REGENERATIVE AND PERSONALISED MEDICINE

DIGITAL HEALTHCARE

SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION ON HEALTHCARE DISRUPTION

PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-21

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-20

Women given new insight into blood clot risk

New research from Queen Mary University of London, published in iScience, shows an increased risk of blood clots in women who have any combination of a particular gene mutation, oestrogen use, or common medical conditions – specifically: obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and kidney disease. Women with the Factor V Leiden (FVL) gene mutation who

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-09-09

The new Covid-19 booster and BA.2.86 variant

There has been so much new on this since my quick update 2 weeks ago, I need to dedicate this newsletter to reviewing what’s up. First Human Data for the New Booster Let me start with the good news from the first human data for the new monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccine that is getting set for distribution

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-08-31

CDC update on SARS CoV-2 Variant BA.2.86

CDC is tracking a new SARS-CoV-2 variant called BA.2.86 and working to better understand its potential impact on public health. This update follows CDC’s initial risk assessment summary on August 23, 2023. The updated COVID-19 vaccine will be available in mid-September. Learn ways to keep you and your loved ones safe as we head into the fall season. What’s

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-05-26

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-05-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-05-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-05-05

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-05-05

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-04-26

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-04-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-04-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-04-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-04-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-04-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-14

Hitchhiker plants inspire improved techniques for reattaching tendon to bone

For most people, getting burrs stuck to your clothes during a hike is nothing more than a nuisance, something to pick off and throw out when you get home. But for scientists at the Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB), the hooks on these little hitchhikers are inspiring new suturing schemes for surgical reattachment of tendon to

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-14

New treatment may improve pumping capacity in heart failure

A clinical study at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital shows that the hunger hormone ghrelin can increase the heart’s pumping capacity in heart failure. The results have been published in the European Heart Journal. Around 200,000 Swedes are estimated to live with heart failure, which is a condition where the heart’s pumping ability is impaired,

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-01

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-01

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-01

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-03-01

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-03

Off-the-shelf CAR T cells for multiple myeloma: results of a Phase 1 clinical trial

A team of medical specialists working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York has found that donated white blood cells can be used effectively as part of CAR T cell therapy to treat myeloma patients. In their study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, the group gave patients varying amounts of donated CAR T cells

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-02

New product combining blood and plasma in one bag saves lives, study finds

A new blood product combining red blood cells and plasma in one bag is associated with a better survival from a penetrating major trauma injury, a new study involving Queen Mary University of London has found. NHS Blood and Transplant, Queen Mary University London, and Barts Health NHS Trust collaborated on the new study published in

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-02

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-02-02

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-31

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-30

The many manifestations of long COVID

Over the past three years, it has become clear that, for many people, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection persist long after an initial case of COVID-19 wanes. Like primary COVID-19, the affliction, known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) or long COVID, has highly variable duration, symptoms and severity. And as data accumulates, it appears

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-25

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-04

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2023-01-01

What we know about Omicron XBB.1.5 the new Dominant Covid-19 subvariant in U.S and UK.

Now the U.S. is dealing with a new X-factor. Actually, it’s an XBB-factor: the XBB.1.5 Omicron subvariant. The XBB.1.5 comprised an estimated 40.5% of all Covid-19 cases over this past week, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s up from 21.7% the week prior. That one week jump has vaulted

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-31

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-22

Hurdles in commercialization frustrate gene therapy promises in rare diseases

H.T. Begay is a happy kid. He’s smiley, silly, and definitely trying to make you laugh. The four-year-old’s two neat braids of dark hair wave behind him as he runs among the dust, dogs, and sheep near his family’s ranch on their Navajo reservation in Arizona. On a table inside the family’s sweat lodge is

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-07

CRISPR and CAR-T cells alliance against cancer

CAR T therapy can treat blood cancers by inserting new genes into a patient’s own immune cells using viruses. Early clinical trial results present an alternative that forgoes viral gene transfer: CRISPR technology. Such integration of CRISPR gene editing could improve the precision, speed and cost-effectiveness of CAR T cell production. In addition, researchers hope

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-07

FDA Approves First Fecal Microbiota Product

Rebyota Approved for the Prevention of Recurrence of Clostridioides difficile Infection in Adults Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Rebyota, the first fecal microbiota product approved by the agency. Rebyota is approved for the prevention of recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in individuals 18 years of age and older. It is for use after

