Analysis of 135,000+ medical records shows the novel coronavirus hits hardest among teens, children with diabetes or cancer, lower-income families, and Black, Latin and Asian groups. In the most comprehensive analysis to date of U.S. children tested and treated for COVID-19, an organization representing seven of the nation’s largest pediatric medical centers reports that some
Combining Machine Learning with Cell Engineering, Scientists Can Design ‘Living Medicines’ that Precisely Target Tumors Finding medicines that can kill cancer cells while leaving normal tissue unscathed is a Holy Grail of oncology research. In two new papers, scientists at UC San Francisco and Princeton University present complementary strategies to crack this problem with “smart”
Hundreds of trials are under way, 3 CAR T-cell therapies for hematologic malignancies are on the market, and 2 new products may receive FDA approval in the next several months, including a BCMA–directed therapy that is poised to help transform treatment of multiple myeloma Research on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies has exploded since
Convalescent plasma is frequently administered to patients with Covid-19 and has been reported, largely on the basis of observational data, to improve clinical outcomes. Minimal data are available from adequately powered randomized, controlled trials. In this paper researchers of the Clinical Pharmacology Section, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Juan D. Perón, Buenos Aires, Argentina as
Discovery represents a major milestone for regenerative medicine that could help more people benefit from stem cell therapy. Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have created a drug that can lure stem cells to damaged tissue and improve treatment efficacy—a scientific first and a major advance for the field of regenerative medicine. The
As of September, the vast majority of Americans did not have coronavirus antibodies, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. These data matter as the coronavirus spreads rapidly throughout most of the country, most people remain vulnerable to it. Across the U.S., the portion of states’ populations with detectable antibodies ranged from less
COVID-19 caused by SARS-COV2 infection can lead to multi-organ injuries and significant mortality in severe and critical patients, especially among those individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) as a comorbidity. While attenuated mortality was observed with aggressive glucose control, it was unclear whether therapeutic regiments including insulin treatment was beneficial for patients with COVID-19 and
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is causing a global pandemic and cases continue to rise. Most infected individuals experience mildly symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but it is unknown whether this can induce persistent immune memory that could contribute to immunity. In this paper, published on Cell, it’s performed a longitudinal assessment of individuals recovered from mild
Early reports indicated that in COVID-19 may be associated with coagulation dysfunction. Studies have reported varying rates of thromboembolism. In this paper, the Authors searched PubMed, Cochrane and Embase for systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating thromboembolism rates in COVID-19 published until June 12, 2020. The search terms were “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV-2” or “novel coronavirus” and “venous
The ChAdOx1 nCov-2019 coronavirus vaccine, developed by teams at the University of Oxford, has been shown to trigger a robust immune response in healthy adults aged 56-69 and those over 70 years of age. The data, published in The Lancet, suggest that one of the groups most vulnerable to serious illness, and death from COVID-19, could build
Combinational antigen recognition is the most logical way to improve the safety of cancer therapy. CAR T cells therapy, combined with synthetic biology, protein engineering, and bioinformatics, can perform advanced computations to enhance tumor targeting specificity. Immunotherapy, including biologic and cellular approaches, is a critical area of focus for cancer therapeutics. Of the methodologies used
The rheumatoid arthritis drug baricitinib can block viral entry and reduce mortality in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, according to translational research by an international team coordinated by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, support the continuation of ongoing randomized clinical trials. “We are pleased to
As of 20 November 2020, the number of COVID-19 cases was reported to be more than 57 million, leading to more than 1.361,000 deaths worldwide . Elevated levels of CRP, cytokine and chemokines, together with low lymphocyte and eosinophil counts, characterize patients with severe disease. However, a reliable biomarker of poor outcome in COVID-19 is
Immunologists have determined the process driving life-threatening inflammation, lung damage and organ failure in patients with COVID-19, sepsis and other inflammatory disorders suggesting possible treatment using existing drugs. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant illness and death while treatment options remain limited.St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have discovered a potential strategy to prevent life-threatening
Primary efficacy analysis demonstrates BNT162b2 to be 95% effective against COVID-19 beginning 28 days after the first dose;170 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were evaluated, with 162 observed in the placebo group versus 8 in the vaccine group Efficacy was consistent across age, gender, race and ethnicity demographics; observed efficacy in adults over 65 years of
State-level reports are the best publicly available data on child COVID-19 cases in the United States. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association are collaborating to collect and share all publicly available data from states on child COVID-19 cases (definition of “child” case is based on varying age ranges reported across states;
Conventional wisdom has it that too many cooks spoil the broth. But such judiciousness is not usually considered the basis for scientific pronouncements or international rulings on the need to limit the number of people in kitchens. But, when it comes to video games, conventional wisdom, not science, forms the basis for our thinking and
Over the last decade, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment modality for relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies in both children and adults. As an adoptive immune therapy, CAR-T cells have the potential to overcome disease that is resistant to chemoand radiotherapy as well as represent a viable option for those who
An independent data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) overseeing the Phase 3 trial of the investigational COVID-19 vaccine known as mRNA-1273 reviewed trial data and shared its interim analysis with the trial oversight group on Nov. 15, 2020. This interim review of the data suggests that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing symptomatic
Key points: Researchers have analysed immune cell types and numbers from the blood of healthy volunteers, COVID-19 patients experiencing mild-to-moderate effects and patients classified as severe to understand whether particular characteristics of their immune system response can identify treatment targets or indicate disease severity. After comparing the T cell immune response, the researchers noted the
Diabetes is associated with increased mortality from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Given literature suggesting a potential association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and diabetes induction, it was examined pancreatic expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), the key entry factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Specifically, in this paper published on Cell Metabolism, were analyzed five public scRNA-seq pancreas
The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has been accompanied by the emergence of distinct viral clades, though their clinical significance remains unclear. In this paper it’s investigated the phylogenetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Chicago, Illinois, and assessed their relationship to clinical parameters. Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 isolates
It’s been a tough couple of weeks for immune-based therapies for COVID-19. We know that immune modulation in this disease, especially in its most severe manifestations, can improve outcomes. Favorable results from the RECOVERY study of dexamethasone have made it the standard of care for most hospitalized patients who require oxygen. And we also know that our own immune
Effective, Early Interventions would Benefit Individual Patients and Healthcare System COVID-19 treatments for people with early infection are needed urgently, according to a JAMA Viewpoint article by NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., and colleagues. Treating people early in the course of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, would speed their recovery, reduce
SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) mediates viral entry into cells and is critical for vaccine development against COVID-19. Structural studies have revealed distinct conformations of S, but real-time information that connects these structures, is lacking. In this paper it’s applied single-molecule Fluorescence (Förster) Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) imaging to observe conformational dynamics of S on virus particles.
