Supercharging the Body’s Defense System

Immunotherapy has provided a powerful array of tools for fighting a variety of diseases using the body’s own immune system. The first documented immunotherapeutic techniques date back some 3,000 years, with significant leaps forward in the late nineteenth century, the mid-twentieth century, then again in 2018, when James P. Allison and Tasuko Honjo won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of treating cancer by inhibition of negative immune regulation.

A Smaller, More Efficient AI “Brain”

One of the main problems with current artificial intelligence systems is efficiency. While the human brain can do a lot with a very small amount of energy, AI systems require huge amounts of both energy and water, while producing large amounts of both pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. But a study published in Nature suggests a more efficient, and more lifelike AI brain model may be just around the corner.

Ingestible Electronics

The first “digital pills” were invented in 1957. They used radio frequencies to transmit pressure and temperature readings from inside the stomach. These early devices were for proof of concept only, and never went into common use. Though the test was successful, the next major step for ingestible electronics wouldn’t come until 60 years later, when the FDA approved Aripiprazole (Abilify), which is used to treat schizophrenia. The pills contain a sensor activated by acid in the stomach. A patch worn on the rib cage picks up the sensor’s signal and transmits it to a smartphone app, allowing patients to record their medication compliance and share that information with their doctors and caregivers.

CES 2026
From smart toilet tech to a security device that uses the vein patterns in the hand to create a one-time cryptographic key, it’s not surprising that some of the most interesting and innovative tech introduced at CES 2026 was from the Health and Wellness category. Here are the highlights.

Aligning AI Innovation with EU Regulation

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising healthcare, from image analysis to design. For manufacturers competing in the global market, the main challenges for any device are building the technology itself, and the approvals process. In the European Union, this has meant making sure devices were MDR (medical device regulations) compliant. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act 2024/1689 adds an additional layer of regulation. While the MDR addresses clinical safety and effectiveness, the purpose of the AI Act is to allow the development of trustworthy AI while simultaneously ensuring the health, safety, and fundamental rights of people across the European Union.

An Anti-Cancer “GPS” System

The development of custom proteins for therapeutic use has just taken a giant step forward.

In 2024, half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Google DeepMind researchers John Jumper and Demis Hassabis, for their creation of AlphaFold. AlphaFold, an AI program, successfully predicted a protein’s shape and function from its chemical sequence.The other half of the prize went to David Baker of the University of Washington for solving the opposite problem: starting with the desired function of a protein, and deriving the amino acid sequence that would fold up into a molecule capable of performing that function.

Engineering Surface Patterns to Combat Infection

In a time when bacterial resistance to current antibiotics is rising, medical science needs all the new tools it can fit into its infection-fighting toolbox. In addition to new antimicrobial drugs, and repurposing older drugs to fight bacteria, new technologies are under development that may be able to stop infection without any drugs whatsoever.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have come up with a way to halt, and even prevent infections on plastic medical devices, which relies on alterations to the surface of the plastic itself. Their research could not only help to prevent infection through medical devices, but could also lead to technologies that help the body to eliminate bacteria before infections take hold.

Perceptualized Date

“Humans possess more than one sense,” says Lutz Bornmann of the Max Planck Society in Germany, in his article The Sound of Science, “and there is no biological reason not to use the other ones.” When he puts it that way, it sounds quite reasonable. Much of western culture is geared toward visual representation of data–in images and text–but humans also have a highly evolved and very sophisticated system of auditory processing. Could we not also represent data through sound? 

Next-Generation Hearing Technology

Cochlear implants have been life-changing for many people with severe hearing loss. But cochlear implants have a number of limitations, and they don’t work for all types of hearing loss, for example when the cochlear nerve isn’t functional, as can be the case for patients with Neurofibromatosis type 2, cochlear ossification, certain types of head trauma, and other conditions. Auditory brainstem implants could offer an alternative to people for whom cochlear implants aren’t an option. 

Printing Tissue

Scientists at the Feinberg Lab at Carnegie Mellon University have created the first collagen-based microphysiologic system using FRESH 3D bioprinting. 

