Trial of cell-based therapy for high-risk lymphoma leads to FDA breakthrough designation

In an early Stanford Medicine study, CAR-T cell therapy helps some with intractable lymphoma, but those who relapse have few options. Modifying the therapy’s molecular target improved response. CAR-T cell therapy, which targets a specific protein on the surface of cancer cells, causes tumors to shrink or disappear in about half of patients with large

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A prosthesis driven by the nervous system helps people with amputation walk naturally

A new surgical procedure gives people more neural feedback from their residual limb. With it, seven patients walked more naturally and navigated obstacles. State-of-the-art prosthetic limbs can help people with amputations achieve a natural walking gait, but they don’t give the user full neural control over the limb. Instead, they rely on robotic sensors and

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Presence of specific lipids indicate tissue ageing and can be decreased through exercise. Exercise is medicine.

Scientists have discovered that a type of fat accumulates as tissue ages and that this accumulation can be reversed through exercise. Researchers from Amsterdam UMC, together with colleagues from Maastricht UMC+, analysed both mice and human tissue before and after exercise allowing them to draw this conclusion. The results are published today in Nature Aging.  

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Immune response study explains why some people don’t get COVID-19

Using single-cell sequencing technology, researchers provide the most comprehensive timeline to date of how the body responds to SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Scientists have discovered novel immune responses that help explain how some individuals avoid getting COVID-19. Using single-cell sequencing, researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University College London (UCL), Imperial College London, the Netherlands Cancer Institute

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Suppression of Type I Interferon Signaling in Myeloid Cells by Autoantibodies in Severe COVID-19 Patients

Even though COVID-19 manifests as a mild and short-lived disease in most people, some suffer extremely severe symptoms; in the worst cases, these patients die due to complications such as respiratory failure or thromboembolism. It is well-known that factors such as age and underlying medical conditions like diabetes or immunodeficiencies increase vulnerability to severe COVID-19.

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Electrolytes can give the body a charge, but try not to overdo it : American Heart Association indications

You might think electrolytes are some kind of lab-made superfuel for elite athletes and those who want to be like them. Electrolytes are indeed powerful, and in some circumstances, your body might benefit from a boost. But like comic book heroes with mild-mannered alter egos, they might already be hanging around in your life by

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FDA panel recommends updating the Covid vaccines for the fall to target JN.1 strain

FDA advisers say new shots can target more recent SARS-CoV-2 variants SARS-CoV-2 keeps evolving, and it’s time for COVID-19 vaccines to again follow suit, advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed today. The panel voted unanimously in favor of updating the shots to more closely match virus strains now circulating. Although FDA

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New Gene Therapy Trial Shows Restored Hearing and Speech in Children Born Deaf, Treated in Both Ears

Administering gene therapy in both ears of five children with DFNB9 led to additional benefits compared to previous trial, including sound source localization and hearing in noisy environments. Key Takeaways A novel gene therapy designed to target a form of inherited deafness restored hearing function in five children who were treated in both ears. The

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The Route Into the Cell Influences the Outcome of Sars-Cov-2 Infection

A surface protein helps viruses to enter cells. This has far-reaching consequences for the infection. How exactly do Sars-Cov-2 particles enter host cells? An international team led by Dr Richard Brown from Dr Daniel Todt’s Computational Virology group at the Department of Molecular and Medical Virology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, together with researchers from

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Combination therapy significantly improves outcomes for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Combining immune-targeted therapy with chemotherapy improves both progression-free survival and overall survival when compared to those who received regorafenib alone A study(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center(Link opens in new window) researchers found that using a combination of experimental immunotherapy drugs with chemotherapy significantly improves progression-free survival and overall survival

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Exercise should be prescribed for people with Parkinson’s: Aarhus University Researchers find

Based on a new study from Aarhus University, researchers recommend that exercise be considered as medicine for Parkinson’s disease and that it should be prescribed as a supplement as early as possible. No pharmacological medication currently available can cure or slow down Parkinson’s disease. However, based on an extensive literature review recently published in the

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Regeneron Presents Update on Gene Therapy for Genetic Deafness at ASGCT

Regeneron presented results from an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial for its investigational gene therapy, DB-OTO, at the annual American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) meeting, being held in Baltimore, Md. from May 7–11. DB-OTO, a gene therapy for genetic deafness, improved hearing in one child, treated at 11 months old to normal levels within

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Fred Hutch scientist Dr. Adair partners with colleagues around the globe to make gene therapies more effective and more widely available

Fred Hutch Cancer Center scientist Jennifer E. Adair, PhD, is on a mission to foster worldwide collaboration on potentially curative gene therapies. Holder of the Fleischauer Family Endowed Chair in Gene Therapy Translation, Adair just co-authored two articles published today in Science Translational Medicine as part of a special series on global access to these therapies that she

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Autoantibody associated dermatomyositis and Interstitial Pneumonitis: an Entirely New COVID-Related Syndrome.

UC San Diego joins forces with UK researchers in a retrospective observational study to solve a medical mystery. Pradipta Ghosh, M.D., sat down in her office at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and considered a request from the other side of the world. Ghosh, a professor in the Departments of Medicine

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Cardio-fitness cuts death and disease by nearly 20%

Running, cycling, or swimming – if you regularly exercise, you’re well on track for a long and healthy life, as groundbreaking new research from the University of South Australia finds that an increased cardio fitness level will reduce your risk of death from any cause by 11-17%. Published in BJSM, the study found that for every 1-MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness

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Gene Therapy Treatment Increasing Body’s Signal for New Blood Vessel Growth Shows Promise

EXACT Trial Demonstrated Improvements in Exercise Duration, Ischemia, and Decreased Symptoms for Patients with Advanced CAD   Final 12-month data from the EXACT trial demonstrates safety and efficacy results for a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene therapy treatment for patients who have advanced coronary artery disease (CAD). The late-breaking results were presented today at

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Predicting arrhythmia 30 minutes before it happens using Deep-learning Model

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia worldwide with around 59 million people concerned in 2019. This irregular heartbeat is associated with increased risks of heart failure, dementia and stroke. It constitutes a significant burden to healthcare systems, making its early detection and treatment a major goal. Researchers from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of

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Dawn of CAR-T cell therapy in autoimmune diseases: Chinese Medical Journal review article highlights the potential and promise 

Credit: Chinese Medical JournalDaishi Tian from Huazhong University of Science and Technology Autoimmune disease (AID) refers to the condition in which the immune system identifies the body’s own cells and tissues as foreign, resulting in systemic inflammation. The immune system’s self-attack via autoreactive B and T immune cells and autoantibodies—antibodies against body’s own proteins—may present

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FDA approves immunotherapy drug combo for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer after UCLA-led research shows improved outcomes for patients

Approval is based on findings from the QUILT 3.032 clinical trial, which was led by UCLA’s Dr. Karim Chamie The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the immunotherapy-boosting drug N-803, which is marketed under the brand name Anktiva, to be used in combination with the immunotherapy Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for the treatment of

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AI makes retinal imaging 100 times faster, compared to manual method

NIH scientists use artificial intelligence called ‘P-GAN’ to improve next-generation imaging of cells in the back of the eye Researchers at the National Institutes of Health applied artificial intelligence (AI) to a technique that produces high-resolution images of cells in the eye. They report that with AI, imaging is 100 times faster and improves image

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Physical Activity Reduces Stress-Related Brain Activity to Lower Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Key Takeaways New research indicates that physical activity lowers cardiovascular disease risk in part by reducing stress-related signaling in the brain. In the study, which was led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, people

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New TRIPOD+AI guidelines reflect growing use of AI in healthcare research

The widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical decision-making tools has led to an update of the TRIPOD guidelines for reporting clinical prediction models. The new TRIPOD+AI guidelines are launched in the BMJ today. TheTRIPOD guidelines (which stands for Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis) were developed in 2015

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Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis patients showed pontine hypertrophy and asymmetry of diffusion parameters in the Brain Corticoreticular Pathway

Heavy school bags, poor posture, one-handed sports are often blamed for the development of curved spine in teens. Known as adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), it affects those aged 10 to 19 but has no known cause. A team from Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) has now discovered that the answer to

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FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Children with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lenmeldy (atidarsagene autotemcel), the first FDA-approved gene therapy indicated for the treatment of children with pre-symptomatic late infantile, pre-symptomatic early juvenile or early symptomatic early juvenile metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).  Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a debilitating, rare genetic disease affecting the brain and nervous system. It is caused by a

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Mayo Clinic researchers find promise in new potential treatment for liver failure

A new drug has been shown to increase healing and regeneration of the liver after major surgery, according to a study published in the scientific journal Cell. Researchers hope that this could lead to more surgical options for patients diagnosed with advanced liver tumors and liver failure. “This research is significant because this is the first

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A micro-fragmented collagen gel as a stem cell-assembling platform for critical limb ischemia repair

Critical limb ischemia is a condition in which the main blood vessels supplying blood to the legs are blocked, causing blood flow to gradually decrease as atherosclerosis progresses in the peripheral arteries. It is a severe form of peripheral artery disease that causes progressive closure of arteries in the lower extremity, leading to the necrosis

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Preliminary Clinical Trial Results Show ‘Dramatic and Rapid’ Regression of Glioblastoma after Next Generation CAR-T Therapy

A collaborative project to bring the promise of cell therapy to patients with a deadly form of brain cancer has shown dramatic results among the first patients to receive the novel treatment. In a paper published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Mass General Cancer Center, a member of the Mass

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Fibrinolytic Biomarkers for Identifying Patients at Risk of Severe COVID-19

Researchers identify associations between proteins involved in fibrinolysis and the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare services experienced an overburdening surge in admissions. Recognizing the complexity of managing COVID-19 cases, researchers have identified proteins related to fibrinolysis as potential biomarkers for evaluating the risk of a patient

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Zilebesiran RNAi therapeutic lowers blood pressure for months

The results of a phase II study with the RNAi therapeutic zilebesiran have appeared in the specialist journal “JAMA”. Accordingly, injections of the drug every three or every six months lower blood pressure sustainably. Zilebesiran is a substance that exerts its pharmacological effect via RNA interference (RNAi) . The active ingredient is a short RNA section that, as small

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Simple Blood Protein Tests Predict Which Lymphoma Patients Are Most Likely to Have Poor CAR T Outcomes

International research team develops, validates approach for assessing and responding to elevated risk As new cancer treatments become available, some of the most important ongoing research must look at ways to optimize those new approaches so that more patients can benefit from groundbreaking therapies. In work newly published in Blood Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association

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New Anti-Blood Clotting Drug May Lower Risk of Recurrent Strokes

An experimental drug designed to block blood-clotting proteins may lower the risk of recurrent strokes, according to a dose-finding trial published in The Lancet Neurology. More than 795,000 people in the United States each year suffer a stroke, according to the American Heart Association, and nearly one in five will go on to experience another stroke. “When patients

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Positive Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Data for an Investigational Gene Therapy for Genetic Hearing Loss to be Presented at the Association for Research in Otolaryngology 2024 MidWinter Meeting

Hearing restoration was observed within 30 days of a single administration of AK-OTOF in the initial AK-OTOF-101 study participant, the first to receive gene therapy in the United States for a genetic form of hearing loss AK-OTOF is a gene therapy being developed for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss due to mutations in the otoferlin gene (OTOF)

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New research finds half-cardio, half-strength training reduces cardiovascular disease risks

Approximately one in three deaths in the U.S. is caused by cardiovascular disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A robust body of evidence shows aerobic exercise can reduce risks, especially for people who are overweight or obese. But few studies have compared results with resistance exercise — also known as strength

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First-in-human clinical trial of CAR T cell therapy with new binding mechanism shows promising early responses

Improving CART19 function by targeting a membrane-proximal CD19 epitope with fast on- and off-rates. Early results for the Penn Medicine-developed AT101 presented at ASH Early results from a Phase I clinical trial of AT101, a new CAR T cell therapy that uses a distinct binding mechanism to target CD19, show a 100 percent complete response

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FDA Approves First CRISPR-based Gene Therapies to Treat Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved two milestone treatments, Casgevy and Lyfgenia, representing the first cell-based gene therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) in patients 12 years and older. Additionally, one of these therapies, Casgevy, is the first FDA-approved treatment to utilize a type of novel genome editing technology, signaling an

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Personalized cancer medicine: humans make better treatment decisions than AI

Charité study highlights limits of large language models in precision medicine Treating cancer is becoming increasingly complex, but also offers more and more possibilities. After all, the better a tumor’s biology and genetic features are understood, the more treatment approaches there are. To be able to offer patients personalized therapies tailored to their disease, laborious

