified a majority of patients with advanced heart failure as at high risk for transplant, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or death while few of those patients considered...

Using tissue engineering, researchers show a way forward for treating type 1 diabetes by implanting insulin-producing islet cells under the skin.