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-07

Republicans had higher COVID-19 death rates in the first year of the pandemic, new research of Northeastern University says

In the first year of the pandemic, deaths in Democrat leaning areas of the spiked in the earliest days of the pandemic but were soon eclipsed by deaths in Republican leaning areas later in the year, according to new research. The COVID-19 pandemic has been defined not only by its outsized impact on the lives

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-05

The off-patent drug that could protect us from future COVID-19 variants

Scientists have identified a drug that can be repurposed to prevent COVID-19 in research involving a unique mix of ‘mini-organs’, donor organs, animal studies and patients. The research, published today in Nature, showed that an existing drug used to treat a type of liver disease is able to ‘lock’ the doorway by which SARS-CoV-2 enters our

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-12-03

11 percent of hospitalized COVID patients had fibrotic lung patterning

In a new study, researchers sought to determine the percentage of COVID-19 patients discharged from the hospital who had a type of fibrotic lung damage, known as interstitial lung disease, that requires ongoing follow-up care. These patients had varying degrees of COVID-19 severity at hospital admission. In a new study published online in the American

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-30

Impact of Covid-19 infection among children

Less is known about the impact of Covid-19 infection among children compared to adults. Why do children experience milder symptoms on average compared to adults? Do children experience Long Covid, and what makes them different? What is MIS-C and what is its prevalence? A recent perspective published by Science explores current research and provides answers to these

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-30

Key factors identified for regeneration of brain tissue

LMU researchers demonstrate in a zebrafish model that two proteins prevent scar formation in the brain, thereby improving the ability of tissue to regenerate. Whereas cells regularly renew themselves in most endogenous tissues, the number of nerve cells in the human brain and spinal cord remains constant. Although nerve cells can regenerate in the brains

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-29

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-24

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-24

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-24

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-23

CAR T Cell Therapy Reaches Beyond Cancer

Penn Medicine researchers laud early results for CAR T therapy in lupus patients, point to broader horizon for the use of personalized cellular therapies Engineered immune cells, known as CAR T cells, have shown the world what personalized immunotherapies can do to fight blood cancers. Now, investigators have reported highly promising early results for CAR

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-23

Discovery Suggests New Way to Target Mantle Cell Lymphoma

A form of blood cancer known as mantle cell lymphoma is critically dependent on a protein that coordinates gene expression, such that blocking its activity with an experimental drug dramatically slows the growth of this lymphoma in preclinical tests, according to a study from Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The discovery, reported Oct. 25 in the Journal

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-22

New research shows that Covid-19 negatively impacts memory function

Covid-19 can negatively impact short-term memory function, the results of a new study have revealed. The researchers say memory function can recover over time, but those with ongoing Covid symptoms may continue to experience difficulties. The team, from Hull York Medical School, used an online anonymous survey which included a memory quiz that could be completed

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-18

COVID-19’s Lessons for Future Pandemics by Harvard Medical School

Scientists discuss what may come next as SARS-CoV-2 evolves and why COVID-19 won’t be our last pandemic As SARS-CoV-2 seems to settle into the background of our lives, transitioning from an unprecedented crisis to a routine threat alongside influenza and other, more familiar viruses, scientists have begun to turn their attention to the future of

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-14

New drug shows promise for fighting both COVID-19 and cancer

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Cleveland Clinic Florida Research and Innovation Center have published new studies of GRP78, a protein implicated in both COVID-19 and multiple types of cancer, and a new drug that interferes with its effects. While vaccination can provide life-saving protection against COVID-19, scientists are

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-08

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-07

First ever clinical trial of lab-grown red blood cell transfusion

Cambridge researchers are taking part in the world’s first clinical trial of red blood cells that have been grown in a laboratory for transfusion into another person. The manufactured blood cells were grown from stem cells from donors. The red cells were then transfused into volunteers in the RESTORE randomised controlled clinical trial. This is

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-03

‘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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-11-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-25

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-23

Drug Resistant Multiple Myeloma and CAR-T cells therapy

Multiple myeloma is a relatively uncommon yet serious disease estimated to impact more than 30,000 US citizens this year. Although several treatment options exist, the illness is considered incurable as most treatments do not resolve the condition permanently—including the most recent advancements with CAR T cells. Here, we describe an approach using a different variant

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-17

Another record-breaking Covid winter wave predicted in Europe

These European Covid-19 infection charts do NOT look good – almost every country in Europe has a higher Covid case level now than before the huge Omicron winter wave of 2021. We compared Covid cases numbers for 27th September 2021 and 27th September 2022 across a few European countries to see how they were faring