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Vitamin B12: a key player in cellular reprogramming and tissue regeneration

Researchers at IRB Barcelona reveal that vitamin B12 significantly boosts the efficiency of cellular reprogramming, thus holding promise for regenerative medicine. Vitamin B12 supplementation shows potential in speeding up tissue repair in a model of ulcerative colitis—an observation that points to potential new treatments for inflammatory diseases. The discovery has been published in the journal Nature

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Cordio HearO® system an AI phone app detects worsening heart failure based on changes in patients’ voices

A smartphone app using artificial intelligence technology to detect changes in the voice of a person with heart failure predicted more than 75% of hospitalizations about three weeks before they happened, according to late-breaking science presented Nov. 13 at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023. The meeting, held Nov. 11–13, in Philadelphia, is a premier global exchange

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Patients with high levels of triglycerides and diglycerides in blood samples are more likely to develop glaucoma

Glaucoma remains one of the most common causes of vision loss and blindness in the U.S. and much of the world, disproportionately affecting older people, African Americans, and Hispanics and Latinos. Early signs of glaucoma can vary, from eye pressure to changes in the appearance of the optic nerve, and the disease can progress for

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Study Shows Stem Cell Transplant Significantly Improves Outcomes in Refractory Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis

New research at ACR Convergence 2023, the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) annual meeting, shows that patients with refractory juvenile systemic sclerosis improved significantly on nearly all measures for two years following autologous stem cell transplant (Abstract #L06). Juvenile-onset systemic sclerosis (jSSc), also called scleroderma, is a disfiguring autoimmune disorder marked by hardening of the skin

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Ground-breaking discovery could pave the way for new therapies to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke

Researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered the mechanism by which cholesterol in our diet is absorbed into our cells. This discovery, which has just been published in the journal Science opens up new opportunities for therapeutic intervention to control cholesterol uptake that could complement other therapies and potentially save lives. The research, conducted with colleagues

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Bioactive, 3D-Printed Composite Material Supports Broken Bone Healing

A broken bone failing to heal represents an enormous burden for patients, which also often leads to further additional surgeries being required. Fraunhofer researchers have worked alongside partners to develop a composite material to be used in the treatment of such non-union cases. The resulting implant (termed scaffold) is designed to significantly improve treatment success

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VERVE-101: CRISPR-Based Gene Editing Therapy Shows Promise in Reducing LDL-C and PCSK9 Levels in Patients With HeFH

A single infusion of a CRISPR-based gene editing therapy significantly reduced LDL-C and PCSK9 levels in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), based on findings from the VERVE-101 trial presented Nov. 12 at AHA 2023. In presenting the findings, Andrew Bellinger, MD, PhD, said they provide the first proof-of-concept for in vivo DNA base editing in humans.

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Semaglutide 2.4 mg delivered a statistically significant 20% risk reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events

Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy®) cardiovascular outcomes data presented at American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and simultaneously published in New England Journal of Medicine At the American Heart Asoociation annual Scientific Session were announced the primary results of SELECT, its landmark phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes trial investigating the effects of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy®) in

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COVID Moonshot Consortium Unveils Crowd-Sourced Covid Antiviral Lead Compound

The work of the COVID Moonshot Consortium is being published in the prestigious journal Science on 10 November, revealing their discovery of a potent SARS-CoV-2 antiviral lead compound. It also reflects on the success of its open science approach in launching a patent-free antiviral discovery program to rapidly develop a differentiated lead in response to

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FDA Approves First Treatment for Patients with Rare Congenital Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Adzynma, the first recombinant (genetically engineered) protein product indicated for prophylactic (preventive) or on demand enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in adult and pediatric patients with congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP), a rare and life-threatening blood clotting disorder. “The FDA remains deeply committed in our efforts to help facilitate

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November the 10th Updated living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19

November the 10th a panel of international experts representing the World Health Organization’s Guideline Development Group has updated its guidance on treatments for patients with COVID-19. The new recommendations published by The BMJ are part of a living guideline, developed by the World Health Organization with the methodological support of MAGIC Evidence Ecosystem Foundation, to provide up

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Leading cardiologists reveal new heart disease risk calculator

Cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health measures included in new PREVENT risk calculator, detailed in a new American Heart Association Scientific Statement Statement Highlights: A new calculator estimates a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) over the next 30 years by combining measures of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health for the first time, according to a

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New Study: Gargling and Nasal Rinsing with Salt Water May Help Prevent Covid Hospitalization

Hospitalization rates in people with saline regimens significantly lower than in reference population  As Covid and its health effects move into a fourth year, those who become infected may be searching for remedies to improve their respiratory symptoms and keep them out of the hospital. A new study being presented at this year’s American College

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New study findings call into question the superiority of stem cell therapy for treating knee pain

Characterized by extensive damage to joints and debilitating pain, osteoarthritis (OA) impacts millions of people worldwide and has long posed a substantial clinical and economic burden. In spite of advances in diagnosis, medications, and short-term pain management solutions, the elusive goal of a disease-modifying OA drug has remained out of reach. In recent years though,

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Convalescent plasma reduces mortality by 10% in Covid-19 patients in acute respiratory distress and on artificial respiratory assistance

In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, clinicians and researchers from the CHU of Liège and the University of Liège show that the administration of plasma taken from convalescent donors after infection with Sars-CoV-2 to patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring artificial mechanical ventilation significantly reduced mortality (10%). he randomised

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UN agencies warn women and newborns bearing the brunt of the conflict in Gaza: WHO confirms

Women, children and newborns in Gaza are disproportionately bearing the burden of the escalation of hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territory, both as casualties and in reduced access to health services, warn the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the United Nations

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Businesses marketing unproven expensive stem cell treatments and exosome therapies for COVID-19 and Long Covid

Researchers have identified 38 businesses engaged in direct-to-consumer marketing of purported stem cell treatments and exosome therapies for preventing and treating COVID-19 even though these “interventions” have not been approved or authorized by national regulatory bodies and are not supported by convincing safety and efficacy data. The analysis, appearing in the journal Stem Cell Reports, also found

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Clinical benefit for metastatic prostate cancer of Novartis Pluvicto™

Novartis presented data from the Phase III PSMAfore trial at the 2023 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress. Data presented at the Presidential Symposium showed that Pluvicto™ (lutetium (177Lu) vipivotide tetraxetan) met its primary endpoint with a clinically meaningful and statistically significant benefit in radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) in patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen

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Researchers Design Gene Therapy That Can Effectively Target Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive brain cancer, is notoriously resistant to treatment, with recurrent GBM associated with survival of less than 10 months. Immunotherapies, which mobilize the body’s immune defenses against a cancer, have not been effective for GBM, in part because the tumor’s surrounding environment is largely impenetrable to assaults from the body’s immune system.

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NIH Scientists Unveil Detailed Cell Maps of the Human Brain and the Nonhuman Primate Brain

Incredibly detailed cell maps help pave the way for new generation of treatments A group of international scientists have mapped the genetic, cellular, and structural makeup of the human brain and the nonhuman primate brain. This understanding of brain structure, achieved by funding through the National Institutes of Health’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® Initiative, or

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Severe Vibrio vulnificus Infections in the United States Associated with Warming Coastal Waters: CDC issues Health Alert

SummaryThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to: BackgroundVibrio are bacteria that cause an estimated 80,000 illnesses each year in the United States. About a dozen species of Vibrio are pathogenic to humans. V. parahaemolyticus causes the most infections in the United States, accounting for about 40% of reported cases

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The use of cell therapy to treat COVID-19 patients can reduce the risk of death from the disease by 60%, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil, in partnership with colleagues in Germany and the United States.

Brazilian researchers and collaborators in Germany and the US compiled data from 195 clinical trials conducted in 30 countries between January 2020 and December 2021. The findings are promising, although the authors stress the need for enhanced controls in the making of the products used in cell therapy. Their findings are reported in an article

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American College of Phisicians issues updated Rapid, Living Practice Points on treating COVID-19 patients in outpatient settings

In an updated rapid, living practice points, the American College of Physicians (ACP) summarizes the latest evidence on the use of pharmacologic and biologic treatments of COVID-19 in the outpatient setting, specifically addressing the dominant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant. Outpatient Treatment of Confirmed COVID-19: Living, Rapid Practice Points from the American

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Repeated doses of covid-19 vaccine provide strong protection for seniors

More and more frequent vaccine doses than in other countries reduce mortality in covid-19 in nursing homes. This is shown by a Swedish study, led by Anders Johansson and Mattias Forsell, Umeå University, which was published in the highly ranked journal Lancet Infectious Diseases. In the fight against covid-19, researchers have carefully studied the effectiveness

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 SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of islet autoimmunity in early childhood

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease leading to an impaired glucose metabolism and requires life-long administration of insulin. While the cause of the autoimmunity reaction is still unclear, viral infections in young children are proposed to be critical environmental factors leading to type 1 diabetes. An international team of researchers from the Global Platform

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Exercise-Induced Hormone Irisin May Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease Plaque and Tangle Pathology in the Brain

Key Takeaways Researchers who previously developed the first 3D human cell culture models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that displays two major hallmarks of the condition—the generation of amyloid beta deposits followed by tau tangles—have now used their model to investigate whether the exercise-induced muscle hormone irisin affects amyloid beta pathology. As reported in the journal Neuron,

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JAMA published large study provides deeper insight into long COVID symptoms

NIH-funded research effort identifies most common symptoms, potential subgroups, and initial symptom-based scoring system – with aim of improving future diagnostics and treatment. Initial findings from a study of nearly 10,000 Americans, many of whom had COVID-19, have uncovered new details about long COVID, the post-infection set of conditions that can affect nearly every tissue

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Study reveals novel action mechanism of corticosteroids in combating inflammation caused by COVID-19

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a class of corticosteroids called glucocorticoids (GCs) have become established as one of the main treatment options, especially for severe cases, thanks to their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant action. Brazilian researchers recently discovered new ways in which these drugs influence the organism’s inflammatory response during an infection: they raise

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NIH study identifies features of Long COVID neurological symptoms

Differences in Physiologic Variables in Patients With Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC, Red) Compared With Healthy Volunteers (HVs, Gray) Each dot represents 1 participant; bars represent standard errors of the mean (top edge of rectangle). p Values are for independent means t tests. (A) Heart rate (HR); (B) finger systolic blood pressure (BPs); (C) baroreflex-cardiovagal gain; (D) high-frequency

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New Build Better Bones online platform to support people with osteoporosis and their caregivers 

The new International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) platform provides easy-to-follow exercise guidance and nutritional tips to benefit bone health, alerts to falls safety hazards in the home, and provides helpful information for caregivers.  The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has launched the Build Better Bones platform, a new online resource that provides people with osteoporosis, and their caregivers, with

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Machine learning links unresolving secondary pneumonia to mortality in COVID-19 patients with severe pneumonia.