An inhaled form of interferon — a drug commonly used to treat multiple sclerosis by injection — may help protect hospitalized Covid-19 patients from getting worse, according to a British drugmaker. Results were first released in July, but were published Thursday as a peer-reviewed study in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The body naturally releases interferon when
An obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) drug may help improve the conditions of coronavirus patients, a new study suggests. Fluvoxamine, sold under the brand name Luvox, is a medication that scientists believe has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help control the immune system’s overreaction to the virus. No patient who was given the drug suffered from shortness of breath
To understand the usual approval process followed by the FDA, researchers of the Yale University School of Medicine have systematically evaluated all novel vaccines approved by the FDA over the last decade, characterizing the premarket development and regulatory review times, the clinical evidenceon which approval was based, and the size and follow-up duration of the
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy bamlanivimab for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adult and pediatric patients. Bamlanivimab is authorized for patients with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing who are 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms (about
SARS-CoV-2 induced hypercytokinemia and inflammation are critically associated with COVID19 disease severity. Baricitinib, a clinically approved JAK1/2 inhibitor, is currently being investigated in COVID-19 clinical trials. In this paper published on Cell, are investigated the immunologic and virologic efficacy of baricitinib in a rhesus macaque model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Viral shedding measured from nasal and
A National Institutes of Health clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has formally concluded that the drug provides no clinical benefit to hospitalized patients. Though found not to cause harm, early findings in June when the trial was stopped indicated that the
Remdesivir is an antiviral medication that targets a range of viruses. It was originally developed over a decade ago to treat hepatitis C and a cold-like virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Remdesivir wasn’t an effective treatment for either disease. But it showed promise against other viruses. Researchers tested remdesivir in clinical trials during the
Scientists at University of Cambridge have used gene therapy to regenerate damaged nerve fibres in the eye, in a discovery that could aid the development of new treatments for glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Axons – nerve fibres – in the adult central nervous system (CNS) do not normally regenerate after
Investigations of deceased COVID-19 patients have shed light on possible lung damage caused by the virus. The study, published today in The Lancet’s eBioMedicine, by King’s in collaboration with University of Trieste and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biology in Italy, shows the unique characteristics to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and may explain why
A new study reveals the virus triggers production of antibodies circulating through the blood, causing clots in people hospitalized with the disease. Blood clots continue to wreak havoc for patients with severe COVID-19 infection, and a new study explains what may spark them in up to half of patients. The culprit: an autoimmune antibody that’s
Integrated analysis revealed a positive correlation of coagulopathy withcytokine storm in COVID-19-infected patients; the D-dimer rises early, which indicates that coagulopathy acts as a prodrome of cytokine storm. Coagulopathy can be used to monitor early cytokine storm in COVID-19-infected patients. Coagulopathy appeared around a few days in advance of a cytokine storm. It was also
Hospitalized Patients Who Were Taking Daily Aspirin Had Lower Risk of ICU Admission, Ventilation, and Dying from the Virus Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who were taking a daily low-dose aspirin to protect against cardiovascular disease had a significantly lower risk of complications and death compared to those who were not taking aspirin, according to a new
Targeting cells’ ‘trash compactor’ could lead to new antiviral strategy to fight COVID-19. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered a biological pathway that the novel coronavirus appears to use to hijack and exit cells as it spreads through the body. A better understanding of this important pathway may provide vital insight in
In a Commentary on EBioMedicine researchers of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York try to solve the enigma between dead viral particles testing or real clinical reinfection. Nine months after the first reports describing a novel corona virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) causing severe disease in humans (coronavirus Disease
B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) blasts hijack the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment to form chemoprotective leukemic BM “niches,” facilitating chemoresistance and, ultimately, disease relapse. However, the ability to dissect these evolving, heterogeneous interactions among distinct B-ALL subtypes and their varying BM niches is limited with current in vivo methods. In this paper , New
Researchers from the University of Kent, the Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main (Germany), and the Hannover Medical School (Germany) have identified a drug with the potential to provide a treatment for COVID-19. The international team led by Professor Martin Michaelis, Dr. Mark Wass (both School of Biosciences, University of Kent), and Professor Jindrich Cinatl (Institute
The COVID infection fatality ratio is around 1% in high-income countries, but substantially lower in low-income countries with younger populations. These are the findings of a new report from the Imperial College London COVID-19 Response Team. The report reveals that: In high income countries, the estimated overall infection fatality ratio (IFR) is 1.15% (95% prediction interval
Lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disorder affects approximately 40% of the population over 40 and though many of us may never experience adverse effects from the disorder, it is the cause of chronic back pain for numerous Americans. Recent imaging diagnostics and cellular based direct-injection therapeutics for degenerative disc and spinal cord injuries
Sensor data from wearable devices can complement virus testing and conventional screening to signal new infections. Examining data from the first six weeks of their landmark DETECT study, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Translational Institute sees encouraging signs that wearable fitness devices can improve public health efforts to control COVID-19. The DETECT study, launched
The ISB-Swedish COVID-19 Immune Response Study has revealed new findings that suggest that treatments aimed at arresting the infection at the stage of moderate severity may be most effective. The symptoms of COVID-19 vary widely, from very mild to severe conditions requiring ICU care. Researchers comprehensively studied a large number of patients during the week
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered a new inflammatory disorder called vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory and somatic syndrome (VEXAS), which is caused by mutations in the UBA1 gene. VEXAS causes symptoms that included blood clots in veins, recurrent fevers, pulmonary abnormalities and vacuoles (unusual cavity-like structures) in myeloid cells. The scientists reported
In patients with critical manifestations of COVID-19, life-threatening complications such as ARDS and multiple organ dysfunction are mediated by extensive inflammation, neutrophils recruitment, cytokine storm syndrome and dysregulated immune innate responses. MSCs because of their immunomodulatory, regenerative, and antimicrobial properties could render several therapeutic effects in the setting of COVID-19. While data from countless clinical
Phase 1 Clinical Study will Evaluate ADI-001 Safety and Efficacy in Patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Adicet Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company discovering and developing allogeneic gamma delta T cell therapies for cancer and other diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ADI-001,
The emergence of a novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused a major disease outbreak that posed a threat to public health worldwide. Among the western countries, Italy was the first to experience a vast Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and the province of Bergamo experienced the deadliest COVID-19 outbreak in theworld. Due
NIH-funded therapy will now be tested in humans A newly developed light-sensing protein called the MCO1 opsin restores vision in blind mice when attached to retina bipolar cells using gene therapy. The National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, provided a Small Business Innovation Research grant to Nanoscope, LLC for development of
Even if state-level governments in the United States reimpose limited social distancing measures to halt the spread of COVID-19, the death toll could more than double by the end of February 2021 to 511,000, according to projections released Friday. Near-universal mask wearing over the coming months could reduce that grim tally by nearly 130,000, researchers
Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have discovered that neutrophils, the most abundant cells of the innate immune system, have many more functions in the body than previously thought. This finding suggests possible new treatments for many diseases, including cancer. In a study published in the journal Cell, the research team demonstrates that
Researchers have identified a second receptor that might be important in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, according to a new report published in Science on October 20. This cofactor helps facilitate virus-host cell interactions in cells with low levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the primary receptor on host cells, and might explain the increased pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2. Why is
Convalescent plasma may not prevent progression to severe disease or reduce mortality risk in hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19, based on a phase 2 trial involving more than 400 patients in India. The PLACID trial offers real-world data with “high generalizability,” according to lead author Anup Agarwal, MD, of the Indian Council of Medical Research,
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, leads to respiratory symptoms that can be fatal. However, neurological symptoms have also been observed in some patients. The cause of these complications is currently unknown. In this paper, were use human pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoids to examine SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism. Was found expression of viral receptor
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, today launched a study designed to determine whether certain approved therapies or investigational drugs in late-stage clinical development show promise against COVID-19 and merit advancement into larger clinical trials. The ACTIV-5 Big Effect Trial, which will enroll adult volunteers hospitalized
A number of investigational agents and drugs that are approved for other indications are currently being studied in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 and associated complications. Data from randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective observational cohorts, and case series studies are rapidly emerging. The COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) continues to review
Last Updated: October 9, 2020 Plasma from donors who have recovered from COVID-19 may contain antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may help suppress the virus and modify the inflammatory response.1 Recommendation There are insufficient data for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) to recommend either for or against the