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-16

Myocarditis seven times more likely with COVID-19 than vaccines

A Penn State team conducted the largest study to date on the risk of developing myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, as a result of having the coronavirus versus experiencing inflammation following COVID-19 vaccination. The risk of developing myocarditis — or inflammation of the heart muscle — is seven times higher with a COVID-19

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-16

New research on CAR-T cells clinical applications

One of the dreams of cancer therapy is to use the power of the body to heal itself. This dream, long in the making, is becoming a reality thanks to deep and fundamental understandings of the immune system, the primary means by which we protect ourselves from external and internal threats. The immune system recognizes

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-16

XBB is dominant variant in Singapore and in Bangladesh.

The XBB variant was first sequenced in India in late August 2022. It is most definitely NOT a “Singapore Variant”. There is some anecdotal evidence that the XBB variant may have been uncovered in the United States in early August 2022, however those sequences have not been uploaded to the global Gisaid database. The current XBB

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-10

Avoiding Hip Replacement: How Stem Cells Can Treat Avascular Necrosis

A Yale Medicine orthopaedic surgeon has developed an innovative procedure that uses a patient’s own stem cells to treat a condition that can cause painful hip fractures. The condition, called avascular necrosis, is when the flow of blood to the bones is cut off or reduced. It can be caused by a trauma, such as a

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-09

The SARS-CoV-2 XBB wave starts in Singapore

The world’s first wave of the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variant XBB has apparently begun in Singapore. Twitter is alight with posts claiming that the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variant XBB is creating a new wave of infections in Singapore, so we’ve taken a look at the latest information from the Singapore Ministry of Health and other reliable sources

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-05

New study reveals possible brain mechanisms behind COVID-19 delirium

Researchers from King’s College London have shown that when brain cells are directly exposed to blood taken from COVID-19 patients with delirium, there is an increase in cell death and a decrease in the generation of new brain cells. Delirium represents a state of confusion indicating that, in these patients, the COVID-19 infection had impacted

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-05

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-05

Coronavirus formation is successfully modeled

A physicist at the University of California, Riverside, and her former graduate student have successfully modeled the formation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that spreads COVID-19, for the first time. In a paper published in Viruses, a journal, Roya Zandi, a professor of physics and astronomy at UCR, and Siyu Li, a postdoctoral researcher at Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory in

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-10-04

NIH RECOVER initiative to understand Long-Term COVID-19 Symptoms and Enhance Recovery

We are in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and across the world, most restrictions have lifted, and society is trying to get back to “normal.” But for many people—potentially millions globally—there is no getting back to normal just yet. They are still living with the long-term effects of a COVID-19 infection, known as

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-29

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-27

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-27

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-27

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-27

Type 1 Diabetes increased as much as 72% in Children with COVID-19: study finds

A small team of researchers with members from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the MetroHealth System has found a link between children who contract COVID-19 and an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. In their paper published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the group describes their analysis of health records of

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-27

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-25

COVID raises risk of long-term brain injury, large U.S. study finds

People who had COVID-19 are at higher risk for a host of brain injuries a year later compared with people who were never infected by the coronavirus, a finding that could affect millions of Americans, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday. The year-long study, published in Nature Medicine, assessed brain health across 44 different disorders using

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-25

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-25

Newly discovered COVID‑like Khosta-2 virus in Russian bats could infect humans, resist vaccines

A recently discovered virus in a Russian bat that is similar to SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, is likely capable of infecting humans and, if it were to spillover, is resistant to current vaccines. A team lead by researchers in Washington State University’s Paul G. Allen School for Global Health found spike proteins from the

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-25

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-15

Twice-daily nasal irrigation reduces COVID-related illness and death

Starting twice daily flushing of the mucus-lined nasal cavity with a mild saline solution soon after testing positive for COVID-19 can significantly reduce hospitalization and death, investigators report. They say the technique that can be used at home by mixing a half teaspoon each of salt and baking soda in a cup of boiled or

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-15

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-15

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-04

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-04

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-09-04

Legionella identified as cause of cluster of pneumonia cases in Tucuman, Argentina

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has been informed by the Argentina Ministry of Health that legionella has been confirmed as the cause of a cluster of pneumonia cases associated with a health clinic in the province of Tucuman, Argentina. To date, a total of 11 cases have been identified, including four deaths in patients