Secondary bacterial pneumonia that does not resolve was a key driver of death in patients with Covid, according to a study. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The scientists also found evidence that Covid does not cause a “cytokine storm”, so often believed to cause death. Secondary bacterial pneumonia that does

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FDA approves treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with a mutation in the SOD1 gene

Action FDA approved Qalsody (tofersen) to treat patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with a mutation in the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene (SOD1-ALS). Qalsody is an antisense oligonucleotide that targets SOD1 mRNA to reduce the synthesis of SOD1 protein. The approval was based on a reduction in plasma neurofilament light (NfL), a blood-based

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FDA Approves Cell Therapy for Patients with Blood Cancers to Reduce Risk of Infection Following Stem Cell Transplantation

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Omisirge (omidubicel-onlv), a substantially modified allogeneic (donor) cord blood-based cell therapy to quicken the recovery of neutrophils (a subset of white blood cells) in the body and reduce the risk of infection. The product is intended for use in adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older

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More than 1 million lives saved in Europe by COVID-19 vaccines since the end of 2020: research presented at European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

COVID-19 vaccination directly saved at least 1,004,927 lives across Europe between December 2020 and March 2023, according to new research being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark (15-18 April). The new estimates by WHO/Europe and presented at the conference by Dr Margaux Meslé,  Epidemiologist at

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Bempedoic Acid and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Statin-Intolerant Patients

A nonstatin therapy approved almost 3 years ago to treat low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol also cuts the risk of major cardiovascular events, especially heart attacks, according to data presented. Bempedoic acid, approved in February 2020 as Nexletol (Esperion), reduced by 13% the risk of a 4-part composite end point of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE),

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New therapy harnesses patients’ blood cells to fight tumors

Noninvasive approach is fast, cost-effective and could be used to treat a variety of cancers doptive cell therapy (ACT) has become a promising immunotherapy tool to help treat advanced melanoma. The therapy, which harnesses immune cells collected from the patient’s own tumors, could provide a new treatment option to cancer patients, potentially bypassing radiation therapies

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Severe Covid-19: new anti-C5a antibody approved by FDA

A new antibody drug by pharmaceutical company inflaRx received FDA emergency use authorization to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients. One of the greatest hurdles for monoclonal antibody development during the Covid-19 pandemic is the ongoing mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most antibodies introduced throughout the pandemic targeted the virus spike protein, which mutates significantly with every emerging

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Transcatheter Arterialization of Deep Veins in Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia can avoid amputation

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that there may finally be an alternative to amputation for patients suffering from chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI), the most severe form of peripheral artery disease. This study, co-led by University Hospitals (UH) Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, could lead to the first FDA approval of

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Attracting Stem Cells and Facilitating Bone Regeneration by Adhesive Protein

A joint research team of POSTECH, Kyungpook National University, and Korea University Anam Hospital developed an osteogenic barrier coating material that maximizes the effect of guided bone regeneration (GBR) for implant placements. One of the key factors of success in a dental implant is the condition of the periodontium around the implant. A higher long-term

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Researchers of MGH Bioengineer an Endocrine Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes

Key Takeaways In people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing β cells that control blood glucose levels and are part of a group of cells in the pancreas called pancreatic islets. In research published in Cell Reports Medicine, a team led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member

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Genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation a non-surgical treatment significantly reduces knee pain for adults, especially those 50 and older

Genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for knee pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee, and can significantly reduce pain, especially for adults who are 50 and older, according to new research to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting in Phoenix, March 4–9. This is the first time a

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Injectable disc allograft tissue provides significant, long-term relief for chronic back pain, finds research

A minimally invasive treatment that injects allograft disk tissue into the spine to relieve pain associated with degenerative disk disease provides significant improvement in pain and function over a sustained period, according to new research to be presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting in Phoenix, March 4–9. The treatment, known as viable disk

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Researchers of UEF unraveled new mechanisms behind articular cartilage healing after injury

Understanding how the knee joint environment affects cartilage cells is crucial for joint health. Knowledge of cell-driven cartilage degeneration mechanisms can support the development of effective pharmaceutical interventions for osteoarthritis. The burden of musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis, is increasingly affecting patients’ quality of life and bringing enormous costs to health care. In efforts to

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The Texas Heart Institute Delivers a New First in Heart Failure Treatment Using Cell Therapy

New Cell Therapy Offers Potential Treatment Option for Patients With Chronic Heart Failure Physician-scientists at The Texas Heart Institute announced today the results of the largest cell therapy trial to date in patients with chronic heart failure due to low ejection fraction. The therapy benefited patients by improving the heart’s pumping ability, as measured by

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How COVID-19 Can Impact the Heart

Hearts from mice infected with COVID-19 have an increased percentage of fibrosis and dilation of the fibers—a common indicator of early cardiomyopathy in mice. Image courtesy of Andrew Marks. Scientists find that COVID-19 infection can cause changes in calcium channels that can affect how the heart beats, it can also trigger inflammation and oxidative stress

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ChatGPT breakthrough in Healthcare

Over the past decade, I’ve kept a close eye on the emergence of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Throughout, one truth remained constant: Despite all the hype, AI-focused startups and established tech companies alike have failed to move the needle on the nation’s overall health and medical costs. Finally, after a decade of underperformance in AI-driven medicine, success is approaching faster

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NIH scientists discover a rare neurological disease involving cellular recycling

New disease could provide insights into how the cell’s recycling system contributes to a healthy brain. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a new neurological condition characterized by issues with motor coordination and speech. They report their findings in npj Genomic Medicine. Scientists from NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and Undiagnosed

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McMaster University-led trial reduces COVID-19 hospitalization risk with single injection of pegylated interferon lambda

A team led by McMaster University researchers Gilmar Reis and Edward Mills has discovered that a single injection of pegylated interferon lambda can successfully treat COVID-19 in people early in the disease. A team led by McMaster University researchers Gilmar Reis and Edward Mills has discovered that a single injection of pegylated interferon lambda (lambda)

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Host-Cell Factors Involved in COVID-19 Infections May Augur Improved Treatments

By addressing molecules governing how host cells respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers hope they’ve found a new therapeutic target less vulnerable to potential drug resistance and emerging variants of concern Researchers at University of California San Diego and UC Riverside have further elucidated the molecular pathway used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect human

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Human spinal cord cell atlas provides foundation to study neurodegeneration, chronic pain, and other diseases

What New research offers clues about the biology of cells in the spinal cord that die off in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. A team of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health found evidence linking motor neurons’ large cell size and supporting structure with the genes that underlie their vulnerability

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FDA Approves First Oral Treatment for Anemia Caused by Chronic Kidney Disease for Adults on Dialysis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Jesduvroq tablets (daprodustat) as the first oral treatment for anemia (decreased number of red blood cells) caused by chronic kidney disease for adults who have been receiving dialysis for at least four months. Jesduvroq is not approved for patients who are not on dialysis. Other FDA-approved treatments for

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Duke-NUS and NHCS scientists first in the world to regenerate diseased kidney

Blocking an immune-regulating protein reverses the damage caused by acute and chronic kidney disease, a preclinical study suggests. Led by scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School and the National Heart Centre Singapore, researchers in Singapore and Germany have found that renal tubular cells, which line the tiny tubes inside kidneys, release a scar-regulating protein called interleukin-11

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T lymphocytes engineering: advances in treatment of cancer, autoimmune diseases, scarring and beyond

In recent months there have been some major jumps—unprecedented success stories—that indicate our ability to engineer T cells may well have a substantial impact for multiple medical conditions that have not been responsive to conventional therapies or for which there is no available treatment. This can be regarded as the quintessential individualized medicine intervention—specifically modifying

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Once-weekly efanesoctocog alfa beneficial in severe hemophilia A

Once weekly efanesoctocog alfa provides superior bleeding prevention to prestudy prophylaxis for patients with severe hemophilia A, according to a study published in the Jan. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Annette von Drygalski, M.D., Pharm.D., from the University of California in San Diego, and colleagues conducted a phase 3 study involving patients

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Report highlights cost of misinformation to healthcare services during COVID-19 pandemic

A new report has highlighted the consequences of misinformation, including loss of trust in public institutions, delayed action on pressing issues such as climate change, and the financial toll on healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘Fault Lines’ report involved a panel of international experts, including leading cognitive scientist Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, from the University of

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Myocardial Involvement After Hospitalization for COVID-19 Complicated by Troponin Elevation: A Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study

People hospitalized with COVID-19 may have an increased risk for heart damage, but not so much the type of inflammation previous research suggested, according to a new study. Early in the pandemic, several studies suggested many COVID-19 survivors experienced heart damage even if they didn’t have underlying heart disease and weren’t sick enough to be hospitalized. The

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90% reduction in COVID-19 deaths after booster dose: Hong Kong study

A booster (third) dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was associated with a 90% reduction in death in people with multiple health conditions compared to 2 doses, according to a new study from Hong Kong published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.221068. “We found a substantially reduced risk of COVID-19–related death in adults with multimorbidity who received a

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Decreased serotonin transporter activity in the mitral valve contributes to progression of degenerative mitral regurgitation

Serotonin can impact the mitral valve of the heart and potentially accelerate a cardiac condition known as degenerative mitral regurgitation, according to a new study led by researchers at Columbia University’s Department of Surgery in collaboration with the Pediatric Heart Valve Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the University of Pennsylvania, and the Valley

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Could a viral illness increase chances of developing Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative disease?

NIH biobank study suggests vaccinations against viruses may also reduce risk of neurological disorders Some viral illnesses may increase a person’s chances of later developing Alzheimer’s disease or another neurodegenerative disorder. Though a causal link cannot be confirmed, an NIH study in which researchers mined the medical records of hundreds of thousands of people in

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Results on 5 gene therapy trials expected in the first 2023 semester

Can gene therapy trials for vision loss, hemophilia, and melanoma break through in 2023? fter another turbulent year in gene therapy development, all eyes are on five major trial readouts set for H1 2023. The clinical studies target rare blood disorders, inherited retinal diseases, and metastatic melanoma—each of which poses distinct trial design challenges. First, two small

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COVID-19 patients retain elevated risk of death for at least 18 months after infection

 COVID-19 is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and death in the short- and long-term, according to a study in nearly 160,000 participants published today in Cardiovascular Research, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Compared to uninfected individuals, the likelihood of COVID-19 patients dying was up to 81 times higher in

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COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for the Treatment of Immunocompromised Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis published in Jama Network

A review of 9 studies suggested that plasma therapy may work in a group of immunocompromised people During the first months of 2020, when the coronavirus was spreading around the world, it was not known what the routes of transmission were and what medications could be beneficial to treat COVID-19 . Among other options, it began to be postulated that the blood plasma

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Evidence of haemorrhages in fetal brain tissue associated with the presence of SARS-CoV-2

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London has found evidence of small haemorrhages in fetal brain tissue during the peak of COVID-19 cases in the UK. The research, published in Brain, found that the haemorrhages are linked to a reduction in blood vessel integrity. The cause of these

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Cornell University study identifies four major subtypes of long COVID

The post-COVID syndrome known as long COVID has four major subtypes defined by different clusters of symptoms, according to a study led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine. The study, published Dec. 1 in Nature Medicine, was the largest of its kind to examine long COVID. The researchers, who represent clinicians and informaticists, used a machine-learning algorithm

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Transcriptional reprogramming from innate immune functions to a pro-thrombotic signature by monocytes in moderate-severe COVID-19

A study by Imperial College London, in the United Kingdom, shows an irregular activity of monocytes with a prothrombotic effect Among the complications most attributed to Covid-19 is thrombosis. The formation of blood clots in the veins or arteries in the weeks following the coronavirus infection , impairing blood circulation, was one of the symptoms seen frequently among patients around

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NIH clinical trial leads to atezolizumab approval for advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma

A clinical trial led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has resulted in the first approval of a treatment for advanced alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS). The immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq) was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)(link is external) for the treatment of adults and

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Coadministration of CD19- and CD22-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in Childhood B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Single-Arm, Multicenter, Phase II Trial with a 99% response rate

An innovative immunotherapy combination has shown a stunning 99% response rate in children with relapsed leukemia. The phase 2 trial, run jointly between researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis and Shanghai Children’s Hospital in China tested the therapy in 225 children who had relapsed after conventional treatment. The work published in the Journal

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China’s COVID-19 wave forecast to have two peaks where cases could reach 4.2 million a day: ew modelling by Airfinity examining data from China’s regional provinces

China is predicted to see two peaks in cases as COVID-19 spreads throughout the country, the first peak in mid-January and the second in early March.  New modelling by Airfinity has examined data from China’s regional provinces. The current outbreak is growing more rapidly in some regions than in others. Cases are currently rising much

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Researchers of Tel Aviv University use Smartwatches to Measure Safety of COVID Vaccine

Tel Aviv University researchers monitored the physiological data of close to 5,000 Israelis over two years In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at Tel Aviv University equipped close to 5,000 Israelis with smartwatches and monitored their physiological parameters over two years. Of those monitored, 2,038 received the booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine, allowing the researchers

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Strengthening the European translational research ecosystem for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) for rare diseases. An open Horizon Europe Framework Program for consortia.