No reductions seen in 28-day mortality or duration of hospital stay in COVID-19 with lopinavir-ritonavir. Lopinavir-ritonavir is not associated with reductions in 28-day mortality or duration of hospital stay among patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, according to a study published online Oct. 5 in The Lancet. Peter W. Horby, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues on
Was compared the US to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries with populations exceeding 5million and greater than $25 000 per capita gross domestic product. For each country, was calculated the COVID-19 per capita mortality rate and grouped countries by mortality: (1) low (COVID-19 deaths, <5/100 000), (2) moderate (5-25/ 100 000), and (3)
In the past three decades the field of gene therapy has made remarkable progress surging from mere laboratory experiments to FDA-approved products which bring significant reduction in disease burden to patients who previously had no therapeutic options for their serious conditions. In this paper it’s reviewed the evolution of the gene therapy clinical research landscape
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is associated with hypercoagulability caused by direct invasion of endothelial cells and\or proinflammatory cytokine release. Thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin is recommended by current guidelines, but evidence is still weak. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin on hospital mortality in patients
The RESTORE position paper represents the cumulative efforts of the RESTORE community, and the steering committee since the start of the RESTORE initiative in 2019. It outlines, in depth, the RESTORE view on why Europe should invest in Advanced Therapies, the roadblocks in Advanced Therapy development and implementation into patient care, and makes recommendations about
A new paper published on EBioMedicine analyzes metagenome contribution to Covid-19 response variability. A key question concerning COVID-19 is why most infected persons do not develop severe disease, while others become critically ill. This dichotomy is related to age, gender, immunosuppression and comorbidities, but many persons who are young succumb to the virus. A significant
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to extensive morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Clinical features that drive SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in humans include inflammation and thrombosis, but the mechanistic details underlying these processes remain to be determined. In this study, was demonstrated endothelial disruption and vascular thrombosis in histopathologic sections of lungs from both humans and
SARS-CoV-2 is a recently identified coronavirus that causes the respiratory disease known as COVID-19. Despite the urgent need, it’s not fully understood the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. In this paper, are comprehensively defined the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 proteins and human RNAs. NSP16 binds to the mRNA recognition domains of the U1 and U2 splicing
RNA-Seq and high-resolution mass spectrometry on 128 blood samples from COVID-19 positive and negative patients with diverse disease severities and outcomes were performed and published on Cell Systems Quantified transcripts, proteins, metabolites, and lipids were associated with clinical outcomes in a curated relational database, uniquely enabling systems analysis and cross-ome correlations to molecules and patient
Interleukin-6 signal blockade showed preliminary beneficial effects in treating inflammatory response against SARS-CoV-2 leading to severe respiratory distress. In this paper, published on EClinicalMedicine are described the outcomes of off-label intravenous use of Sarilumab in severe SARS-CoV-2-related pneumonia. 53 patients with SARS-CoV-2 severe pneumonia received intravenous Sarilumab; pulmonary function improvement or Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
The contribution of CD4 + T cells to protective or pathogenic immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unknown. In this paper it’s presented single-cell transcriptomic analysis of >100,000 viral antigen-reactive CD4 + T cells from 40 COVID-19 patients. In hospitalized patients compared to non-hospitalized patients, were found increased proportions of cytotoxic follicular helper (T FH
The more common manifestation in the COVID-19 era may be HFpEF related primarily to the unmasking of subclinical HFpEF and secondarily to the development of new HFpEF following infection with SARS-CoV-2. Patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease (CVD) who develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have worse outcomes than patients without CVD.Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome
Fewer than 10 percent of the U.S. adult population formed antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during the first wave of the pandemic, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in The Lancet. Shuchi Anand, M.D., from the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional
In this randomized clinical trial, although limited by early termination, there was no clinical benefit of hydroxychloroquine administered daily for 8 weeks as pre-exposure prophylaxis in hospital-based HCWs exposed to patients with COVID-19. Despite promising early reports and strong in vitro performance, Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has become the major therapeutic disappointment of the COVID pandemic. Research
Research in England shows a dangerous relationship between the viruses that cause both diseases; for those in the ICU with co-infection, the risk of death is 6.33 times higher. People infected at the same time by the new coronavirus and the flu virus are twice as likely to die than those infected by Sars-Cov-2 alone . This is the
Two categories of disease are interacting within specific populations—infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and an array of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These conditions are clustering within social groups according to patterns of inequality deeply embedded in our societies. The aggregation of these diseases on a background of social and economic disparity exacerbates
Early in the pandemic, other clinicians noted that even some patients who didn’t have preexisting heart conditions experienced cardiovascular damage while fighting COVID-19 infections, pointing to a possible causative link. Researchers had found, for example, that 8–12 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had elevated levels of muscle contraction–regulating proteins called troponins—a sign of heart damage—and that these
Currently, no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapeutics exist for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this context, the pandemic has put considerable pressure on health care providers to prescribe treatments despite limited information about their safety and efficacy. This pressure has exacerbated the tension between the importance of practicing evidence-based medicine and the urgency of
New findings by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators help explain why some people with COVID-19 develop severe disease. The findings also may provide the first molecular explanation for why more men than women die from COVID-19. The researchers found that more than 10% of people who develop severe COVID-19 have
Children were less likely than adults to acquire a COVID-19 infection from an index case, a meta-analysis found. Across 32 contact tracing or population testing studies comparing SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in children and adults, children younger than 14 were less likely to be infected from an index case overall (odds ratio 0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.85), and
COVID-19 appears to have significant extrapulmonary complications affecting multiple organ systems. Critically ill patients with COVID-19 oftendevelop gastrointestinal complications during their hospital stay, including bowel ischemia, transaminitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatitis, Ogilvie syndrome, and severe ileus. Whether the high incidence of gastrointestinal complications is a manifestation of critical illness in general or is specific to COVID-19
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology and its application to regulatory T cells (Tregs) has garnered interest among researchers in the field of cell and gene therapy. Merging the benefits of CAR technology with Tregs offers a novel and promising therapeutic option for durable reshaping of undesired immune responses following solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell
They are relatively common so may act as important driver of viral spread, warn researchers People with ‘silent’ COVID-19 infection have as much coronavirus in their noses and throats as those with symptoms, reveals research published online in the journal Thorax. Given how many of these people there are—a fifth of those infected, the study findings show–they may
Despite the first clinical studies reporting on a correlation betweenthe migration potential of transplanted stem cells and their therapeutic efficacy, it is unclear if effective stem cell therapies requirereliable and sufficient delivery of the cells to the desired anatomiclocations, as well as survival of the cellular graft. Moreover, the many complex processes involved in stem
First-of-its kind study to be supported by the Cura Foundation, The Marcus Foundation, Sanford Health and Alliance for Cell Therapy Now The Cura Foundation in collaboration with The Marcus Foundation, Sanford Health and Alliance for Cell Therapy Now, is supporting a clinical trial of human cord tissue mesenchymal stromal cells (hCT-MSC) to treat children with
The frequency of children carrying asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been suggested to be higher than among adults. It is also suggested that asymptomatic children enhance viral spread. A research letter by published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in September 2020 explores the truth of this common belief. Earlier Research Earlier studies
In a paper published on EClinicalMedicine, has been assessed outcome of patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 following treatment with convalescent plasma (CP) and the association with IgG levels in transfused CP. A prospective cohort study. Primary outcome was improvement at day 14 defined as alive, not on mechanical ventilation, and moderate, mild, or recovered
The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein variant D614G supplanted the ancestral D614 virus worldwide, reaching near fixation in a matter of months. In this paper on Cell it’s shown that D614G was more infectious than the ancestral form on human lung cells, colon cells, and on cells rendered permissive by ectopic expression of human ACE2 or
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can sometimes hijack brain cells, using the cells’ internal machinery to copy itself, according to a new study. The research, posted Sept. 8 to the preprint database bioRxiv, has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, but it provides evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect brain cells called neurons. Although
Initially, children were thought to be spared from disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, a month into the epidemic, a novel multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) emerged. In thi paper on Cell, are reported the immune profiles of nine MIS-C cases. All MIS-C patients had evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2
In this paper on Cell it’s shown that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interacts with both cellular heparan sulfate and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) through its Receptor Binding Domain (RBD). Docking studies suggest a heparin/heparan sulfate-binding site adjacent to the ACE2 binding site. Both ACE2 and heparin can bind independently to spike protein in vitro and
In a study published in JAMA today, Mount Sinai researchers report findings that shed some light on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Blacks, who have experienced rates of infection and death that are much greater, in some areas twice and three times more, than their proportion of the population. Our study suggests one factor that may