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-24

Human tissues transport between two Belgian hospitals through drones

An experimental flight allowed a drone to connect two hospitals to transmit human tissue to an analysis laboratory. Operated in Belgium, this test is the first in Europe. A drone carried out test flights in Antwerp, northern Belgium, on Tuesday (Aug 23) to transport human tissue from one hospital to another for analysis, an unprecedented

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-23

Regular physical activity may lessen Covid risks, study finds

Regular exercise lowers your risk of developing Covid-19 or falling seriously ill with the disease, with about 20 minutes a day providing the greatest benefit, a global analysis of data suggests. Regular physical activity is linked to a lower risk of Covid-19 infection, severity, hospitalisation and death, according to the new pooled data analysis of

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-18

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

One comment InGENE THERAPY RARE DISEASES

PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-16

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-16

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-16

Morphological, cellular, and molecular basis of brain infection in COVID-19 patients

A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in Brazil has found evidence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus infecting astrocyte cells in the human brain. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of the brains of people who had died from COVID-19 and what was found. From

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-16

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-12

Key blood clotting protein could be ‘warning light’ for severe COVID cases

A protein that could be an early indicator of severe COVID-19 has been identified and described by scientists at the University of Aberdeen. Patients who get seriously ill following a COVID-19 infection frequently show evidence of a severe form of lung disease and in around 30% of patients blood clots are evident. Blood clots arise

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-09

Long COVID: how well are vaccines protecting ?

New York City veterinarian Erin Kulick used to be a weekend warrior. Only 2½ years ago, the 38-year-old new mother played ultimate Frisbee and flag football with friends. She went for regular 30-minute runs to burn off stress. Now, Kulick is usually so exhausted, she can’t walk nonstop for 15 minutes. She recently tried to

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-08

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-08-01

Progress toward a stem cell–based therapy for blindness

A multi-institutional effort led by researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine is taking steps to develop an effective technique to regenerate photoreceptors cells and restore sight in people with vision disorders. What if, in people with blinding retinal disorders, one could simply introduce into the retina healthy photoreceptor cells derived in a dish from

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-28

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-27

How to turn muscle into a protein factory for advanced gene therapy

Interdisciplinary team of researchers from UMass Amherst and UMass Chan Medical School maps the cellular production of protein and discovers how to boost its output In a major new development in the quest to develop better gene therapies with which to treat a host of diseases, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and UMass

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-26

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-26

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-26

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-26

Mysterious Cases of Hepatitis in Children Linked to Adeno-Associated Virus AAV2

Recent acute hepatitis cases of unknown origin in children have now been linked to the virus AAV2 in two new UK studies, with no evidence of a direct link to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Submitted to MedRxiv as pre-prints, both studies found that the common virus AAV2 (adeno-associated virus 2) was present at high levels in all

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-09

WHO reports 2 suspected cases of Marburg virus in Ghana

The World Health Organization says Ghana has reported two possible cases of the Ebola-like Marburg virus disease, which if confirmed would mark the first-ever such infections in the West African country. The disease, a very infectious hemorrhagic fever in the same family as Ebola, is spread to people by fruit bats and transmitted among people through direct

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-08

CDC Study confirms U.S. COVID vaccinations reduced deaths by 58%

The U.S. COVID-19 vaccination program slashed the coronavirus’ expected death rate by as much as 58%, saving hundreds of thousands of lives during the first two waves of the pandemic, a new study says. Computer models estimate that vaccines prevented 235,000 COVID deaths in the United States between December 2020 and September 2021, blunting the

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-06

Omicron sub-variant BA.2.75 in India has 18% growth advantage and immune escape property

With around 1,14,475 active cases of COVID-19 in India, the sudden surge in the cases has made scientists express concern over the spread of Omicron’s sub-variant BA.2.75 which may be the reason behind the sudden surge. The sub-variant has an 18 per cent growth advantage over others of its kind. Scientists across the world have

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-05

Innovative lung-imaging technique shows cause of long-COVID symptoms

Research findings pave way for targeted treatment These scans show what a healthy lung looks like (left) and lungs of patients after having COVID-19 (last three). The images also show where air flows in the lungs. (credit: Alexander Matheson) Many who experience what is now called ‘long-COVID’ report feeling brain fog, breathless, fatigued and limited