Single stage with dead-line 15 march 2023 ExpectedOutcome: Research and innovation (R&I) actions to be supported under this topic must work towards results that contribute to all the following expected outcomes. Scope: There are over 7 000 rare diseases resulting in 30 million patients1 in Europe with a rare disease. Globally more than 300 million patients2 are

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Wafer-thin device has potential to transform the field of islet cell transplantation

Implantable platform provides prolonged treatment of Type 1 diabetes A quarter-sized device created at Houston Methodist could drastically alter the course of treatment for Type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition that impacts millions of Americans and does not have a cure. In a study published in the Dec. 26 issue of Nature Communications, a research team led

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Global study presents first results on the longer-term effects of therapies for the treatment of critically ill patients with COVID-19

The world’s largest trial into the effect of multiple interventions for critically ill adults with COVID-19 on longer-term outcomes has released results from the 180-day (six month) follow-up of 4869 critically ill patients. Published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the study is part of the ongoing Randomized Embedded Multifactorial Adaptive Platform

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Liver cancer study encourages caution with certain gene therapies

A newly discovered link between protein misfolding and liver cancer could help improve gene therapy for hemophilia Research led by Randal J. Kaufman, Ph.D., has found that misfolded proteins in liver cells contribute to the development of liver cancer, shedding new light on the mysterious origins of one of the world’s deadliest diseases. The findings, published

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New treatments for blood cancers, new hope for patients: a new STAT e-book on CAR-T cells

Blood cancers like multiple myeloma have long been considered incurable, but in the last decade, the development of precision immunotherapy treatments has offered patients months or even years of extended life. One such treatment, known as CAR-T cell therapy, turns immune system T cells into killers of cancer cells. They have been so transformative that

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Efficacy and safety of COVID‐19 vaccines: a Cochrane Systematic Review

A comprehensive review of all the evidence available from randomized controlled trials of COVID 19 vaccines up to November 2021 has concluded that most protect against infection and severe or critical illness caused by the virus. The review, performed by a collaboration of independent, international experts, and published in Cochrane Library also found there was

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The FDA-approved drug Alectinib compromises SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid 2 phosphorylation and inhibits viral infection in vitro

A cross-institutional effort between researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Duke University has yielded exciting progress in the search for new therapeutics against Covid-19. Where much of our current anti-SARS-CoV-2 arsenal is built around the virus’ spike (S) protein, many other proteins contribute to the viral life cycle as well. This includes the nucleocapsid (N) protein, which

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Researchers discover dysregulation of the immune system mediated by ATP as a new mechanism associated with severe COVID-19.

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have found that severe COVID-19 is associated with an imbalance in an important immune system signaling pathway. The discovery helps explain at the molecular level why some people infected by SARS-CoV-2 develop a potentially fatal systemic inflammation. It also paves the way to the development

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New Omicron subvariant BQ.1.1 resistant to all therapeutic antibodies

Are the currently approved antibody therapies used to treat individuals at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease also effective against currently circulating viral variants? A recent study by researchers at the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg shows that the Omicron sub-lineage BQ.1.1, currently on the rise

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Gene-delivering viruses reach the brain in a step toward gene therapy for neurological diseases

Researchers have engineered a family of adeno-associated viral vectors that cross the blood-brain barrier in primate models. Gene therapies can treat, even potentially cure, certain genetic diseases, but it is challenging to deliver the treatments to the parts of the body where they are needed. Researchers have engineered viruses called adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) to deliver

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CRISPR Technology applied to CAR T cells for Cancer Therapy

Researchers find that combining novel gene-editing CRISPR technology with CAR T therapy could simplify and improve CAR T therapy in one fell swoop. Traditional CAR T Therapy A remarkable feat in cancer care, today people with difficult-to-treat blood cancers can receive CAR T therapy, a personalized “drug” made from their own immune cells. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR T)

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COVID-19 Virus Increases Risk for Other Infections by Disrupting Normal Mix of Gut Bacteria

Infection with the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2, can reduce the number of bacterial species in a patient’s gut, with the lesser diversity creating space for dangerous microbes to thrive, a new study finds. The study builds on the realization that widespread use of antibiotics to fight infections with disease-causing bacteria in recent decades, by killing off

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CAR T-Cell Therapies in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

The increasing integration of CAR T-cell therapies into the treatment paradigm for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma addresses several unmet needs and improves outcomes for this historically limited patient population. The increasing integration of CAR T-cell therapies into the treatment paradigm for adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma addresses several

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Association of National Football League Fan Attendance With County-Level COVID-19 Incidence in the 2020-2021 Season

A study of National Football League (NFL) home games attended by 1.3 million fans suggests that those with high attendance were tied to subsequent county-level COVID-19 surges during the 2020-2021 season. A team led by a University of Southern Mississippi researcher analyzed data from all 32 NFL teams during the 2020-2021 season, when some games were open

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Comparative Risk of Thrombosis With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome or Thromboembolic Events Associated With Different COVID-19 Vaccines published in BMJ

OBJECTIVE To quantify the comparative risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome or thromboembolic events associated with use of adenovirus based covid-19 vaccines versus mRNA based covid-19 vaccines. DESIGN International network cohort study. SETTING Routinely collected health data from contributing datasets in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, and the US. PARTICIPANTS Adults (age ≥18

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Cleveland Researchers Discover New Oral Drug for Lowering Cholesterol

Study led by University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University team details a small-molecule drug that lowers cholesterol by 70% in animal models –After statins, the next leading class of medications for managing cholesterol are PCSK9 inhibitors. These highly effective agents help the body pull excess cholesterol from the blood, but unlike statins, which are

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Research brief by Minnesota University: Association between diabetes medication and less severe cases of COVID-19

Published in PLOS ONE, a study led by the University of Minnesota Medical School studied adults with type 2 diabetes who were taking metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes medication. Researchers found an association with less severe cases of COVID-19 for those prescribed metformin. These findings were part of an observational study that analyzed electronic medical

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Real-world evidence study of regenerative medicine and shoulder surgery

Applying regenerative medicine to a common shoulder surgery could have an impact on the need for follow-up revision surgery in some patients, according to a Mayo Clinic study of real-world evidence. Mayo Clinic researchers analyzed the largest set of data available to determine if adding bone marrow aspirate concentrate to repaired tissue after standard rotator cuff surgery would improve

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Anti-Vax Doctor Simone Gold Sued by America’s Frontline Doctors, the Group She Founded: misused the organization’s funds to buy a $3.6 million Florida mansion, purchase a Mercedes-Benz and other luxury vehicles, and take trips on private planes.

Source: Medscape America’s Frontline Doctors is suing one of its founders in a battle for control over the controversial group, which gained national notoriety for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 treatments and vaccines during the pandemic. The organization and its current board chairman have sued Simone Gold, MD, alleging that she misused the nonprofit organization’s funds

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Glucose metabolites, rather than glucose itself, have been discovered to be key to the progression of type 2 diabetes.

Oxford Research reveals high blood glucose reprograms the metabolism of pancreatic beta-cells in diabetes.  In diabetes, the pancreatic beta-cells do not release enough of the hormone insulin, which lowers blood glucose levels. This is because a glucose metabolite damages pancreatic beta-cell function. An estimated 415 million people globally are living with diabetes. With nearly 5

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Long-term efficacy of nusinersen and its evaluation in adolescent and adult patients with spinal muscular atrophy types 1 and 2

Therapy up to 4.5 years led to gains in motor function: analysis published in Brain & Development Up to 4.5 years of Spinraza (nusinersen) treatment led to meaningful improvements in motor function in adolescents and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), according to a medical records analysis. “[Spinraza] was effective in long-term follow-up,” researchers wrote. Noting a dearth of

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Technion researchers have developed a technology to measure the long-term effect of antibiotic “combination therapies”

Researchers at the Technion have developed a technology to measure the long-term effect of antibiotic combinations (cocktails). These combinations are of concern to the scientific and medical community due to the fact that the use of single antibiotics often leads to the rapid development of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The research published in Nature was led by Technion

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How Covid-19 leads to neuronal damage

Although the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus does not affect nerve cells, Covid-19 disease can cause damage to the nervous system. Researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital Basel have elucidated the mechanisms behind “Neuro-Covid” and identified starting points for preventing it. Quite a few have lost their sense of smell and taste with the coronavirus

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Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection: increased risk of fatal complications.

Many people worldwide are experiencing repeat SARS-CoV-2 infections, but the health risks associated with these reinfections have remained unclear. Now,  a team of researchers led by Washington University in St. Louis has found that repeated COVID-19 infections increase the risk of organ failure and death. “During the past few months, there’s been an air of invincibility among people who

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WHO releases first data on global vaccine market since COVID-19

WHO’s Global Vaccine Market Report 2022, published today, shows that inequitable distribution is not unique to COVID-19 vaccines, with poorer countries consistently struggling to access vaccines that are in-demand by wealthier countries. WHO’s Global Vaccine Market Report 2022, published today, shows that inequitable distribution is not unique to COVID-19 vaccines, with poorer countries consistently struggling to access

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Study lead by UMass Chan clinical scientists provides evidence of protective link between oral microbiome and COVID

Oral microbiome composition indicative of need for respiratory support among COVID-19 patients Using high-throughput genome sequencing and machine learning, scientists at UMass Chan Medical School have shown a strong correlation between the oral microbiome in patients with COVID-19 at the time of hospital admission and the need for later respiratory support. Published in Frontiers in Microbiology,

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New Exa-cel gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease and Beta Thalassemia global regulatory submission in 2022

A potential 1-time gene editing treatment for severe sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) is entering approval review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency, and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, according to a company statement. Both diseases involve variants in the gene encoding β globin. The variants

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US FDA grants Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to gene therapy OTOF-GT for the treatment of otoferlin gene-mediated hearing loss

OTOF-GT targets the restoration of hearing in people living with otoferlin deficiency Sensorion, a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent hearing loss disorders, announces that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation to the Company’s lead therapy gene

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Which COVID Vaccine You Get Can Impact Myocarditis Risk: study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Study shows higher rates of heart inflammation with Moderna vs. Pfizer, but overall risk still very low Incidence of myocarditis, pericarditis or myopericarditis is two- to threefold higher after a second dose of the Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine when compared to the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine; however, overall cases of heart inflammation with either vaccine

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COVID-19 deaths in children and young people in England, March 2020 to December 2021: an active prospective national surveillance study

A new study conducted in England shows that the risk of death due to COVID-19 remains very low for children and young people, and most deaths occur in those with underlying health conditions. A new study conducted in England shows that the risk of death due to COVID-19 remains very low for children and young

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New drug can successfully treat patients typically resistant to high blood pressure treatment

A new drug called Baxdrostat has been shown to significantly reduce high blood pressure (hypertension) in patients who may not respond to current treatments for the condition, according to results from a phase II trial led jointly by a Queen Mary University of London researcher and colleagues at CinCor Pharma, USA. Published in the New England

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Intravenous iron improved long-term outcomes for people with heart failure and iron deficiency

Research Highlights: Repeated intravenous (IV) administration of iron reduced the risk of hospitalization for heart failure and cardiovascular death in people with heart failure and iron deficiency, according to a clinical trial in the United Kingdom. Treatment with IV iron was safe and well-tolerated, and people who received it reported improved well-being based on quality-of-life

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Novel CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-editing therapy shows promise for patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy

A single IV infusion of NTLA-2001, a novel CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing therapy, significantly reduced circulating transthyretin (TTR) protein levels in patients with ATTR amyloid cardiomyopathy, a progressive and fatal cause of heart failure, according to late-breaking research presented today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022. The meeting, held in person in Chicago and

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Organoids Reveal How SARS-CoV-2 Damages Brain Cells — and a Potential Treatment

COVID-19 infections can result in long-lasting neurological symptoms; new research suggests an already approved anti-viral may inhibit viral replication and rescue impaiOrganoids Reveal How SARS-CoV-2 Damages Brain Cells — and a Potential Treatmentred neurons Using human brain organoids, an international team of researchers, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine

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Over 350 Multidisciplinary Experts from More than 100 Countries Reach Consensus on How to End COVID-19 as a Public Health Threat

A new global COVID-19 study provides actionable recommendations to end the public health threat without exacerbating socio-economic burdens or putting the most vulnerable at greater risk SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate among us. Although some governments have moved on, a new study published today in the journal Nature says that specific efforts and resources are still required to save

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Study shows GABA, an inexpensive and readily available chemical, reduces disease severity, lung viral load and death in SARS-CoV-2-infected mice

Preclinical studies in mice that model human COVID-19 suggest that an inexpensive, readily available amino acid might limit the effects of the disease and provide a new off-the-shelf therapeutic option for infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants and perhaps future novel coronaviruses. A team led by researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA report that an

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CAR-T cells therapy for autoimmune diseases

A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine highlights the potential of CAR T therapy beyond this realm—specifically for lupus and other autoimmune diseases. What is Lupus? Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus) is an autoimmune disease that affects women approximately ten more than men, and is characterized by the overproduction of antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues. Lupus

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‘A silent killer’ – COVID-19 shown to trigger inflammation in the brain

Research led by The University of Queensland has found COVID-19 activates the same inflammatory response in the brain as Parkinson’s disease. The discovery identified a potential future risk for neurodegenerative conditions in people who’ve had COVID-19, but also a possible treatment. The UQ team was led by Professor Trent Woodruff and Dr Eduardo Albornoz Balmaceda from UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences,

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Getting to the heart of COVID-19 vaccination and its cardiovascular risks

After mRNA vaccination, adults under 40 have a slightly greater chance of developing myocarditis or pericarditis, yet the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks, according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine A comprehensive review and meta-analysis of published research confirm that young adults (40 years old and younger) have a slightly elevated risk for myocarditis

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Long COVID and pulmonary fibrosis better understood thanks to innovative techniques

An international team of researchers has revealed how scarring occurs in Long-COVID and pulmonary fibrosis using innovative blood biomarkers and X-ray technology. This study, published in The Lancet – eBioMedicine, contributes to the knowledge on the pathophysiology of severe COVID-19 and thus its treatment. Long-COVID syndrome, or the origin of the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2

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Researchers find that different stem cells are responsible for the repair of different kinds of bone injuries

 New research from Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) found that different skeletal stem cell (SSC) populations contribute to repair of different kinds of bone injuries. In the study, published in Cell Stem Cell, researchers identified distinct cell markers that allowed them to track SSCs in the bone marrow inside of bones versus SSCs in the

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University of Michigan researchers engineer a drug derived from bananas showing promise in fighting deadly viruses and SARS-CoV-2

A banana a day may not keep the doctor away, but a substance originally found in bananas and carefully edited by scientists could someday fight off a wide range of viruses, new research suggests. And the process used to create the virus-fighting form may help scientists develop even more drugs, by harnessing the “sugar code”

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For American Society of Anesthesiologists statins lower COVID-19 severity and risk of death

Commonly used cholesterol-lowering statins may reduce the risk of death and severity of COVID-19 disease, suggests a study of more than 38,000 patients being presented at the Anesthesiology 2022 annual meeting. “While there is no ‘magic bullet’ to help patients who are very ill with COVID-19, statins decrease inflammation, which may help reduce the severity

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The Philippines Department of Health said first new cases of XBB and XBC Covid-19 Omicron variants were detected. 