The emergence of adaptive immunity in response to the new Betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), occurs within the first 7 to 10 days of infection. Understanding the key features and the B-cell evolution – and T-cell-mediated adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is essential to predict the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells are not infected by SARS-CoV-2 and retain their immunomodulatory potential as published by Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, German Red Cross Blood Donor Service in Frankfurt am Main on Stem Cells Report. Previous studies reported safety and applicability of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells (MSC) to ameliorate pulmonary inflammation in ARDS. Thus, multiple
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Science for Life Laboratory in Sweden and Tor Vergata University of Rome in Italy have mapped the immune response in children affected by a rare but life-threatening inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19. The study, which is published in the scientific journal Cell, reveals that the inflammatory response differs from that
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), believed to be linked to COVID-19, damages the heart to such an extent that some children will need lifelong monitoring and interventions, said the senior author of a medical literature review. Case studies also show MIS-C can strike seemingly healthy children without warning three or four weeks after asymptomatic
Young adults with underlying conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes and hypertension are at the highest risk of being placed on a ventilator or dying from COVID-19, according to a study of 3,000 hospitalized patients aged 18 to 34. The analysis, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, focused on patients hospitalized between April and
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is entirely new to infectious disease researchers and other public health scientists. To combat it, scientists have sifted through centuries of literature about how the world coped with past pandemics. A new opinion paper assesses one way in which we might be able to learn from our encounters with
People who are admitted to hospital with Covid-19 can be divided into four distinct groups, according to data from the world’s largest study of patients with the disease. Researchers identified the groups using clinical information and tests carried out upon arrival at hospital to predict the patients’ risk of death – ranging from low to
The COVID-19 pandemic is still raging in India, with over 4.5 million cases, 75.000 deaths and more than 90,000 new cases a day. At present there are few effective therapeutic options, which means that healthcare providers are faced with ongoing challenges in managing the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A new study based
The strong pro-inflammatory response known as cytokine storm is said to play an important role in the pathophysiology of a severe variant of covid-19. But researchers at Radboudumc University (Matthijs Kox et al.) doubt that. In a small-scale study published in JAMA, they argue that many studies look at different cytokines and do not make a
One of the features distinguishing SARS-CoV-2 from its more pathogenic counterpart SARS-CoV is the presence of premature stop codons in its ORF3b gene. In this paper it’s shown that SARS-CoV-2 ORF3b is a potent interferon antagonist, suppressing the induction of type I interferon more efficiently than its SARS-CoV ortholog. Phylogenetic analyses and functional assays reveal
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine In a laboratory setting, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was inoculated into human bronchial epithelial cells. This inoculation, which was performed in a biosafety level 3 facility, had a multiplicity of infection (indicating the ratio of virus particles to targeted airway cells) of 3:1. These cells
Dozens of major hospitals across the U.S. are grappling with whether to ignore a federal decision allowing broader emergency use of blood plasma from recovered COVID patients to treat the disease in favor of dedicating their resources to a gold-standard clinical trial that could help settle the science for good. As many as 45 hospitals
Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with corticosteroid drugs reduces the risk of death by 20 percent, an analysis of seven international trials found on Wednesday, prompting the World Health Organization to update its advice on treatment. The analysis — which pooled data from separate trials of low dose hydrocortisone, dexamethasone and methylprednisolone — found that steroids improve survival
The rush to immunise populations against Covid-19 could lead to the rollout of a vaccine that is not very effective and risk worsening the pandemic, leading scientists have said. Experts, members of the WHO’s Solidarity Vaccines Trial Expert Group, which is made up of leading scientists around the world who are advising on the establishment
The study has been done in seven Italian Hospitals and published on The Lancet Respiratory Medicine The study confirms the role of microthrombosis in severe Covid-19, but do not explain which is the pathophysiology of the proteolytic cascades activation. For Dr. Fornasari, REGENHEALTHSOLUTIONS Director, “This study very important study shows that unhinibited proteolytic cascades activation
New research suggests that children can shed SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, even if they never develop symptoms or for long after symptoms have cleared. But many questions remain about the significance of the pediatric population as vectors for this sometimes deadly disease, according to an invited commentary by Children’s National Hospital doctors that accompanies this
Over 1,000 children from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, known as ‘COVID Warriors’ have had their antibodies measured in the UK-wide trial called ‘Seroprevalence of SARS-Cov-2 infection in healthy children’. The findings have been published yesterday (Friday 28 August) as a pre-print on the server medRxiv. The study is led by Queen’s University Belfast, in
Study is the basis of a new international clinical trial Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Mount Sinai researchers were among the first to show that anticoagulation therapy was associated with improved survival among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. But many questions remained—about the size of the potential benefit, and about what dosage of this therapy might be
A new Covid-19 prediction model makes another compelling case for wearing masks and cloth face coverings. If practically everyone in America wears masks while out in public, it could prevent tens of thousands of Covid-19 infections and deaths by the fall, according to researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). “It is hard
Infection in General Population Mirrors Pediatric Prevalence, UCSF Study Shows Source UCSF As schools across the country continue to wrestle with configurations of online and in-classroom learning, a new study from UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals shows that public data and a simple equation may be all that is required to estimate the number of infected
Source NIH “Masks save lives” isn’t just sound advice, it’s a scientific fact. Wearing one in public can help to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Wear a mask outside home, doesn’t necessarily protect myself, but protect others. If by chance I’ve been exposed to the virus and am currently incubating it, I wouldn’t want to
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized emergency use of convalescent plasma and the national Expanded Access Program (EAP) for convalescent plasma led by Mayo Clinic announced its intention to discontinue enrollment. The five-month program served 2,780 hospital and acute care facilities, with nearly 14,000 physicians enrolling 101,000 patients and reports of 71,000 infused so far. Eligible patients who
The research presented early in the course of Corona pandemic found that Covid-19 not as initially suspected a classic viral lung disease. Rather, the whole body is affected . A team from the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) has now proven that the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can also multiply in the kidneys . The novel corona virus can also multiply outside of the lungs, for example in the kidneys. Researchers at the University Medical Center
Recent reports that antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are not maintained in the serum following recovery from the virus have caused alarm. However, the absence of specific antibodies in the serum does not necessarily mean an absence of immune memory. University of Bergen researchers have just published a paper on Nature Reviews Immunology. Immunity after infection with
Source FDA Yesterday 08/23/2020 FDA has issued guidance to provide recommendations to health care providers and investigators on the administration and study of investigational convalescent plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 (COVID-19 convalescent plasma) during the public health emergency. The guidance provides recommendations on the following: pathways for use of investigational COVID-19 convalescent plasma
There is an increased attention to stroke following SARS-CoV-2. The goal of this study was to better depict the short-term risk of stroke and its associated factors among SARS-CoV-2 hospitalized patients. This multicentre, multinational observational study includes hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 patients from North and South America (United States, Canada, and Brazil), Europe (Greece, Italy, Finland, and
Infusing hospitalized Covid-19 patients with blood plasma from people who recovered from the disease appeared to show a benefit in a nationwide study, but the study’s lack of a placebo group left several experts struggling to interpret the data. The study, which enrolled more than 35,000 patients, found that quickly administering so-called convalescent plasma had
A new research study used whole-genome sequencing to analyze the genetic profile of patients with the SARS-CoV-2 virus to gain more insight into how it turns the body’s own immune system against itself. The findings could help researchers develop drugs to target the virus, according to an August 3 report in Nature Medicine. Researchers focused on
A mutant SARS-CoV-2 variant that has appeared in East Asia appears to cause milder infections than the form without this mutation. Overall, there are initial indications that the coronavirus could weaken. As early as January and February 2020, researchers from Singapore identified a SARS-CoV-2 variant in a cluster of Covid-19 patients that had a 382 base
In a new study, published in Nature Medicine, researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, have found a common immune signature in the blood of patients with COVID-19, which could be used to predict how severely ill a patient will become, thereby aiding patient management. The team analysed blood samples
Neurological complications have emerged as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Beside respiratory insufficiency, many hospitalized patients exhibit neurological manifestations, ranging from headache and loss of smell, to confusion and disabling strokes. COVID-19 is also anticipated to take a toll on the nervous system in the long term. In
The release of massive amounts of proteins called cytokines can lead to some of the most severe symptoms of COVID-19. When large numbers of immune cells release cytokines, this increases inflammation and creates a feedback loop in which more immune cells are activated and this is sometimes called a cytokine storm. An August 19 study
New lab-based studies show that two existing drugs, including one developed by a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, inhibit SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — from infecting human cells in a dish. Both drugs, vacuolin-1 and apilimod, originally developed years ago, target a large enzyme called PIKfyve kinase. Before
The virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, presents at least six strains. Despite its mutations, the virus shows little variability, and this is good news for the researchers working on a viable vaccine. These are the results of the most extensive study ever carried out on SARS-CoV-2 sequencing. Researchers at the University of Bologna drew
A new study is challenging the idea that younger children are somehow less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Children under the age of five have been found to carry just as much, if not more, coronavirus in their noses and throats than older kids or adults. The results, published Thursday (July 30) in JAMA Pediatrics, tested 145
It’s only been about seven months since the world learned a new and dangerous coronavirus was in our midst. In the time since Chinese scientists confirmed the rapidly spreading disease in Wuhan was caused by a new coronavirus and posted its genetic sequence on line, an extraordinary amount has been learned about the virus, SARS-CoV-2,
A saliva-based laboratory diagnostic test developed by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health to determine whether someone is infected with the novel coronavirus has been granted an emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The method, called SalivaDirect, is being further validated as a test for asymptomatic individuals through
In the early days of COVID-19, the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) was unsure how the pandemic and its accompanying economic downturn would affect the cell and gene therapy space. “It was a really specific time when the world and the markets were clearly reeling from the first appreciation for the seriousness of COVID-19,” Janet
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is largely the result of a dysregulated host response, followed by damage to alveolar cells and lung fibrosis. Exacerbated proinflammatory cytokines release (cytokine storm) and loss of T lymphocytes (lymphopenia) characterize the most aggressive presentation. A multifaceted anti-inflammatory strategy, based on pharmacological activation of nuclear factor erythroid
Infectious diseases prevalent in humans and animals are caused by pathogens that once emerged from other animal hosts. In addition to these established infections, new infectious diseases periodically emerge. In extreme cases they may cause pandemics such as COVID-19; in other cases, dead end infections or smaller epidemics result. Established diseases may also re-emerge, for
Two papers recently published on EBioMedicine confirm that the excessive NET formation drives immunopathology in severe COVID-19 associated disseminated pulmonary intravascular coagulopathy. Coronavirus induced disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be complicated by severe organ damage leading to dysfunction of the lungs and other organs. The processes that trigger organ damage in COVID-19 are incompletely understood. Samples
Important study on T cells in SARSCoV2 published in Cell from Marcus Buggert et al. CIM Sweden Karolinska Institute. SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. In this paper are systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in unexposed individuals, exposed family members,
Initial clinical trial to determine if monoclonal antibodies can shorten severity of COVID-19 in outpatients. Source NIH A Phase 2 clinical trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of potential new therapeutics for COVID-19, including an investigational therapeutic based on synthetic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to treat the disease. Researchers sponsored by the National Institute of
Singapore study shows that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are present in all recovered COVID-19 patients. These T cells were also found in all subjects who recovered from SARS 17 years ago, and in over 50% of both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 uninfected individuals tested, suggesting that a level of pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 immunity is present in the general
With an alarm code, we can enter a building without bells going off. It turns out that the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the same advantage entering cells. It possesses the code to waltz right in. On July 24 in Nature Communications, researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health
Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have been used to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). However, evidence on the safety and efficacy ofthese therapies is limited. A multicenter, randomized, open-label, three-group, controlled trial was conducted involving hospitalized patients with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 who were receiving either no supplemental oxygen or a maximum of 4 liters
Rare genetic alterations in the TLR7 gene may have predisposed two sets of brothers to falling severely ill with COVID-19, a new research has found. People infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibit a range of symptoms, and while age, sex, and comorbidities such as diabetes and obesity may predispose patients to more severe disease, there is emerging
The Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the journal of the European League Against Rheumatism, EULAR, has published findings of an observational study on the treatment of patients with COVID-19-associated Cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). The study demonstrates that a treatment strategy combining intensive immunosuppression (using glucocorticoids and an IL-6 inhibitor) as well as close monitoring dramatically improves
An analysis of data obtained from a symptom tracker app has shown that there are six distinct “types” of covid-19, each distinguished by a cluster of symptoms. The researchers said that these types could be used to predict the need for respiratory support in severe covid-19. The study is available online as a preprint and
A recent article suggested the rapid decay of anti–SARS-CoV-2 IgG in early infection, but the rate was not described in detail. In this correspondence just published on The New England Journal a total of 31 of the 34 participants had two serial measurements of IgG levels and the remaining 3 participants had three serial measurements.
As the world continues to learn more about COVID-19, emerging data reveals that hospitalized patients with COVID-19 have an increased risk for blood clots. In a new Illustrated Review published in Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (RPTH) , leading thrombosis experts Prof. Beverley Hunt, OBE, and Prof. Marcel Levi, explain a clotting phenomenon found in most hospitalized
Since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists and health authorities have often observed that children do not appear to contract and transmit the virus to the same extent as adults. While the mechanisms behind this reduced vulnerability have remained somewhat mysterious and speculative, new evidence from South Korea shows that the age of children is also a vital factor to
Recommendation There are insufficient data for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel (the Panel) to recommend either for or against the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma for the treatment of COVID-19. Rationale for Recommendation Thousands of patients in the United States have received COVID-19 convalescent plasma through clinical trials, expanded access treatment trials, and single-patient Emergency Investigational New
Acute respiratory distress syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, which causes global public health emergencies, has sped widely for more than 5 months and has the risk of long-term transmission. No effective treatment has been discovered to date. In the cases reported, the patient continued to deteriorate even after administration of
COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic. Changes in haematological characteristics in patients with COVID-19 are emerging as important features of the disease. The authors aimed to explore the haematological characteristics and related risk factors in patients with COVID-19. This retrospective cohort study included patients with COVID-19 admitted to three designated sites of Wuhan Union Hospital
An autopsy-based study of 11 people who died from COVID-19 shows a mismatch between viral hotspots in the body and sites of inflammation and organ damage. This suggests that immune responses, rather than the virus itself, are responsible for death. The survey of 37 anatomical sites, including lungs, found that some tissues harboured the virus
More than 3,5 million people in the United States have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 138,000 have died. More people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. than in any other country, but few studies offer national data on the factors that may contribute to outcomes for critically ill patients. To address this
This study, published on JAMA, evaluates the independent risk factors associated with mortality of patients with COVID-19 requiring treatment in ICUs in the Lombardy region of Italy. This retrospective, observational cohort study includes 3988 consecutive critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 referred forICU admission to the coordinating center of the COVID-19 Lombardy ICU Network from
RESTORE, a pan-European initiative that aims to accelerate the availability of Advanced Therapies for the benefit of patients and society, is working on a video game to raise awareness of the field of Advanced Therapies. One room, 60 photographs, a whole life. Ready to relive Ella’s story? Available within the next few weeks for free
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a high disease burden with 10% of confirmed cases progressing towards critical illness. Nevertheless, the disease course and predictors of mortality in critically ill patients are poorly understood. Following the critical developments in ICUs in regions experiencing early inception of the pandemic, the European-based, international RIsk Stratification in
A team of University of Pavia, Italy presents on Lancet the case of 16-year-old boy admitted to emergency department, complaining of intense chest pain started 1 h earlier. The day before he had a fever of 38·3°C thatdecreased after 100 mg of nimesulide. He reported no other symptoms, no medical history, and no contact with
University of Oxford’s RECOVERY trial published its much anticipated preprint paper on the drug’s effect on Covid-19. The paper states that the drug cuts deaths in ventilated patients by one third and deaths in other admitted patients receiving oxygen by only one fifth. The headline findings of the trial were reported by the investigators on 16
Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have found investigational convalescent plasma to be safe following transfusion in a diverse group of 20,000 patients. The findings — from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Expanded Access Program for COVID-19 — are reported in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The safety report assessed the seven days following transfusion for hospitalized patients between April
Many people who contract COVID-19 have only a mild illness, or sometimes no symptoms at all. But others develop respiratory failure that requires oxygen support or even a ventilator to help them recover [1]. It’s clear that this happens more often in men than in women, as well as in people who are older or
Donated convalescent plasma may be beneficial to patients with severecoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to boost their ability to fight the virus. What Is Convalescent Plasma?Most people who recover from COVID-19 develop antibodies (proteins that the immune system produces in response to infection) to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2). Antibodies are found in plasma,
A new systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) led by a team at the Mayo Clinic, and including researchers from Emory, Duke, Case-Western, and the University of Miami, shows a trend toward improved outcomes and reduced mortality for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)—a major complication for patients with COVID-19.