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-04

Omicron BA.5: it’s only the last SARS-CoV-2 variant

Mutations and natural selection can help subsequent versions of a virus get stronger and stronger in different ways, which seems to be happening with the Covid-19 coronavirus. And Eric Topol, MD, founder and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, has called the currently spreading version, the Omicron sub-variant BA.5, “the worst version of the virus

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-07-04

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-11

SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a potently inhibits the antiviral effect of the host factor SERINC5

During the initial stages of cellular infection, SARS-CoV-2 releases a number of accessory proteins to help suppress and evade our immune system. ORF7a is one such protein. Suppression of the innate immune system is necessary for the virus to establish infection. The several-day suppression of the immune system by the virus also contributes to the

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-06-10

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-31

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-31

Neutrophils “reverse migration”: new insight into inflammation processes

Understanding how a type of white blood cell called a neutrophil behaves at the site of a tissue injury might one day lead to advances in wound repair and inflammation, said Dr. Anna Huttenlocher, at the first in-person NIH Director’s Wednesday Afternoon Lecture in Lipsett Amphitheater since March 2020. Known as the immune system’s first

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-30

‘Remote-controlled’ CAR-T cell therapy safer, more potent in Stanford mouse studies

Stanford researchers modified anti-cancer CAR-T cells so they can be controlled with an oral drug. The modified cells are safer, more potent and more active against solid tumors in mice. A cancer treatment that uses a patient’s own genetically modified immune cells to attack cancer cells is safer and more effective when it can be

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-30

Long COVID poses risks to vaccinated people, too

While risks higher for the unvaccinated, study points to need for more tools against the virus Vaccinated people with mild breakthrough COVID-19 infections can experience debilitating, lingering symptoms that affect the heart, brain, lungs and other parts of the body, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-21

‘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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-21

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-21

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-19

COVID-19, MIS-C and Kawasaki Disease Share Same Immune Response

The inflammatory disorders share similar underlying molecular patterns, a UC San Diego study reports; findings may improve disease diagnosis and treatment and support new drug targets for MIS-C The emergence of COVID-19 had doctors racing to define and treat the new disease, but they soon discovered it was not the only novel illness caused by

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-19

Unicef Warns Ukraine Invasion is Fueling ‘Catastrophic’ Malnutrition Among Children

Soaring food prices driven by the war in Ukraine and pandemic-fuelled budget cuts set to drive up both need for, and cost of life-saving therapeutic food treatment, the latter by up to 16 per cent The number of children with severe wasting was rising even before war in Ukraine threatened to plunge the world deeper

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-19

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-13

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-12

Long COVID-19 Exercise Capacity Linked to Abnormal Blood Clotting Markers

People with Long-COVID appear to be at higher risk of a blood clotting abnormality; risk may be four times greater for people with impaired exercise capacity (WASHINGTON, May 11, 2022) — According to a study published today in Blood Advances, people suffering from long COVID may face an increased risk of abnormal blood clotting. Investigators also

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-12

Distinct cellular receptor mutations influence the COVID-19 disease severity

Certain genetic conditions in people significantly influence their immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can influence the severity of the COVID-19 disease. A research group led by MedUni Vienna was able to show that certain genetic variants of the CD16a antibody receptor are associated with the risk of severe COVID-19. Around 15 percent of

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-05

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-05

Cognitive impairment from severe COVID-19 equivalent to 20 years of ageing, study finds

Cognitive impairment as a result of severe COVID-19 is similar to that sustained between 50 and 70 years of age and is the equivalent to losing 10 IQ points, say a team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London. Cognitive impairment is common to a wide range of neurological disorders, but

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-05

Moffitt Researchers Discover New Target for CAR T Cells in Solid Tumors

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, or CAR T, has made a big impact on the treatment of certain blood cancers, allowing patients with relapsed/refractory disease to live longer, healthier lives. But in clinical study, the cellular therapy has not been as successful for patients with solid tumors, due in part to the lack of tumor

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-05-02

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-30

A new era of mitochondrial genome editing has begun

Graphical abstract showing how TALEDs work in mitochondria. First, adenine is deaminated to inosine. Next, inosine is converted to guanine by DNA repair or replication. Scientists successfully achieve A to G base conversion, the final missing piece of the puzzle in gene-editing technology Researchers from the Center for Genome Engineering within the Institute for Basic