In a media briefing, Health Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that based on the latest whole genomic sequencing run of the agency, a total of 81 XBB subvariant cases have been detected in two regions in the country.  Vergeire also said that there were 193 XBC subvariant cases found in 11 out of 17 regions

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In Singapore XBB seems to be more prevalent in the COVID-naive and those originally infected in the Delta and pre-Delta era

Singapore’s Health Minister, Ong Ye Kung, has said that he expects the current XBB SARS-CoV-2 wave to peak in mid-November 2022.  In an assured press conference, Singapore’s Health Minister said he expects the XBB to crest at about 15,000 daily cases on average. Covid case levels in Singapore are currently averaging around 8,500 a day.

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Intranasal COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine candidate’s Phase I trial clinical data highlights need for further development

Researchers from the University of Oxford have today reported new findings from a Phase 1 clinical trial studying the safety and immune response of an intranasally-administered vaccine against COVID-19.The study was performed at the University in collaboration with AstraZeneca and used the same vaccine based on the ChAdOx1 adenovirus vector, as is already licensed for

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3D-bioprinted human tissues and the path toward clinical translation

Three-dimensional bioprinting is an emerging technology that has the potential to build human tissue, on demand, to treat a wide range of human diseases. However, bridging the gap from research at the benchtop to clinical translation requires a host of resources, time, and energy. A new Science Translational Medicine perspective authored by researchers in Carnegie Mellon University’s

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Antibodies bite worse on new omicron BA.2.75.2 variant: a study from the Karolinska Institutet shows.

A study from the Karolinska Institutet shows that the coronavirus variant BA.2.75.2, a subvariant of omicron, more easily bypasses neutralizing antibodies in the blood and is resistant to several monoclonal antibody treatments. This means an increased risk of sars-cov-2 infection this winter, unless the new updated bivalent vaccines can strengthen the immunity of the population. The results

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First stem cell treatment for spina bifida delivered during fetal surgery performed at UC Davis Health

Groundbreaking trial aims to reverse the paralysis and other abnormal functions of spina bifida before birth Three babies have been born after receiving the world’s first spina bifida treatment combining surgery with stem cells. This was made possible by a landmark clinical trial at UC Davis Health.   The one-of-a-kind treatment, delivered while a fetus is

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SARS-CoV-2 Infects Neurons and Induces Inflammation in the Brains of Rhesus Macaques

SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 virus, caused significant neuron damage and inflammation within a week of infection in rhesus macaque monkeys, according to a new study. The researchers from the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis, also discovered that aged monkeys with Type 2 diabetes experienced worse virus-induced neurological damage. The findings,

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CART cells for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (CARTITUDE-1): a phase 1b–2, open-label study on health-related quality of life published in The Lancet Haematology

CARTITUDE-1 is a phase 1b–2 study evaluating ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), a chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy with two B-cell maturation antigen–targeting single-domain antibodies, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Primary efficacy outcomes have previously been reported. In this paper are reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) secondary outcomes evaluated using patient-reported outcomes.

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Results of a phase 1 UCART19 trial, a first-in-class allogeneic anti-CD19 CART-cell therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (CALM) published in The Lancet Haematology

The prognosis for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia remains poor. UCART19, an allogeneic genome-edited anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product derived from healthy donors and available for immediate clinical use, offers a potential therapeutic option for such patients. The CALM trial is a first-in-human study evaluating the safety and antileukaemic

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SARS-CoV-2 origin: the evidence towards zoonosis is overwhelming: experts panel conclusions in PNAS. One Health approach is necessary to diminish zoonosis threats.

“Smart surveillance” for viral spillover from animals to humans, targeted preparedness and drug and vaccine research, and worldwide cooperation on surveillance and stopping disease spread are required to reduce deaths and lessen the economic consequences of the next pandemic, according to an international team of scientists. In a perspective article published this week in Proceedings of

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XBB, SARS CoV-2 variant detected in Singapore and Hong Kong, is significantly more immune evasive than BA.2.75.2 and BQ.1.1 

A fantastic diagram by Daniele Focosi showing the convergent evolution that has led to the lineages we have been discussing recently, including BQ.1.1, CA.1, BR.2 and the new XBB variant. The speed with which SARS-CoV-2 is now evolving is quite breathtaking – ever-fitter variants are now being uncovered on an almost daily basis. Just over one week

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Colonoscopy unfortunately is not a miracle cure for colorectal cancer. According to study published inNEJM is not better than the fecal samples

On October 10 the world’s first randomized study on using colonoscopy-screening to prevent colorectal cancer was presented during the 2022 United European Gastroenterology Week in Vienna. The full study was also published in New England Journal of Medicine. “Colonoscopy unfortunately is not a miracle cure for colorectal cancer. According to our study, it probably is not better

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A comprehensive SARS-CoV-2–human protein–protein interactome reveals COVID-19 pathobiology and potential host therapeutic targets: a Cleveland Clinic study finds.

A Cleveland Clinic-led research team used artificial intelligence to map out hundreds of ways that the virus that causes COVID-19 interacts with infected cells. Through this analysis, they identified potential COVID-19 medicines within thousands of drugs already approved by the FDA for other treatments. The research focused on host-targeting therapies, which operate differently from other

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Gene Therapy Rapidly Improves Night Vision in Adults with Congenital Blindness, Penn Study Finds

Patients’ low-light sensitivity improved by factors of thousands in a clinical trial Adults with a genetic form of childhood-onset blindness experienced striking recoveries of night vision within days of receiving an experimental gene therapy, according to researchers at the Scheie Eye Institute in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The patients

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Estimated Global Proportions of Individuals With Persistent Fatigue, Cognitive and Respiratory Symptom Clusters Following Symptomatic COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021

Women and people who needed to be hospitalized with Covid are much more likely to develop long Covid, according to a new peer reviewed study published in JAMA on Monday, offering new insight into the persistent and sometimes disabling condition as researchers push to develop new treatments and cures. KEY FACTS An estimated 6% of people with symptomatic Covid infections develop

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Study Provides Further Evidence That Immune Cell Dysregulation is a Driver of COVID-19 Severity

Maintenance of reparative lung macrophages may be a viable therapeutic strategy for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and other inflammatory lung diseases In one of the largest single-center COVID-19 cohort studies to date, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, using samples collected during the peak of the pandemic in New York City,

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 Short documentary video from the New England Journal of Medicine on Sickle Cell Disease and Gene Therapy from Patient and Physician Perspectives

In this short documentary video from the New England Journal of Medicine, patients and physicians partner both to highlight the experience of living with sickle cell disease and to discuss the pathophysiology of the disease and new treatment strategies, including gene therapy. Patients share their own stories of interactions with the health care system and explore

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Coffee drinking is associated with increased longevity: a study of European Society of Cardiology finds.

Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day is linked with a longer lifespan and lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with avoiding coffee, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology. The findings applied to ground, instant and decaffeinated varieties. “In this large, observational

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Calibr, a Division of Scripps Research, reports promising results from first-in-human clinical trial of switchable CAR-T (CLBR001 + SWI019), a next-generation universal CAR-T platform designed to enhance the versatility and safety of cell therapies

In preliminary results from a Phase I study of CLBR001 + SWI019 for patients with B cell malignancies: 7 of 9 patients responded and 6 of 9 had a complete response (78% ORR, 67% CR) CLBR001 cells engrafted at higher levels than approved CAR-T cell products without causing an increase in the incidence of CRS

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Ecological niche modelling analyses highlight a risk of expansion of Lassa virus towards Central and East Africa potentially leading to a drastic increase in the number of people exposed.

In the study, which appeared on September 27 in Nature Communications, scientists analyzed decades of environmental data associated with Lassa virus outbreaks, revealing temperature, rainfall and the presence of pastureland areas as key factors contributing to viral transmission. The researchers projected that areas hospitable to Lassa virus spread may extend from West Africa into Central and

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New study of Case Western Reserve University: Risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease increases by 50-80% in older adults who caught COVID-19

Older people who were infected with COVID-19 show a substantially higher risk—as much as 50% to 80% higher than a control group—of developing Alzheimer’s disease within a year, according to a study of more than 6 million patients 65 and older. In a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, researchers report that people 65

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New University of California Irvine-led report Illustrates potential of precision genome editing in treating inherited retinal diseases

Improvements in technology and delivery techniques could revolutionize treatment of genetic disorders of vision In a new paper, University of California, Irvine researchers explain how precision genome editing agents have enabled precise gene correction and disease rescue in inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The study, titled, “Precision genome editing in the eye,” was published this week

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Disarming the neutrophils induced lethal lung response through PTP1B inhibitors which regulate CXCR4 signaling

The Takeaway Neutrophils are the body’s first line of defense against infection. But if too many attack for too long, they can damage the tissues they’re meant to protect. In the lungs, this damage can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome, the leading cause of death due to COVID-19. CSHL researchers have found that using

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COVID-19 mutations accelerated by virus-fighting enzyme in human cells, according to new research

The findings by a team of USC researchers could help scientists predict new coronavirus variants and subvariants and give them a leg up on producing effective vaccines. Researchers have found the first experimental evidence explaining why the COVID-19 virus produces variants, such as delta and omicron, so quickly. The findings, published Sept. 13 in the journal Scientific Reports,

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At least 17 million people in the WHO European Region experienced long COVID in the first two years of the pandemic; millions may have to live with it for years to come

WHO/Europe urges countries to take post COVID-19 condition seriously by urgently investing in research, recovery, and rehabilitation New modelling conducted for WHO/Europe by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in the United States shows that in the first two years of the pandemic, at least

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NIH research : Bronchodilators don’t improve smoking-related respiratory symptoms in people without COPD

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have found that dual bronchodilators – long-lasting inhalers that relax the airways and make it easier to breathe – do little to help people who do not have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but who do have respiratory symptoms and a history of smoking.    COPD, a lung disease

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How the gut may help to drive COVID-19

New findings from Flinders University have demonstrated a molecular link between COVID-19 and serotonin cells in the gut. The research could help provide further clues to what could be driving COVID-19 infection and disease severity and supports previous evidence that antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), could reduce the severity of COVID symptoms.