Lockdown measures may have averted 3.1 million deaths from covid-19 across 11 European countries, including 470 000 in the UK, a new modelling study indicates. However, the researchers warn that European countries are very far from achieving herd immunity, as less than 4% of their populations were infected with SARS-CoV-2 up to 4 May, when lockdowns
Source NIH Researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, have identified a specific, front-line defense that limits the infection to the olfactory bulb and protects the neurons of the olfactory bulb from damage due to the infection. Neurons in the nose respond to
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine are recommending that all COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU undergo a thromboelastography (TEG) to test for the risk of forming blood clots. This recommendation comes after they found that more than half of the patients tested under these same conditions developed clinically significant blood clots that went undetected using routine
Early data from a clinical study suggest that blocking the Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) protein provided clinical benefit to a small group of patients with severe COVID-19. Researchers observed that the off-label use of the cancer drug acalabrutinib, a BTK inhibitor that is approved to treat several blood cancers, was associated with reduced respiratory distress
Infusions of antibody-rich blood plasma from people who have recovered from the coronavirus, so-called convalescent plasma, failed to make a difference in a study of hospitalized patients in China, researchers reported on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a randomized trial involving 103 COVID-19 patients, convalescent plasma made no difference in
New research conducted by the University of Liverpool and AKL Research and Development Ltd (AKLRD), published in Inflammopharmacology, highlights the potential benefits of a new drug treatment on the human body’s immune response in inflammation. In a number of inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and, more recently, COVID-19, major complications and extensive tissue damage can occur
The dynamic changes of lymphocyte subsets, neutrophils and cytokines profiles of patients with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and their correlation with the disease severity has been studied in a paper recently published on EBioMedicine https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102763. Of the 40 COVID-19 patients enrolled, 13 severe cases showed significant and sustained decreases in lymphocyte counts, but increases in
The first safety study communications overview, Early Safety Indicators of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma in 5,000 Patients, for the national expanded access program for convalescent plasma has been published https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.12.20099879v1 The report tells us: Mayo Clinic and collaborators reported safety data on the first 5,000 hospitalized patients transfused with investigational convalescent plasma as part of the
SARS-CoV-2 spread occurs through the transmission of droplets and aerosols from infected people through speaking, breathing, coughing, and sneezing. Wearing masks can reduce the airborne transmission of the novel coronavirus, a new study finds. The research is published in the journal Science. The team of researchers at the University of California San Diego and the National Sun Yat-sen
Neutrophil released NETs to control microbial/viral infections, could serve as a therapeutic target in coronavirus infections. In March this year, Dr. Knight and Kanthy of Michigan University observed a striking similarity between an autoimmune disease known as antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and COVID-19. Both conditions appeared to involve blood clots in arteries, veins, and the microvasculature.
In this review, published in Cell Host & Microbe, it’s described the recent progress in understanding of both type I and type III IFN-mediated innate antiviral responses against human coronaviruses and discussed the potential use of IFNs as a treatment strategy for COVID-19. Type I and type III IFNs establish the cellular state of viral
In a recent Comment published on EBioMedicine entitled “COVID-19 as a STING disorder with delayed oversecretion of Interferon-beta”, Berthelot and Lioté suggests that SARS-CoV-2 firstly inhibits interferon release but the NETs self-DNA induces delayed activation of STING with“cytokine storm”, causing the combination of interstitial lung disease and inflammatory vasculopathy. The assumption that SARS-CoV-2 had no
In a paper just published on Preprints, REGENHEALTHSOLUTIONS Research Team shows that, in Covid-19 critically ill patients, serine proteases released by recruited neutrophils are responsible for endothelitis, NETosis, platelet activation, ULVWF multimers release, thrombi formation and MOF for viral sepsis. Based on Chinese CDCP report on COVID-19, 14% of patients presented severe disease and 5%
There has been a surge in cases of an inflammatory syndrome in children, believed to be linked to covid-19, following an alert to doctors in the UK at the end of April. The syndrome, which in the UK is referred to as the “paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome which is temporarily associated with SARS-CoV-2,” has also
With a discovery that could rewrite the immunology textbooks, an international group of scientists, including the teams of Bart Lambrecht, Martin Guilliams, Hamida Hammad, and Charlotte Scott (all from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research) identified a new type of antigen-presenting immune cell. These cells, that are part of an expanding family of dendritic cells,
Antibodies from blood donated by people who recovered from the illness and hyper-immunoglobulins are becoming treatments of choice for COVID-19, with recombinant polyclonal antibody approaches to follow. A group of US academic researchers has sparked a nationwide effort to encourage people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma, which will be used to treat patients across
In a paper recently published by a team of New York researchers Hydroxychloroquine administration was not associated with either a greatly lowered or an increased risk of the composite end point of intubation or death. Hydroxychloroquine has been widely administered to patients with Covid-19 without robust evidence supporting its use. The association between hydroxychloroquine use
Effective antiviral therapy is important for tackling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this paper published on The Lancet the efficacy and safety of combined interferon beta-1b, lopinavir–ritonavir, and ribavirin for treating patients with COVID-19 was assessed. Methods This was a multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomised, phase 2 trial in adults with COVID-19 who were
The rapid global spread of the novel coronavirus SARS–CoV–2 has caused societal, economic, and medical upheaval not seen since the 1918 influenza pandemic. As of May 9th, cases were confirmed in 203 countries, areas or territories, with over 3.9 million confirmed cases and over 275,000 deaths. Further, many experts believe these numbers to be a
Cytokine storms may impact the severity of COVID-19 cases by lowering T-cell populations, according to a study published in Frontiers in Immunology on May 1. The immune response against virus-infected cells often requires activation of cytotoxic T cells to clear infection. Therefore, a boost in number and function of T cells — a specialized type of white
FDA has issued guidance to provide recommendations to health care providers and investigators on the administration and study of investigational convalescent plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 (COVID-19 convalescent plasma) during the public health emergency. The guidance provides recommendations on the following: pathways for use of investigational COVID-19 convalescent plasma patient eligibility collection of
EU CCP Database – Covid-19 convalescent plasma collection and transfusion in the EU The European Commission is working together with Member States, the European Blood Alliance (EBA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and other health professionals to support a study of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 patients. The study complements the guidance issued
A high cumulative incidence of thrombotic complications was reported in critically ill patients with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of three Dutch hospitals. The incidence was re-evaluated of the composite outcome of symptomatic acute pulmonary embolism (PE), deep-vein thrombosis, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction and/or systemic arterial embolism in all COVID-19 patients admitted
Antibodies from blood donated by people who recovered from the illness and hyper-immunoglobulins are becoming treatments of choice for COVID-19, with recombinant polyclonal antibody approaches to follow. A group of US academic researchers has sparked a nationwide effort to encourage people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma, which will be used to treat patients across
NETs played a pivotal role in the hypercoagulability of stroke patients. Strategies that prevent NET formation may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for thromboembolism interventions in Covid-19 patients. Sivelestat, anti-MMP9 antibody, and APC inhibit the cytotoxic effects of NET to protect ECs and decrease PCA, suggesting their critical role in preventing thrombotic complications in atherosclerosis
EMA’s Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) is advising patients and the general public against using unregulated cell-based therapies which may not be safe or effective. The CAT’s advice is in response to individuals, companies and hospitals promoting unproven cell-based therapies as cures for a broad range of conditions including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, autism,cerebral palsy, muscular
An extensive overview of convalescent plasma therapeutic use in Covid-19 has just been published on JAMA 30 April. The analysed points are the following: need of randomised controlled trials: Without randomized controlled trials, researchers can’t be sure whether patients recovered because of an experimental therapy or in spite of it. Yet virtually everything that’s known
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 respiratorydisease, has infected over 2.3 million people, killed over 160,000, and causedworldwide social and economic disruption.There are currently no antiviral drugs with proven clinical efficacy, nor are there vaccines for its prevention, and these efforts are hampered by limited knowledge of the molecular details of SARS-CoV-2
South Korea’s infectious disease experts said Thursday that dead virus fragments were the likely cause of over 260 people here testing positive again for the novel coronavirus days and even weeks after marking full recoveries. Oh Myoung-don, who leads the central clinical committee for emerging disease control, said the committee members found little reason to
Doctors in the UK have been warned over a rising number of children presenting with a multisystem inflammatory state and needing intensive care. In an urgent alert shared by North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group and the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, doctors were told that while the unspecified number of cases may be connected to the
New study explores the connection between levels of a type of white blood cell, known as a neutrophil, with the severity of COVID-19. New research finds a connection between destructive white blood cells and a more severe disease course in patients with COVID-19. “We found that patients with COVID-19 infection have higher blood levels of
Data from rigorously controlled clinical trials of convalescent plasma are few, underscoring the need to evaluate its use objectively for a range of indications (e.g., prevention vs treatment) and patient populations (e.g., age, comorbid disease). An overview of convalescent plasma, from evidence of benefit, regulatory considerations, logistical work flow and proposed clinical trials have been
A consortium of California scientists from government, academia and business today published an initial manuscript describing a novel approach to prepare convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients in BioRxiv. In the paper, senior author Saahir Khan, MD, PhD, from the University of California, Irvine Department of Medicine, reports the use of a new and more accurate way
Over the past several weeks, a mind-boggling array of possible therapies have been considered. None have yet been proven to be effective in rigorously controlled trials, but for one of them, it’s been a busy week. Source NIH So let’s focus on an experimental anti-viral drug, called remdesivir, that was originally developed for the deadly