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-30

New tool to assess Long COVID symptoms

A comprehensive tool that can assess the symptoms of Long COVID has been developed at the University of Birmingham for use in research and clinical care. Developed with patients that have lived experience of Long COVID, the tool can capture symptoms and their impact on everyday life. Currently more than 200 symptoms are associated with Long

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-29

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-29

CAR T drives acute myeloid leukemia into submission in pre-clinical studies

Key Takeaways Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common leukemia in adults. CAR T cell therapy has made significant inroads against leukemias and lymphomas arising from B cells, but have been largely ineffective against leukemias arising from myeloid cells. MGH investigators have devised a novel method for improving CAR T therapy through a drug combination

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-21

The new Omicron Subvariants

SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to be a topic of great concern. As weeks go by, it is evident that the Omicron family of viruses continue to grow in complexity. Figures one and two show the extent of variation from the beginning of the pandemic up to the present. Figure 1 roughly illustrates the complexity of SARS-CoV-2

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-20

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-14

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-11

SARS-CoV-2 not only infects the human retina, but can also replicate in it

The Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus does not only cause infections of the respiratory tract. Other organ systems, such as the nervous system, can also be affected. In fact, Sars-CoV-2 mRNA has been detected in the brain in autopsies of patients who died from Covid-19. There is also growing evidence that coronaviruses can enter the retina of the

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-11

Severe Covid-19: role of S100 protein family

One of the primary anomalies of SARS-CoV-2 infection lies in our gut. Our intestine spans hundreds of feet in surface area and is rich with ACE2 receptors—the key receptors by which SARS-CoV-2 infects cells. Yet, most of the identifying SARS-CoV-2 symptoms are isolated to respiratory illnesses. Why is it that even though the gut is

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-11

New CAR T-cell Therapy for Solid Tumors Was Safe and Showed Early Efficacy

A MRNA VACCINE WAS COMBINED WITH CAR T CELLS THAT TARGET TUMOR CELLS EXPRESSING THE CLDN6 ANTIGEN A new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell product had an acceptable safety profile and showed early signs of efficacy as a monotherapy and in combination with an mRNA vaccine in patients with solid tumors, according to preliminary data

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-09

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-08

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-08

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-07

Gene-therapy gel shows promise for blistering skin disease in clinical trial

Stanford researchers have been working on gene therapies for epidermolysis bullosa, or “butterfly disease,” for over a decade. A new gel helped wounds heal and stay healed in a clinical trial. A gene therapy gel applied to the wounds of nine people — three of whom were children — with the blistering skin disease epidermolysis

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-07

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-06

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-03

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-03

Penn Researchers Discover New Cell Type in Human Lung with Regenerative Properties

Findings shine light on underpinnings of COPD, pave new direction for future research on treatments A new type of cell that resides deep within human lungs and may play a key role in human lung diseases has been discovered by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers, who

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-04-02

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-30

Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy

MIT spinout Frequency Therapeutics’ drug candidate stimulates the growth of hair cells in the inner ear. Most of us know someone affected by hearing loss, but we may not fully appreciate the hardships that lack of hearing can bring. Hearing loss can lead to isolation, frustration, and a debilitating ringing in the ears known as

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-30

Lung Damage May Persist Long After COVID-19 Pneumonia

Evidence from the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak of 2002 to 2004 shows that lung abnormalities may remain detectable even after decades, but do not show any progression, according to study co-author Leonhard Gruber, MD, from the Department of Radiology at Innsbruck Medical University. Recent studies, though, have shown a risk of progression of lung abnormalities such as

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-30

Penn Researchers Shorten Manufacturing Time for CAR T Cell Therapy

A new approach allowed scientists to alter immune cells within 24 hours versus the standard of up to two weeks A new approach from Penn Medicine researchers could cut the time it takes to alter patients’ immune cells for infusion back into the body to find and attack cancer. The cell manufacturing process for this type of

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-30

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-26

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-26

COVID-19 infection linked to higher risk of neuropathy

Symptoms persisted for months after a positive test for COVID-19 Adding to a growing body of evidence that, for many, problems related to COVID-19 linger longer than the initial infection, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that some people infected during the pandemic’s early months experienced peripheral neuropathy —

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-25

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-25

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-25

“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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-23

Game-changing new therapy to lower cholesterol and stabilise plaques associated with heart attack

A novel new therapy has been found to reduce harmful plaque in arteries and change its composition so it is less likely to rupture and cause a heart attack, following a clinical trial led by the Victorian Heart Institute (VHI) at Monash University. The HUYGENS study treated high-risk patients over a 12 month period and