Traditional human tissue models, such as organ-on-chip devices, are restricted by available manufacturing techniques. They are made from silicone rubber, plastics, or other synthetic materials. As a result, they’re unable to fully replicate natural tissue environments, so their effectiveness is limited.

FDA Issues 3p510K Guidance

On November 21, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its final guidance for manufacturers seeking to authorize low-to-medium risk devices through the Third Party 510K (3P510K) Review Program. The program uses qualified third parties to conduct initial reviews of 510K device submissions. The FDA’s guidance also describes the use of third party review organizations for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) requests.

Assistive Tech’s Rapid Growth

Between 2024 and 2025, the market value for assistive technologies grew from $2.9 billion to $4.97 billion. This figure is projected to grow to $30.9 billion by 2033. The growth is being driven by an aging population, increasing numbers of disabilities, and technological development. The United States leads the growth in demand, comprising 35 percent of the market, and of this, mobility devices–wheelchairs and walking aids–make up 40 percent. But in addition to mobility assistance, there are some exciting new advancements in products addressing other needs, including sensory assistance–hearing, sight, and even touch–exoskeletons, neural network grafts, and more.

Unveiling Secrets of the Universe

The Vera Rubin Observatory is set to begin its first mission: to scan the skies for cosmic events and objects. Its enormous camera will enable scientists to investigate cosmic phenomena on a scale–and at a resolution–previously unseen. Three particular phenomena of interest to the Observatory will be dark matter, dark energy, and Type Ia supernovae. For the next ten years, the Observatory will perform regular scans of the skies, looking for these and other objects and events. The Rubin Observatory plans to begin its survey, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, in late 2025, and will release its first data set 12 to 14 months later.

Revolutionizing Health and Wellness with Tech

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, which ran from 7-10 January, introduced a wealth of new and exciting innovations, especially in the field of health and fitness technology. And yes, AI is in everything. Well, almost everything.

Complimentary Tools to Traditional Therapy

Smartphone apps aimed at supporting mental health are nothing new. Users looking for mood tracking apps, affirmations delivered by smartphone, digitally guided mindfulness and meditation, and virtual therapist sessions have plenty of options. However, until now, there have been no apps approved by the FDA as treatment for mental health conditions. The approval of the Rejoyn app as a treatment for depression is an exciting development, as it could help to increase the effectiveness of traditional talk and medication therapy. In addition, it could help to pave the way for cheaper, more accessible mental health care via smartphone.

A New Era in Insulin Delivery

The first insulin pump, the Biostator, was created in 1974. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) devices have come a long way from that clunky bedside model. Many of today’s pumps can fit in the palm of the hand. Until recently, however, all of these devices were appropriate only for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes. Insulin pump technology for Type 2 Diabetes had remained elusive. However, the FDA has recently cleared the very first automated insulin pump for adults with Type 2 diabetes, Insulet’s Omnipod system.

Sustainable Approach to Manufacturing

Green engineering means designing products for sustainable manufacture and use. That is, reducing waste and pollution during manufacture, promoting sustainability throughout the product’s life cycle, and minimizing the impact on both the environment and human health without sacrificing either efficiency or economic viability. The Sandestin Declaration of 2003 laid out the general principles of green engineering as:

Revolutions in OECTs

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have shown promise for different healthcare applications, from bioelectronics to biosensors and wearables. However current OECTs are subject to certain limitations, notably slow switching speeds and low temporal and operational stability. Studies are showing that a different architecture may be able to overcome some of these limitations. And this could be great news for medical applications.

How Materials are Shaping Medical Innovation

From e-skin that doesn’t lose sensitivity when it stretches, to a new substrate for implantable tech, materials science is breaking new ground every day. Here are eight recent developments in materials science that are paving the way for innovation in medical technology.

The Union of Engineering & Medicine

The union of engineering and medicine is creating new opportunities for innovations in human health. A recent study published in the Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology identifies several research areas in which biomedical engineering is poised to impact both engineering and medicine. These include: precision medicine, immuno-engineering,  the engineering of cells and genomes, developing systems for human function augmentation, and “Exo-Brain,” that is, engineering the brain, including with AI.