This paper aims to determine to what level of the two commonly used control measures, social distancing and facial mask usage, are necessary to prevent a resurgence of the epidemic due to eitherresidual active cases in Wuhan or imported cases after lifting the quarantine, examining in a model six proposed dates for quarantine lifting. The
After a lightening round of proposals and reviews, an international team of scientists led by Dr. Camillo Ricordi was granted immediate FDA authorization for a 24-patient clinical trial to test the safety and exploratory efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) to block the life-threatening lung inflammation that accompanies severe cases of COVID-19. We are very
A team of Chinese scientists has isolated several antibodies that it says are “extremely effective” at blocking the ability of the new coronavirus to enter cells, which eventually could be helpful in treating or preventing COVID-19. There is currently no proven effective treatment for the disease, which originated in China and is spreading across the
With so much information swirling around these days about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it would be easy to miss one of the most interesting and significant basic science reports of the past few weeks. Source NIH It’s a paper published in the journal Science that presents an atomic-scale snapshot showing the 3D structure of
A team of medical researchers and bioethicists at Oxford University has published results in Science that furthers understanding of Covid-19 transmission. The evidence is enabling several international partners, including the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) and NHSX, a joint unit comprised of teams from NHS England and the UK’s Department of Health & Social Care, to assess the
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection can be diagnosed using a test called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). What Is the PCR Test for COVID-19 Infection? Samples are taken from places likely to have the virus that causes COVID-19, like the back of the nose or mouth or deep inside the lungs. After a sample is collected,
Relaxing social distancing rules and lifting coronavirus closures in Wuhan, China — where the outbreak emerged — too soon could fuel a second wave of infections, according to a new study, published in the Lancet Public Health journal, suggesting that things should not go back to normal in Wuhan before April. In December, 2019, severe
COVID Near You was built by a group of tech volunteers to help the public easily report COVID-19 symptoms or testing activity. Using these reports, the tracker maps this information to provide local and national views of the illness. The site is a sister tool of Flu Near You, a brainchild of Ending Pandemics and Boston Children’s
Wuhan researchers have published a non peer-reviewed anedoctical clinical paper on a pilot study using convalescent plasma in 10 critical Covid-19 patients In this study, ten severe patients confirmed by real-time viral RNA test were enrolled prospectively. One dose of 200 mL convalescent plasma (CP) derived from recently recovered donors with the neutralizing antibody titers
Coronavirus statistics: is Italy the new China? After several weeks of fighting the epidemic, the situation in China finally seems to come back under control. But can we say that even in our country we will see similar results? How are they similar and how do their situations differ? We therefore report the statistics on
A newly published study on @EClinicalMed by @CUHKofficial aims to formulate a composite model composed of clinical parameters and circulating markers in the prediction of curve progression. In adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the continuous search for effective prognostication of significant curve progression at the initial clinical consultation to inform decision for timely treatment and to
A group of researchers at Osaka University revealed that endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM), a surface marker for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and vascular endothelial cells (ECs), played an important role in the ontogeny of hematopoiesis in mice, particularly in the development of adult-type erythropoiesis. Their research results were published in Stem Cell Reports. In hematopoiesis,
Source Targeted Oncology The clinical development and application of cancer immunotherapy over the past decade has translated the long-standing knowledge of the close relationship between cancerous tissues and lymphoid immune cells, dating back to the late 19th century.1,2 Today, cancer immunotherapies, all of which recruit the body’s own immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells,
In the recently published ‘Engineered 3D Polymer and Hydrogel Microenvironments for Cell Culture Applications,’ authors Daniel Fan, Urs Staufer, and Angelo Accardo explore the world of bioengineering and microenvironments, reviewing the best types of methods, materials, and challenges that must be met. Material properties are one of the most highly discussed topics today in 3D
Human platelet lysate (HPL), rich in growth factors, is an efficient alternative supplement to fetal bovine serum (FBS) for ex vivo propagation of stromal cell-based medicinal products. Since 2014, HPL has been a focus of the Working Party for Cellular Therapies of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). Currently, as several Good Manufacturing Practice
Europe has become less competitive than other regions in attracting new ATMP clinical trials. Faster and more streamlined review processes for clinical trials by regulatory authorities are fundamental to increase clinical research and development in Europe. There is considerable country-to-country variability within Europe: the UK has the highest absolute number of new ATMP clinical trials,
Source NIH Initial investment aims to advance accessible and scalable candidate interventions into clinical trials within 10 years. The National Institutes of Health plans to invest at least $100 million over the next four years toward an audacious goal: develop affordable, gene-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV. The Bill & Melinda Gates
Source NIH ‘Forward-oriented’ design might boost treatment effectiveness and broaden use. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have developed a new and improved viral vector—a virus-based vehicle that delivers therapeutic genes—for use in gene therapy for sickle cell disease. In advanced lab tests using animal models, the new vector was up to 10 times
What are the research challenges slowing development of curative treatments and what are the roadblocks for the wider adoption of Advanced Therapies in clinical routine? Join the conversation at the1st Advanced Therapies Science Meeting (1st ATSM)in Berlin, 25-26 November 2019 to explore the latest trends in the field and to discuss the Advanced Therapies Roadmap 2030 that
European Commission, Digital Single Market has published a new Factsheet/Infographic on FET Flagships and Large Research Initiative. These visionary, long-term, large-scale research initiatives address major science and technology challenges in Europe. They involve hundreds of research teams with the aim of boosting the EU’s scientific and industrial landscape.
Source Euronews Euronews space correspondent and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano has been in space for a month now. His first mission was to “catch a Dragon” – a cargo vehicle which brings payloads for astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS). Once the dragon was “captured”, Luca and his team received new scientific equipment to start working on
Gene therapies constitute a new concept of transformative therapies, administered once in a lifetime. The value assessment of these innovative therapies constitutes a challenge for health technology assessment (HTA) bodies. The HTA reports for all seven gene therapies that have to date been granted a market authorization in the European Union (EU) and/or the United
Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern have uncloaked the molecular mechanisms underlying heart regeneration in the only mammals currently known to regrow a significant portion of their hearts after injury: neonatal mice. These newborns have long held the secret to regenerating approximately 15 percent of their ventricular tissue, a capability that occurs within a fleeting window of about
Early clinical trials of a gene therapy for aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency have yielded encouraging results for its safety and efficacy, a study highlights. But researchers call attention to the importance of a timely diagnosis for treatment success, as only early interventions could fully prevent long-term brain damage and other outcomes. Their study, “Aromatic amino
Immunotherapy can be effective in treating certain types of pediatric blood cancers, but researchers are still exploring how this type of treatment could work for pediatric solid tumors. In clinical trials, scientists are combining immunotherapy agents in an effort to jump-start the immune system against pediatric solid tumors. Source DANA-FARBER Cancer Institute New treatments that
With the help of a 3D printed salt template, ETH researchers have succeeded in producing magnesium scaffolds with structured porosity that are suitable for bioresorbable bone implants. For the treatment of complex bone fractures or even missing bone parts, surgeons typically deploy metal implants. In this context, an attractive alternative to the traditional materials like
Robots that are roughly half a millimetre wide veer around sharp corners and down tiny corridors. Source Nature A thread-shaped robot can worm through narrow spaces under the control of magnetic fields, raising hopes of its use in convoluted human organs. Doctors use snake-like robots in procedures on the heart, but these commercially available devices
A promising new treatment for cancer patients has received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, paving the way for more patients to get the treatment known as CAR T-cell therapy. While this decision will likely expand access, particularly for some lymphoma and leukemia patients, treatment remains prohibitively expensive, prompting some patients to opt for experimental rather
Technique could allow cells to be extracted in real time, help prevent cancer from spreading Researchers at UCLA and NantWorks have developed an artificial intelligence-powered device that detects cancer cells in a few milliseconds — hundreds of times faster than previous methods. With that speed, the invention could make it possible to extract cancer cells from blood immediately after
For transplant patients, the body’s own defences can be fatal. Breakthrough research offers new hope Source Robert Lechler on Financial Times “Although I was well aware of the time ticking away throughout the procedure — everyone was — I could only continue to work carefully and systematically and, at all costs, efficiently,” surgeon Joseph Murray
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded a $9.28 million grant will support a clinical trial at City of Hope to evaluate chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that spread to the brain. About 20% of breast cancers are HER2-positive, and nearly half of women with this type of breast cancer develop brain
It could lead to a new generation of personalized artificial organs. Bioprinting holds great potential for repairing injuries, testing drugs or replacing whole organs, but it’s currently limited in complexity, viability and speed — you can’t just create tissue on a whim. Soon, though, it might be a matter of crafting whatever you need when you need
This new resource provides clear, simplified information on indication-, technology-, or company-specific upcoming data readouts and other clinical events. ARM has carefully curated all entries to ensure they fall within our narrowly defined criteria for regenerative medicines, and includes many milestones which are not reported in other clinical trial datasets, including anticipated product approvals. Currently, the database includes 188 anticipated events and includes a search-and-download function, and
Treatments for baseball pitcher Max Scherzer and other pros may mislead fans about costly, controversial, unapproved stem cell shots. Source KHN Baseball superstar Max Scherzer — whose back injury has prevented him from pitching for the Washington Nationals since he last played on July 25 — is the latest in a long list of professional athletes to embrace unproven stem cell
The agency said Friday that it had approved Celgene’s Inrebic (fedratinib), the first new drug approved for the disease – a type of rare blood cancer – since the approval of Incyte’s Jakafi. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first new drug for a type of rare blood cancer in nearly a decade.