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-23

Increased risk of type 2 diabetes after Covid-19, study of DZD finds

People who have had Covid-19 are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is the result of a study by DDZ, DZD and IQVIA, which has now been published in Diabetologia. Studies show that the human pancreas can also be a target of the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 virus). Following

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-23

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-23

West Virginia University research suggests interrupting immune response improves multiple sclerosis outcomes

A human immune system is a lot like the board game Mouse Trap: it’s a Rube Goldberg system of interacting parts. Only instead of a falling ball causing a tiny diver to leap into a tub—which, in turn, springs a trap on some plastic mice—proteins trigger other proteins to activate immune cells and direct them

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-18

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-17

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-12

Genetic study gives insights into severe Covid-19

The world’s largest study of the genetics of critical Covid-19, involving more than 57,000 people, has revealed fresh details about some of the biological mechanisms behind the severe form of the disease. Some 16 new genetic variants associated with severe Covid-19, including some related to blood clotting, immune response and intensity of inflammation, have been

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-12

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-11

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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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-07

Coagulation proteases and Direct Oral Anticoagulants impact on cancer growth and metastasis

The hemostatic system in cancer The hemostatic system forms an integral part of the innate immune system and contributes to tumor growth and metastasis. Many malignancies are associated with a hyper-thrombotic state that derives foremost from tissue factor (TF), the initiator of the coagulation cascade, expressed by tumor cells and innate immune cells and stromal

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-06

RECOVERY trial shows Baricitinib reduces deaths in patients hospitalised with COVID-19

The Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trial has demonstrated that baricitinib, an anti-inflammatory treatment normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, reduces the risk of death when given to hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19. The benefit was in addition to those of dexamethasone and tocilizumab, two other anti-inflammatory treatments which have previously been shown to

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-03

COVID-19 infections increase risk of heart conditions up to a year later

Cardiovascular care essential part of post-infection care An analysis of federal health data indicates that people who have had COVID-19 are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications within the first month to a year after infection, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-03-01

CAR-based therapies an opportunity for immuno-medicine beyond cancer: a review published on Nature Metabolism

CAR T therapy has had enormous impact in some areas of oncology, and notable efforts are underway to extend the success to additional forms of cancer. However, the use of engineered T cells may be evenmore attractive for disorders other than cancer for several reasons. This review analyses different opportunities and future directions. First, for

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-23

Connecting science to medicine: tendon-like tissue created from human stem cells

Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental (TMDU) develop artificial tendons in vitro from human stem cells that could fix common tendon injuries such as Achilles tendon rupture. Tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bones and are important for movement and locomotion. Injuries to tendons are quite common, with millions of people – particularly athletes

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-23

Gene Therapy for Thalassemia Ends Need for Transfusions in Young Children

Phase 3 clinical trial included children younger than 12 years Over 90 percent of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, no longer needed monthly blood transfusions years after receiving gene therapy, according to an international Phase 3 clinical trial that for the first time included children younger than 12 years of age. Twenty-two patients

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-23

A new study shows MIS-C is rare among teens COVID-19 vaccinated

COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to trigger a rare inflammatory condition linked to coronavirus infection in children, according to an analysis of U.S. government data published Tuesday. The condition, formally known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, involves fever plus symptoms affecting at least two organs and often includes stomach pain, skin rash or bloodshot eyes. It’s

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-23

Mesenchymal stem cell‑based treatments for COVID‑19: an updated review

This review describes the origins, pathogenesis, and clinical features of COVID-19 and the potential uses of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in therapeutic treatments for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients. MSCs have previously been shown to have positive effects in the treatment of lung diseases, such as acute lung injury, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-22

Vertebral body tethering: Another option for treating scoliosis in children

Fusion surgery has been the long-standing treatment for people with scoliosis – a side-to-side curve of the spine. But other options have become available — including vertebral body tethering for children with scoliosis. “Vertebral tethering is a new tool in the tool kit for the treatment of scoliosis,” says A. Noelle Larson, M.D., a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Mayo

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-21

Foreseeing the future of European medicine

Experts say careful application of advanced tech could usher in a golden age of healthcare New technologies could enable medicine to progress in leaps and bounds, but only with the right regulatory and ethical frameworks. That was one of the messages from panelists discussing the future of medicine at the Science|Business conference Horizon Europe: The first assessment as