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FDA Approves First Cell-Based Gene Therapy to Treat Adult and Pediatric Patients with Beta-thalassemia Who Require Regular Blood Transfusions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zynteglo (betibeglogene autotemcel), the first cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with beta-thalassemia who require regular red blood cell transfusions.  “Today’s approval is an important advance in the treatment of beta-thalassemia, particularly in individuals who require ongoing red blood cell transfusions,” said Peter

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The enzyme ceramidase inhibition by Fluoxetine emerges as a new potential therapy of Covid-19

Fluoxetine, a common antidepressant, inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in cell cultures and in preparations from human lung tissue. This was demonstrated by researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg in the summer of 2020. However, the mechanism of this inhibition was utterly unclear, so the teams continued their research. To this end, they developed the molecule AKS466,

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Cedars-Sinai Study: Most People Infected With Omicron Didn’t Know It

Cedars-Sinai Researchers Find 56% Were Unaware They Were Infected With Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2 The majority of people who were likely infected with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, didn’t know they had the virus, according to a new study from Cedars-Sinai investigators. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open. “More

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Targeting TYMP Gene with Tipiracil could help fight thrombosis in COVID-19 patients

Findings from a new study at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine show that a thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) inhibitor could help slow thrombosis in COVID-19 patients. Expression of TYMP, the gene that plays an important role in platelet activation, thrombosis and inflammation, is significantly increased in COVID-19 patients. The increase of TYMP

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Stem cell-based therapy for human diseases: a complete review

Recent advancements in stem cell technology open a new door for patients suffering from diseases and disorders that have yet to be treated. Stem cell-based therapy, including human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), has recently emerged as a key player in regenerative medicine. hPSCs are defined as self-renewable cell types

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Higher risk of vein blood clots in COVID vs flu patients

Hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients before and after SARS-CoV-2 vaccine availability had significantly higher odds of venous—but not arterial—thromboembolism than those hospitalized for influenza before the pandemic, finds a study published today in JAMA. A team led by University of Pennsylvania researchers retrospectively studied rates of venous thromboembolism (blood clot in a vein) and arterial thromboembolism (blood clot in

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Long-term cardiovascular outcomes in COVID-19 survivors among non-vaccinated population

The results of a retrospective cohort study from the TriNetX US collaborative networks are published in eClinicalMedicine Background The long-term cardiovascular outcomes in COVID-19 survivors remain largely unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term cardiovascular outcomes in COVID-19 survivors. Methods This study used the data from the US Collaborative Network in

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UT Southwestern researchers identify mechanism crucial for COVID-19 virus replication

Findings could lead to new strategies to treat COVID-19 infections A team led by UT Southwestern researchers has identified how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, builds a structure called the RNA cap that’s critical for successful viral replication. The finding, published in Nature, could lead to new strategies to attack COVID-19, which has sickened nearly 600

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Clinical Practice Guidelines from the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB): COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma

The Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) has released clinical practice guidelines for the appropriate use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) in hospital and outpatient settings. Based on two living systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the guidelines provide five specific recommendations for treating patients with COVID-19 and suggest that CCP

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The US and UK Government Release Reports on Long COVID to Support Patients and Further Research

The US Government is committed to helping people across America affected by Long COVID. In April, President Joe Biden issued a Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19, which called for the creation of two reports. Within 120 days, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), leading a whole-of-government response, developed two reports that

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Two patients treated with Novartis Zolgensma gene therapy died due to acute liver injury.

Two children who received a Novartis gene therapy for their neuromuscular disease died following treatment, spotlighting its risks and renewing questions about the safety of genetic medicines like it. The patients developed acute liver failure between five and six weeks after infusion with the gene therapy, called Zolgensma and approved to treat spinal muscular atrophy,

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66,000 people in Southeast Asia may be infected with bats SARS-related coronaviruses every year: results of a study published in Nature Communications

New research offers risk assessment that estimates the risk of human infections from SARS-related coronaviruses originating in 23 bat host species across Southeast Asia In a new study led by EcoHealth Alliance and published in Nature Communications, researchers estimate that more than 66,000 people in Southeast Asia are directly infected each year with SARS-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV) originating in

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COVID-19 pandemic dynamics in South Africa and epidemiological characteristics of three variants of concern (Beta, Delta, and Omicron)

A model of COVID-19 dynamics in South Africa reveals epidemiological characteristics of the main SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and highlights their potential to cause further outbreaks. Published in eLife, the researchers’ findings highlight the need for more proactive planning and preparedness for future variants of concern (VOCs), including the development of a universal vaccine that can

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Inhaled aprotinin reduces viral load in mild-to-moderate inpatients with Covid-19: paper published in European Journal of Clinical Investigation

New variants of the causative pathogen, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continue to emerge, and the ‘new normal’ appears to be a scenario where human beings coexist with the virus. However, many individuals are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 due to comorbidities like obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, advancing age,

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Acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children: an update by the European Reference Network ERN RARE-LIVER

Unexplained cases of acute liver inflammation in children, especially in the United Kingdom (UK) were reported earlier this year. In response, the European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER) conducted a thorough investigation that did not confirm the alarming observation from the UK in other European countries. However, an infectious cause remains the main suspected

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Higher doses of CAR T cell therapy associate with improved outcomes in young patients with B-ALL : a report from the pediatric real-world CAR consortium

Young people who received doses of tisagenlecleucel, a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, at the higher end of the FDA-approved dosing range had significantly better survival rates at one year compared with those who received lower doses within this range, according to research published today in Blood Advances.   Since its approval as the first

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Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Targeting Fast-Spreading Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5 will be delivered as soon as October 2022

Pfizer and BioNTech will begin trials of their updated mRNA Covid-19 vaccine designed to protect against the newer BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the coronavirus latest this month, BioNTech announced on Monday, joining other vaccine makers like Moderna who are trying to create updated shots targeting the faster spreading and immune evasive variants. The trial

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Dysregulation of the kallikrein-kinin system and neutrophils role in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with severe COVID-19

Results published by University of Leuven researchers in eBioMedicine Markers of inflammation and coagulation are predictors for clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor, which is involved in kinin breakdown, could interfere with the kallikrein-kinin pathway. SARS-CoV-2 induced dysregulation

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12,7% COVID-19 patients develop long COVID symptoms: results of a large Dutch study

One in eight adults (12.7%) who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience long term symptoms due to COVID-19, suggests a large Dutch study published in The Lancet. The study provides one of the first comparisons of long-term symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection (often called ‘long COVID’) with symptoms in an uninfected population, as well as measuring symptoms in

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St. Jude Researchers improved CAR T-cell therapy for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital developed a simple method to select for more effective cancer-destroying CAR T cells for patients with relapsed T-ALL. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are improving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Their new simplified approach selected for an advantageous T-cell type and showed promise in the lab against relapsed T-cell

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Gene Therapy Approach Shows Promise in Treating ALS

In rodent models, introduced neuroprotective protein slowed disease progression and increased life span Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord responsible for voluntary movements and muscle control. In a new study, published July 11, 2022 in the journal Theranostics, researchers at

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Getting more exercise than guidelines suggest may lower death risk as much as 31%.

Doubling to quadrupling the minimum amount of weekly physical activity recommended for U.S. adults may substantially lower the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and other causes, new research finds. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, found people who followed the minimum guidelines for moderate or vigorous long-term, leisure physical activity

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Vitamin D supplements data on fractures prevention are inconsistent: results of the VITAL trial in NEJM.

More research suggests it’s time to abandon the craze over vitamin D. Taking high doses of “the sunshine vitamin” doesn’t reduce the risk of broken bones in generally healthy older Americans, researchers reported Wednesday on NEJM . It’s the latest in a string of disappointments about a nutrient once hoped to have wide-ranging protective effects. That same

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Prognosis and persistence of smell and taste dysfunction in 5% patients with Covid-19: meta-analysis results published in The BMJ

About 5% of adults may develop long-lasting changes to their sense of smell or taste after COVID-19 infection, suggests research published by The BMJ today. With more than 550 million confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, this means that at least 15 million and 12 million adult patients may experience long-term smell and taste deficiencies, respectively. Given the

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SARS-CoV-2 Variants Have Developed Resistance to Human Interferons

CU Anschutz researchers examined how five SARS-CoV-2 variants interact with diverse interferons and found the virus has adapted to evade this important front-line defense of the innate immune system Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have investigated how antiviral proteins called interferons interact with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. The study, published in Proceedings

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The third COVID-19 booster was crucial to identifying and fighting new variants

Twenty different COVID-19 variants were effectively identified and neutralised after the third booster, according to the new study for which the University of Surrey provided the crucial antigenic map of variants of concern.  While the study’s results suggested that immunity decreases 20 weeks after vaccination, the third booster (of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in the case

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Primary thromboprophylaxis in symptomatic outpatients with COVID-19: no benefit in two randomized trials 

Two trials show no differences between patients who received enoxaparin vs standard of care The routine use of antithrombotic therapies to prevent thromboembolic complications provided no benefit for symptomatic outpatients with COVID-19, according to the results of two randomized trials. In the OVID trial, the 30-day risk of hospitalization and death was similar among patients who

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Private clinics in Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland are offering expensive unproven “blood washing” procedures for abroad Long Covid patients

Thousands of people experiencing the debilitating symptoms of long covid are traveling abroad to seek costly but unproven treatments such as “blood washing”, according to an investigation carried out by The BMJ and ITV News released today. Patients are traveling to private clinics in Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland for apheresis – a blood-filtering treatment normally

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Acute and post-acute COVID-19 presentations in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis shows that 8% of athletes have persistent symptoms after contracting COVID-19

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil analyzed data from 43 scientific articles describing the effects of COVID-19 on athletes and concluded that while the disease was asymptomatic or mild in the vast majority of cases (94%), about 8% of the subjects concerned had persistent symptoms affecting their performance and potentially preventing

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New paper from Cleveland University Hospitals examines transfusion utilization and appropriateness: thinking differently at a tertiary academic medical center

Researchers find decrease in transfusions, increase in appropriate use, and savings of $2.5 million In a new paper, researchers from University Hospitals (UH) detail how they used data via a dashboard to decrease the use of packed red-blood cell (pRBC) transfusions and platelets with an increase in appropriate transfusions.Their paper, “Transfusion Utilization and Appropriateness: Thinking Differently

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A new study confirms convalescent plasma doesn’t benefit severely ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19

Convalescent plasma, widely given to severely ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the pandemic, does not improve their ability to survive or recover, according to a national clinical trial led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and published in the journal CHEST. The multicenter blinded, randomized placebo-controlled, Passive Immunity Trial for our Nation (PassITON), looked at the

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COVID-19 virus spike protein flexibility improved by human cell’s own modifications

When the coronavirus causing COVID-19 infects human cells, the cell’s protein-processing machinery makes modifications to the spike protein that render it more flexible and mobile, which could increase its ability to infect other cells and to evade antibodies, a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found. The researchers created an atomic-level computational model

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Small NIH study reveals how immune response triggered by COVID-19 may damage the brain

Findings could give insight into long-term neurological symptoms of COVID-19 A study from the National Institutes of Health describes the immune response triggered by COVID-19 infection that damages the brain’s blood vessels and may lead to short- and long-term neurological symptoms. In a study published in Brain, researchers from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and

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Charité researchers simulate coronavirus infection using human lungs and organoids

A team of Berlin-based researchers have simulated SARS-CoV-2 infection in human lungs, thereby generating key insights into the mechanisms involved. Using cultured lung tissue samples, the researchers showed that the virus responsible for COVID-19 has only limited capacity for directly infecting cells within human alveoli. The majority of viruses which reach the lungs are ingested by macrophages (cells of

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Efficacy and safety of CD19-specific CAR T cell–based therapy in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with CNSL

CNS relapse is still a common cause of treatment failure in R/R B-ALL, although chemotherapy, cranial irradiation, and allo-HSCT are all modalities that can be incorporated into the management of CNSL. In the present study, published on Blood by a team of Xuzhou Medical University, was reported the efficacy, toxicity, and clinical feasibility of CD19-specific

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First successful treatment of severe pulmonary hypertension using umbilical cord stem cells

Hannover Medical School doctors successfully treat three-year-old girl / Publication in “Nature Cardiovascular Research“ Clinical researchers at Hannover Medical School (MHH) have succeeded for the first time worldwide in stopping the usually fatal course of the disease in severe pulmonary hypertension thanks to a novel therapeutic approach. A three-year-old girl suffering from so-called pulmonary arterial

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Colorado University New Study Paves Way to Better Understanding and Treating Long COVID

Researchers are first to link COVID-specific T Cells to lung function, Long COVID A new study published in today’s issue of PLoS Pathogens is the first to link SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells to lung function and those who suffer from long-term COVID symptoms. Long COVID currently affects hundreds of millions of Americans. The study found that patients suffering

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Heart Failure Patients Unvaccinated Against COVID-19 Are Three Times More Likely to Die From It Than Boosted Heart Failure Patients

Mount Sinai study shows dramatic protective effects of vaccination in this high-risk population, which often demonstrates vaccine hesitancy Heart failure patients who are unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are three times more likely to die if infected with the virus compared to fully boosted heart failure patients, according to new research out

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People in US Republican Counties Were More Likely to Die From COVID-19, University of Maryland-led Analysis Shows

The partisan divide in the United States throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has stretched beyond differences in attitudes about masking, social distancing and vaccines. According to a new study led by a University of Maryland researcher, it also is tied to a clear difference in mortality rates from the virus. In the study, published today in Health

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Growing US ‘Mortality Gap’ Detected Between Republican and Democratic Counties

A new study highlights how closely connected politics and health outcomes have grown over time. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital examined mortality rates and federal and state election data for all counties in the U.S. from 2001 to 2019. The team found what they call a “mortality gap” — a widening difference between age-adjusted death rates

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Recent progress in cell therapy research: a review in Nature outlines engineering disciplines, genome and epigenome editing, synthetic biology and biomaterial-mediated immune modulation.

Given recent progress in cell therapy research, it is clear that the engineering disciplines outlined in this Review will play an increasing role in the creation of new product pipelines with improved safety, efficacy and accessibility for patients. Recent scientific advances have not only demonstrated the potential impact of technologiesdeveloped by each of these fields,

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Study: Patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with leukotriene inhibitors are more likely to survive, University of Buffalo researchers find

In a retrospective study based on big data, the researchers found that Leukotriene Inhibitors (LTI)s prevented death in COVID-19 patients with low oxygen saturation University at Buffalo biomedical informatics researchers have found that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia had a 13.5% survival advantage when treated with a combination of leukotriene inhibitors (LTIs) and the steroid

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‘Cell pores’ discovery and a new drug give hope to millions of brain and spinal cord injury patients

Scientists from the University of Birmingham have shown an existing drug may reduce damage after spinal cord injury, by blocking the inflammatory response in the spinal cord. Their research, published today in Clinical and Translational Medicine, demonstrates that AZD1236, a drug developed by AstraZeneca, can significantly reduce “secondary damage” caused by the body’s response to spinal

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Amyloid production induced by neutrophil elastase as possible mechanism behind enigmatic symptoms in Severe Covid-19

In severe covid-19 and long-term covid, disorders of blood coagulation often occur. Now, researchers at LiU have discovered that the body’s immune system can affect the nail protein on the surface of the sars-cov-2 virus so that it forms misfolded protein, so-called amyloid. The findings point to a possible link between harmful amyloid formation and covid-19 symptoms.

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BWH Scientists Develop ‘Off the Shelf’ Engineered Stem Cells to Treat Aggressive Glioblastoma

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are highly aggressive cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord. Brain cancers like GBM are challenging to treat because many cancer therapeutics cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier, and more than 90 percent of GBM tumors return after being surgically removed, despite surgery and subsequent chemo- and radiation therapy being the most

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University of Minnesota technology allows amputees to control a robotic arm with their mind

Research team makes mind-reading possible with electronics and AI University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a more accurate, less invasive technology that allows amputees to move a robotic arm using their brain signals instead of their muscles.  Many current commercial prosthetic limbs use a cable and harness system that is controlled by the

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90-Day Clinical Outcome of Critically Ill Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients Treated with Imatinib: lower mortality rate, shorter duration of invasive ventilation and more ventilator free days.

Patients with severe COVID-19 who were given imatinib had lower mortality rates at 90-day follow-up, according to research published at the ATS 2022 international conference. The study investigated the long-term efficacy of imatinib in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands as part of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled CounterCOVID study. A tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib is currently an oncology

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Identifying who has long COVID in the USA: a machine learning approach using N3C data

Using machine learning, researchers find patterns in electronic health record data to better identify those likely to have the condition. Long COVID is marked by wide-ranging symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue, fever, headaches, “brain fog” and other neurological problems. Such symptoms can last for many months or longer after an initial COVID-19 diagnosis. One

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SARS-CoV-2 superantigens could be involved in Severe acute pediatric hepatitis, following a letter on The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Recently, there have been reports of children with a severe acute form of hepatitis in the UK, Europe, the USA, Israel, and Japan.  Most patients present with gastrointestinal symptoms and then progress to jaundice and, in some cases, acute liver failure. So far, no common environmental exposures have been found, and an infectious agent remains

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New type of cell therapy can repair damaged heart tissue after infarction

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany and AstraZeneca, among others, have identified a new type of cell therapy with the potential to heal injuries to the heart after a heart attack. The preclinical study, published in the journal Nature Cell Biology, shows that so-called ventricular progenitor cells can stimulate the heart’s

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FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Launches New Accelerating Rare disease Cures (ARC) Program

FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) has announced the launch of the new Accelerating Rare disease Cures (ARC) Program. The goal of the CDER ARC Program is to speed and increase the development of effective and safe treatment options addressing the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases. Launched in May 2022, CDER’s Accelerating Rare disease

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Feces of people with mild COVID can harbor viral genetic material months after infection: can it be responsible for Long Covid ?

People with mild to moderate COVID-19 can shed viral RNA in their feces months after initial infection, Stanford researchers find. Those who do often have nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. If you’re relying on nasal or throat-based tests to give you a clean bill of health after a COVID-19 infection, you might be swabbing the

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Novel Supramolecular CRISPR–Cas9 Carrier Enables More Efficient Genome Editing

Fifth generation polyrotaxane (PRX) carriers can effectively deliver CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) The PRX carrier can cross the cell membrane, avoid endosomal action, and release Cas9 RNP for entry into the nucleusImage courtesy: Kumamoto University, The carriers, aminated polyrotaxanes, can flexibly and reversibly bind with Cas9 ribonucleoprotein and protect it from intracellular endosomal degradation CRISPR-Cas9 is

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A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests neuropsychiatric sequelae similar for severe COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection

The neuropsychiatric sequelae are similar for severe COVID-19 infection and for other severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), according to a study published online May 11 in JAMA Psychiatry. Ashley Kieran Clift, M.B.B.S., from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and colleagues quantified the risks of new-onset neuropsychiatric conditions and new neuropsychiatric medication prescriptions after discharge from

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A Lancet follow-up study shows half of people hospitalized with COVID-19 have at least one symptom two years after infection

Two years after infection with COVID-19, half of patients who were admitted to hospitals still have at least one symptom, according to the longest follow-up study to date, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The study followed 1,192 participants in China infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first phase of the pandemic in 2020. While physical and

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Lloviu virus, a new possible zoonotic pandemic threat isolated for the first time in European bats

Researchers from the Medway School of Pharmacy (a partnership between the universities of Kent and Greenwich) have helped isolate the Lloviu virus (LLOV) – a close relative of Ebola virus – for the first time, highlighting the need for future research to ensure pandemic preparedness. LLOV is part of the filovirus family – which includes the Ebola

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The death of the patient transplanted with gene-edited pig heart could be due to a porcine Cytomegalovirus

The pig heart transplanted into an American patient earlier this year in a landmark operation carried a porcine virus that may have derailed the experiment and contributed to his death two months later, say transplant specialists. David Bennett Sr. was near death in January when he received a genetically edited pig heart in a pioneering between-species transplant

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Inspection at the IHU-Méditerranée Infection and the AP-HM: the French National Agency for Medicines Safety (ANSM) takes legal action again and initiates administrative proceedings

ANSM is publishing the final reports of the inspection conducted at the Institut hospitalo universitaire-Méditerranée Infection de Marseille (IHU) and at the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), following reports in the context of our whistleblower system. The inspection reveals serious shortcomings and non-compliances with the regulations for research involving the human person (RIPH) , in particular

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Nearly 13 Percent of COVID-19 Hospitalized Patients Had Serious Neurologic Symptoms

Overwhelming evidence shows that infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) causes dysfunction of multiple organ systems, including the nervous system. Neurologic symptoms are frequently reported even in patients with mild illness and for some, these neurologic symptoms may persist as part of long-haul COVID. To describe the prevalence, associated risk factors and outcomes of

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Pathophysiological pathway differences in children who present with COVID-19 ARDS compared to COVID -19 induced MIS-C

Researchers have discovered the blood clotting and immune protein pathways that are activated in severe cases of COVID-19 in children, paving the way for earlier diagnosis and more targeted treatments. The study led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne and published in Nature Communications, has identified disease mechanisms in children with COVID-19

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Acute Hepatitis and Adenovirus Infection Among Children No Covid link found by CDC in Alabama cases

During October–November 2021, clinicians at a children’s hospital in Alabama identified five pediatric patients with severe hepatitis and adenovirus viremia upon admission. In November 2021, hospital clinicians, the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Jefferson County Department of Health, and CDC began an investigation. This activity was reviewed by CDC and conducted consistent with applicable

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Comparison of Home Antigen Testing With RT-PCR and Viral Culture During the Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

If you have Covid-19 symptoms but test negative with a rapid antigen test, you should test again 1-2 days later, or on day four of feeling crook, new research suggests. A study out of the United States, conducted between January-May 2021 and published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Saturday, compared the PCR and RAT results of 225​ children

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Financial risks posed by unproven cell interventions in Japan

The research group led by Professor Misao Fujita conducted a study to estimate the total amount of refund the Japanese government would pay if a patient received unproven cell interventions and applied for a medical expense deduction. Some regenerative medicines whose safety and efficacy have not been fully confirmed in clinical trials and other studies are offered

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Combination Respiratory Vaccine Containing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Quadrivalent Seasonal Influenza Hemagglutinin Nanoparticles results effective in animals trials

On Wednesday, Maryland-based vaccine manufacturer Novavax released preliminary results from an early clinical phase study of its combination Covid/flu vaccine. The results found that the combination vaccine produced immune responses in patients that were comparable to those of its standalone flu and Covid vaccines. The company also found the vaccine formulation to be safe, with

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Covid-19: Antidepressant Fluvoxamine Found to Be Effective as a therapy by Mc Gill University researchers

Researchers say the drug fluvoxamine is effective as an outpatient treatment for COVID-19. Experts say fluvoxamine could widen access to COVID-19 treatments, although they expect it to be a somewhat minor tool in the medical community’s toolkit. They also note that more studies need to be done on fluvoxamine’s effectiveness against the Omicron variant. Fluvoxamine,

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Regenerative Potential of Solid Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Compared to Platelet-Rich Fibrin

A new study compares the regenerative potential of blood/bone marrow aspirate concentrates obtained from arterial blood, venous blood, and bone marrow aspirate. The study, conducted in rabbits, is reported in the peer-reviewed journal Tissue Engineering Part A. Blood concentrate material such as platelet-rick fibrin (PRF) is used in clinical practice to promote tissue regeneration in the

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Three in ten survivors with COVID-19 developed a subset of symptoms associated with “Long Covid”: study of UCLA shows

New UCLA research finds that 30% of people treated for COVID-19 developed Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), most commonly known as “Long COVID.” People with a history of hospitalization, diabetes, and higher body mass index were most likely to develop the condition, while those covered by Medicaid, as opposed to commercial health insurance, or

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What impacts has Covid-19 had on children: CDC study shows 87% Of Kids Hospitalized During Omicron Wave Were Unvaccinated.

About 87% of children hospitalized with Covid-19 when the omicron variant was dominant were unvaccinated, according to a study released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offering a stark reminder of the risks of leaving children unvaccinated. KEY FACTS From mid-December to late February, unvaccinated children ages 5 to 11 had a hospitalization rate

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3% of adults with COVID pneumonia develop new-onset dementia

Three percent of 10,403 adults with COVID-19 pneumonia were diagnosed as having new-onset dementia after a median of 182 days, a significantly higher proportion than that observed with other types of pneumonia, finds a study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. University of Missouri at Columbia researchers conducted a case series of COVID-19 pneumonia patients along

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COVID-19 therapy: better in combination than alone. Research published by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Freie Universität (FU).

How a well-known drug can become a game changer There is a steadily growing arsenal of drugs for COVID-19. Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) and Freie Universität (FU) Berlin have studied the mechanisms of action of antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Their findings, which have been published in Molecular Therapy, show

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New York State Department of Health Announces Emergence of Recently Identified, Highly Contagious Omicron Subvariants in New York and Urges Continued Vigilance Against COVID-19

The New York State Department of Health today announced the emergence of two Omicron subvariants in New York State, BA.2.12 and BA.2.12.1. Both variants are sub-lineages of BA.2, which now accounts for 80.6% of COVID-19 infections in New York. The subvariants have been estimated to have a 23% – 27% growth advantage above the original BA.2 variant.