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-21

Advances in CAR-T Cell Genetic Engineering Strategies to Overcome Hurdles in Solid Tumors Treatment: a review published on Frontiers

In this review, it’s provided an overview of the major mechanisms used by tumor cells to evade immune defenses and are critically exposed the most optimistic engineering strategies to make CAR-T cell therapy a solid option for solid tumors. CAR-T cell based cell therapy is a moving field, which showed impressive results in hematopoietic cancer

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-19

Gut health compromised in severe COVID-19

New research of samples of intestine from people who have died of COVID-19 has shown the impact of the virus on the gut immune system. The study is published today in Frontiers in Immunology by researchers from King’s with funding by the Medical Research Council via the UK Coronavirus Immunology Consortium, and support from the NIHR Guy’s

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-19

Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine 2020 prescriptions for Covid-19 shown highest in GOP-Dominated Counties: a JAMA Research Letter shows.

New prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin increased in 2020, driven particularly by rates in counties with the highest proportion of Republican votes in the 2020 US presidential election, according to a cross-sectional study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. “Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that US prescribing of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic may have

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-19

Randomized trial published on JAMA Internal Medicine confirms Ivermectin is ineffective against progression to Severe COVID

Ivermectin treatment given to high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 during the first week of illness did not prevent progression to severe disease, according to results from a randomized clinical trial. “The study findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with COVID-19,” researchers conclude in the paper published online today in JAMA Internal Medicine. The open-label

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-18

Vitamins do not lessen chance of dying from COVID-19: review published by University of Toledo researchers.

A new review of COVID-19 hospitalization data by researchers at The University of Toledo has found that taking immune-boosting supplements such as vitamin C, vitamin D and zinc do not lessen your chance of dying from COVID- Early in the pandemic, healthcare providers tried a variety of micronutrients as potential therapies for the new illness. More recently,

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-17

COVID-19 vaccination may protect against variants better than natural infection, Stanford University study finds

COVID-19 vaccines are better than infection at making antibodies to recognize new viral variants, according to a Stanford study. Antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines are more suited to recognizing viral variants than antibodies that arise from natural infection, according to a study by researchers at Stanford Medicine. A key finding of the study might explain why: Regions

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-17

NIH researchers Pinpoint “Rogue Autoantibodies” Associated With Severe COVID-19 Blood Clotting

What After studying blood samples from 244 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, a group of researchers, including those who work at the National Institutes of Health, identified “rogue antibodies” that correlate with severe illness and may help explain mechanisms associated with severe blood clotting. The researchers found circulating antiphospholipid antibodies, which can be more common among people

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-17

The effectiveness of vaccination against long COVID: a rapid evidence briefing by UK Health Security Agency

People who had been fully vaccinated against covid-19 were around half as likely to develop long covid symptoms as people who had received only one vaccine dose or were unvaccinated, the UK Health Security Agency has said. The agency conducted a rapid review of evidence, including 15 UK and international studies up to January 2022.

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-17

Creating universal blood-type organs for transplant

A study published in Science Translational Medicine performed at the Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories and UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre has proved that it is possible to convert blood type safely in donor organs intended for transplantation. This finding is an important step towards creating universal type O organs, which would significantly improve fairness in organ allocation

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-16

NIH confirms COVID-19 vaccines induce immune response to Omicron

At a Glance Studies found that COVID-19 vaccines elicit T cells that recognize the Omicron variant despite the many mutations in its spike protein. The findings may explain why COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe disease from Omicron even though the variant can evade neutralizing antibodies. Viruses constantly evolve over time through mutations. This can result

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-16

First gene therapy for Tay-Sachs disease successfully given to two children

Two babies have received the first-ever gene therapy for Tay-Sachs disease after over 14 years of development. Tay-Sachs is a severe neurological disease caused by a deficiency in an enzyme called HexA. This enzyme breaks down a fatlike substance that normally exists in very small, harmless amounts in the brain. Without HexA, however, this fatlike substance can accumulate

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2022-02-16

Virome characterization of wild mammalian game animals, traded and consumed as exotic food in China, reveals a spectrum of emerging pathogens

This study has greatly expanded the understanding of the diversity of viruses carried by a variety of wild animals, and provided an important scientific basis for the early warning and prevention of human and livestock diseases.Vertebrate-associated viruses carried in wildlife The world’s top academic journal Cell published a research paper online: “Virome characterization of game