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Cell-Derived Exosome Therapy May Help Repair Abnormal Heart Rhythm

Cedars-Sinai Investigators Found It Also Reduced Scarred Heart Tissue in Animals Vesicles secreted from human heart cells may repair damaged tissue and prevent lethal heart rhythm disorders, according to a new study from investigators in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai. The research, published in the European Heart Journal, could lead to a new way to

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Cell Treatment Slows Disease in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients

Cell Therapy Developed by Smidt Heart Institute Leader Delays Disease Progression in Patients Who Have Few Treatment Options A cell therapy developed by the executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute stabilizes weakened muscles–including the heart muscle–in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, a new study published in the international peer-reviewed journal The Lancet shows. If the HOPE-2 study’s

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University of Manitoba researchers develop new stem cell therapy for treating spinal cord injuries

A new study by University of Manitoba researchers has developed a stem cell-based therapy that may eventually lead to new regenerative treatments for people with spinal cord injuries. Dr. Soheila Karimi, professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and her colleagues have developed a treatment strategy that

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Aprotinin is effective in COVID-19 patients: Ciudad Real University researchers clinical trial confirms previous data of Goethe and Kent University

A clinical study from Spain recently confirmed laboratory experiments made by researchers of Goethe University Frankfurt and University of Kent who showed that the protease inhibitor aprotinin prevented cells to be infected by SARS-CoV2. The authors of the clinical study report that patients receiving an aprotinin aerosol could be discharged from hospital significantly earlier. SARS-CoV-2, the

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FDA approves axicabtagene ciloleucel CAR-T cells for second-line treatment of large B-cell lymphoma

On April 1, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration approved axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta, Kite Pharma, Inc.) for adult patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) that is refractory to first-line chemoimmunotherapy or relapses within 12 months of first-line chemoimmunotherapy. It is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. Approval was

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Natural Killer Cells Complexed With a Bispecific Antibody May Provide New Treatment Option for Patients With Advanced Lymphoma

Natural killer (NK) cells derived from cord blood that were activated and complexed with a CD30/CD16A bispecific antibody elicited an 89 percent overall response rate in patients with relapsed or refractory CD30+ lymphoma, according to results from a phase I/II clinical trial presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2022, held April 8-13. “We were favorably surprised by the

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Inappropriate Antibiotics Prescriptions Associated With COVID-19 Outpatient Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries, April 2020 to April 2021: study published on JAMA

Antibiotics are ineffective treatment for viral syndromes, including COVID-19. Was characterized antibiotic prescribing in older adults with outpatient COVID-19 visits to identify opportunities to improve prescribing practices. Were used 100% Medicare carrier claims and Part D event files to identify beneficiaries with a COVID-19 outpatient visit and associated antibiotic prescriptions. We included beneficiaries aged 65

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Study found substantial use of systemic corticosteroids for non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19, contrary to NIH treatment guidelines advising against such intervention in mild to moderate cases.

In June 2020, preliminary results for the Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial conducted in the UK indicated benefit from dexamethasone in severely ill hospitalized patients with COVID-19 but potential harm in those not requiring oxygen. In October 2020, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued COVID-19 treatment guidelines advising against systemic corticosteroid use

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Impact of high-risk cytogenetics on outcomes for children and young adults receiving CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy

CD19 CAR T-cell therapy is effective at achieving durable remission for relapsed/refractory ALL across cytogenetic risk groups. CD19 CAR T-cell treatment results for patients with high-risk cytogenetics including Ph+, Ph-like, and KMT2A-rearranged ALL are encouraging. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy can induce durable remissions of relapsed/refractory B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, case reports suggested differential

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COVID-19: brain impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system

Emerging studies have increasingly recognized Covid-19 as an inflammatory disease. Brain shrinkage, brain-blood barrier disruptions and neurodegeneration seem to emerge as an inflammatory consequence of acute infection that for some progresses into Long Covid. Cognitive impairments are consistently reported as one of the most persistent and some of the more impairing symptoms of Long Covid.

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ALY101 molecule holds promise in potential therapies for cancer and rare diseases

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the Italian Institute of Technology have developed a new molecule, ALY101, that shows promising anti-cancer activity against a wide range of tumor cell types and in mouse models of a common type of melanoma. The findings, “Structure-based Design of CDC42 Effector Interaction Inhibitors for the Treatment of

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Penn Medicine Study: Pulse Oximeters Did Not Change Outcomes for Patients in COVID-19 Monitoring Program

Already monitored for worsening symptoms via automated text messages, patients with pulse oximeters in the COVID Watch program had similar recovery to those without them. Using a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen levels is no better than just regularly asking patients with COVID-19 if they are short of breath, according to new research at the

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Covid-19 increases the risk of blood clots up to six months after infection

The risk of pulmonary embolism and venous thrombosis is multiplied by a corona infection. According to a new study of all those who tested positive in Sweden, this applies six months after the diagnosis. According to a study, people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have an increased risk of developing severe blood clots for up to six months after infection . According

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A Mount Sinai-led team developed a reproducible and scalable method to advance maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs)

A study reporting this new protocol was published in the April 7 print edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell. A Mount Sinai-led team has developed a reproducible and scalable method to advance maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs)—cells that support heart muscle contraction, generated in the lab from human stem cell lines—which researchers

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Valoctocogene Roxaparvovec Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A

BACKGROUND Valoctocogene roxaparvovec (AAV5-hFVIII-SQ) is an adeno-associated virus 5 (AAV5)–based gene-therapy vector containing a coagulation factor VIII complementary DNA driven by a liver-selective promoter. The efficacy and safety of the therapy were previously evaluated in men with severe hemophilia A in a phase 1–2 dose-escalation study. METHODS Was conducted an open-label, single-group, multicenter, phase 3

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CAR T cells expressing a pluripotent pro-inflammatory neutrophil-activating protein (NAP) from Helicobacter pylori to better fight cancer

Immunotherapy is increasingly becoming a successful way to treat cancer. Researchers at Uppsala University have now developed armed CAR-T cells that reinforce the immune defense against cancer and that could increase the possibilities to successfully treat solid tumors. The study has been published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. The use of immunotherapy to treat cancer

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SARS-CoV-2 triggers massive inflammation: result of a study published by Children’s Hospital in Nature

A study led by researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital explains for the first time why COVID-19 causes severe inflammation in some people, leading to acute respiratory distress and multi-organ damage. Surprisingly, the study also finds that antibodies that people develop when they contract COVID-19 can sometimes lead to more inflammation, while antibodies generated by mRNA

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Johns Hopkins-Led Study Finds Convalescent Plasma Can Be Effective Early COVID-19 Therapy

Peer-reviewed publication in New England Journal of Medicine validates findings first announced in December The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) today published final results of a nationwide multicenter study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that show plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and whose blood contains

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Specialized Liver Blood Vessel Identity Factor Required for Regeneration

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified a key protein that induces the program to build specialized liver blood vessels. The discovery could lead to engineered replacement hepatic tissue to treat common liver diseases. There are many types of blood vessels in the human body that are functionally different from each other. In the liver,

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Johns Hopkins-Led Study Finds Convalescent Plasma Can Be Effective Early COVID-19 Therapy

Peer-reviewed publication in New England Journal of Medicine validates findings first announced in December The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)  published final results of a nationwide multicenter study led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that show plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and whose blood

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For children aged under 5, the incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection is higher with the omicron versus the delta variant

For children aged under 5, the incidence rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was higher with the omicron variant versus the delta variant, according to a research letter published online April 1 in JAMA Pediatrics. Lindsey Wang, from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, and colleagues examined incidence

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SARS-CoV-2 innate defense system: the role of neutrophil and epithelial defensins

One of the most important layers of our body’s defense against SARS-CoV-2 lies in our innate immune system. The innate immune system protects our body from microbes, viruses, bacteria, and parasites that we have not previously encountered. While much of public attention and awareness of human immunity is focused on adaptive or learned immunity, innate

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In animal study, implant churns out CAR-T cells to combat cancer

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed an implantable biotechnology that produces and releases CAR-T cells for attacking cancerous tumors. In a proof-of-concept study involving lymphoma in mice, the researchers found that treatment with the implants was faster and more effective than conventional CAR-T cell

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Potent suppression of neuroendocrine tumors and gastrointestinal cancers by CDH17 CAR T cells without toxicity to normal tissues

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells can be remarkably effective in treating leukemias and lymphomas, but there are no successful immunotherapies for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and gastrointestinal cancers (GICs) yet. Researchers at Penn Medicine have discovered that CAR-T cells directed to a tumor antigen, CDH17, a cell surface marker expressed on both NETs and GICs but also

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Anti-nausea drugs may increase the risk of stroke, according to a new study from Inserm.

Taking drugs to fight nausea and vomiting can increase the risk of ischemic stroke, according to a new study from Inserm. Increased risks from the first days of treatment. Anti Dopaminergic Antiemetics are associated with an increased risk of developing a stroke . It was researchers from Inserm and the University of Bordeaux who highlighted this link. The results have been

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Most anti-PF4 antibodies in Covid-19 vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia are transient

Platelet-activating anti-PF4 antibodies in VITT are transient in >90% of patients. Likely VITT patients can safely receive a second vaccination shot with an mRNA vaccine, independent of their VITT-antibody status. Vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) is triggered by vaccination against COVID-19 with adenovirus vector vaccines (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19; Ad26.COV2-S). In this observational study, were followed VITT patients

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“Deltacron” a combination of the delta (AY.4) and BA.1 omicron variants named by the WHO as the BA.1 x AY.4 recombinant.

A combination of the delta (AY.4) and BA.1 omicron variants has been named by the World Health Organization as the BA.1 x AY.4 recombinant. First detected in France in January 2022, it has since picked up the nickname “deltacron”1 How does a recombinant emerge? Recombinants can emerge when multiple variants infect the same person at

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American College of Cardiology Issues Clinical Guidance on CardioVascular Consequences of COVID-19

A new Expert Consensus Decision Pathway released by the ACC addresses the evaluation and management of some of the more common cardiovascular sequelae in adults with COVID-19. The Pathway, published March 16 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, specifically addresses myocarditis and other types of myocardial involvement, patient-centered approaches for long COVID, and

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Huge step forward towards gene therapy and diagnosis for genetic eye disease

New opportunities towards gene therapy and diagnosis for the blinding eye disease, retinal dystrophy, may now become available following work done by the Eye Genetics Research Unit at Children’s Medical Research Institute. This work was published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine today. The team looked at the RPGR gene which is involved in maintaining

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Kids with rare autoimmune disease antiphospholipid syndrome show these symptoms before blood clots 

Antiphospholipid syndrome is rare in adults and even less common among children.  Each year, around two of every 100,000 American adults receive a new diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome, or APS, an autoimmune disease known to cause inflammation and recurring, potentially fatal, blood clots. The number of children with APS is likely much smaller but unknown –

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Excess Neuropeptides Disrupt Lung Function in Infant Disease and COVID-19

UC San Diego study identifies lung neuroendocrine cells as drivers of developmental lung disease; similar mechanism may contribute to COVID-19 symptoms COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the pulmonary and nervous systems, but there is still much to learn about how they interact. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine recently explored

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Cardiac damage as a side effect of CAR-T cell cancer therapy

CAR-T-cell cancer therapy uses special T-cells that are specifically directed towards tumor antigens, the so-called (CAR)-T-cells. These cells trigger a targeted immune response that helps the body recognize and fight cancer cells. But, like other cancer therapies, the treatment can cause unwanted side effects, such as affecting heart function. Scientists from the Medical Faculty of the University

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Global death toll of COVID-19 pandemic may be more than three times higher than official records, estimates published on Lancet indicate

More than three times as many people may have died worldwide as a result of the pandemic than official COVID-19 death records suggest, according to an analysis published in The Lancet. While the official COVID-19 death toll was 5.9 million between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, the new study estimates 18.2 million excess deaths

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Cellular therapy improves signs and symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Clinical trial results promising for people with the debilitating disorder A clinical trial at UC Davis Health and six other sites showed that a cellular therapy offers promise for patients with late-stage Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare genetic disorder causing muscle loss and physical impairments in young people. The therapy appears to be safe and effective

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Finding a treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients: alpha-1 antitryspin clinical trial

A clinical trial conducted by researchers from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Beaumont Hospital Dublin has indicated an effective treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients. The study, published today in Med, investigates the effects of using an anti-inflammatory protein, alpha-1 antitryspin (AAT), to treat COVID-19 patients who have progressed to acute respiratory distress

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Neuro Long-Covid explained

Two studies published this week have added to a growing body of evidence linking covid infection to subsequent cognitive impairment, even in cases of less severe disease. One study, a preprint published in Nature, examined 785 UK Biobank participants aged 51-81 who routinely receive brain scans and cognitive testing as part of the Biobank’s data gathering. About

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