Decision ensures consistency in access to the innovative new cancer therapy, and CMS is working closely with sister agencies to monitor outcomes for patients receiving the therapy Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Azar, finalized the decision to cover FDA-approved Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell, or “CAR
Under the guidance of the iMATCH team, a new Masters of Science (MSc) degree in Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) has opened to enrolment at the University of Manchester. This course is believed to be a world first focussing on this rapidly evolving area of medicine which is increasingly being used to treat a broad
Transporting irreplaceable products means having trust in the technology Cell and gene therapies could be flying high soon, joining the medical supplies, whole blood products, and even organs being transported by drones. In collaboration with RPS Aerospace, the Italy-based biotech company Anemocyte developed a remotely piloted drone system to securely transport final cell and gene
Shifting from treating symptoms to curing chronic diseases by making the transformative promise of Advanced Therapies a reality for the benefit of patients, that is the vision of the international project RESTORE Health by Advanced Therapies. For genetic diseases, immune diseases, cancer and tissue injury potential cures through Advanced Therapies exist – they are reality,
Source NIH There’s considerable excitement that 3D printing technology might one day allow scientists to produce fully functional replacement organs from one’s own cells. While there’s still a lot to learn, this video shows just some of the amazing progress that’s now being made. The video comes from a bioengineering team at Rice University, Houston, that has
ZYNTEGLO is the first gene therapy approved for transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) European marketing authorization for ZYNTEGLO follows the fastest assessment of an advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) as part of the European Medicines Agency’s Priority Medicines (PRIME) program ZYNTEGLO is bluebird bio’s first gene therapy to gain regulatory approval bluebird bio, Inc. announced today that the European Commission (EC)
Source: Nature Study of almost half a million people links mutation that protects against HIV infection to an earlier death. The scientist who edited the genomes of twin girls in an attempt to make them resistant to HIV might have inadvertently shortened their life expectancy. People with two disabled copies of the CCR5 gene — the version
Source The Guardian International Life Sciences Institute used by corporate backers to counter public health policies, says study An institute whose experts have occupied key positions on EU and UN regulatory panels is, in reality, an industry lobby group that masquerades as a scientific health charity, according to a peer-reviewed study. The Washington-based International Life Sciences
Source ARM Organovo Collaborates With MCRI and Leiden University Medical Center to Develop Stem Cell-Based Bioprinted Tissue Treatments for Kidney DiseaseMay 30, 2019 – (Organovo) – This multi-organizational effort integrates Organovo’s leading bioprinting platform with MCRI’s advanced stem cell differentiation technology and LUMC’s cell lines and clinical expertise. The collaboration has been made possible through generous
Cancer drugs are being approved by the FDA at an alarmingly fast rate after preliminary studies show encouraging results. However, after more careful follow-up trials were done, most of these drugs did not show any clear benefits. Cancer drugs are usually granted accelerated approval in the hopes of providing patients faster access to medicine that
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In light of additional data from ongoing trials of onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma®, Novartis/AveXis), as well as the treatment’s final FDA label and just-announced launch price, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) today published an addendum to its Final Evidence Report on treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Since the publication of ICER’s Final Evidence Report on
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) researchers have shown the feasibility of bioengineering vascularized functional renal tissues for kidney regeneration, developing a partial augmentation strategy that may be a more feasible and practical approach than creating whole organs. In the proof-of-concept study published online this month in Acta Biomaterialia journal, the scientists created a novel
Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a way to map retinal cell development and potentially advance regenerative medicine Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report they have created a method of mapping how the central nervous system develops by tracking the genes expressed in cells. The technique, demonstrated in mouse retinas for this study, follows the activity of
Source The Economist Western countries, as well as poor ones, are demanding transparency in the cost of drugs THESE DAYS it is hard to find a government that is not struggling with the high price of medicines. In England, the government is fighting Vertex, a drug company, over the cost of a drug for cystic
Source: TMF The next telecommunication revolution is just around the corner: the promises of high bandwidth, low latency and low-power-low-cost of 5G will open the gate to a flood of new inventions and the implementation of ideas, which have already been for long in the public consciousness – such as stable augmented reality or truly
For the first time, immunologists from The University of Texas at Austin have captured on video what happens when T-cells – the contract killers of the immune system, responsible for wiping out bacteria and viruses – undergo a type of assassin-training program before they get unleashed in the body. A new imaging technique that allowed
Individuals who use healthcare apps such as fitness trackers, weight loss, wellness, exercise, etc., BEWARE!A couple of recent developments have highlighted the fact that most apps are not subject to HIPAA, which means that with broadly-worded privacy policy these healthcare apps can and do readily share healthcare and other data collected by the apps with third
Machine learning algorithm predicts sudden death in heart failure patients for the first time Artificial intelligence (AI) has shown promise to select heart failure patients for expensive treatments to prevent lethal arrhythmias, reports a study presented today at ICNC 2019. (1) The study is the first to use a machine learning algorithm to predict sudden
Last year, the birth of the first genetically modified babies shook the world. The German Ethics Council now presents a comprehensive ethical investigation into possible interventions in the genome of human embryos or germ cells. The Council does not deem the human germline to be inviolable. It does, however, consider germline interventions to be ethically
A recent editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) addresses the growing problem of medical misinformation, such as anti-vaccine views, fake treatments, unproven alternative products and services, and others. The authors, Armstrong and Naylor, make some good recommendations, but unfortunately are about 20 years behind the times when it comes to confronting scientific misinformation.
An advance in the groundbreaking cancer treatment known as CAR T-cell therapy appears to eliminate its severe side effects, making the treatment safer and potentially available in outpatient settings, a new USC study shows. “This is a major improvement,” said Si-Yi Chen of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology
A state-of-the-art brain-machine interface created by UC San Francisco neuroscientists can generate natural-sounding synthetic speech by using brain activity to control a virtual vocal tract – an anatomically detailed computer simulation including the lips, jaw, tongue and larynx. The study was conducted in research participants with intact speech, but the technology could one day restore the
Germany and France are two flourishing AI hubs, but the UK has been named the European AI “powerhouse” in a new report from London-based investment firm MMC Ventures. Published earlier this month, the analysis sheds light on the hype around the technology, but identifies healthcare as an area of increasing focus for AI entrepreneurs as systems
Augmented Reality can change brain surgery thanks to powerful diagnostic platforms, revolutionize radiology, and open new doors to reconstructive surgery. Augmented Reality (AR), also known as spatial computing –a merging of digital and physical spaces,– is one of the current technology trends that, together with Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR), is changing all industries, includinghealthcare and medical education.
Researchers have developed a high-tech support system that can keep a large mammalian brain from rapidly decomposing in the hours after death, enabling study of certain molecular and cellular functions. With funding through the National Institutes of Health BRAIN Initiative, researchers developed a way to deliver an artificial blood supply to the isolated postmortem brain of
NIH scientists and funding contributed to development of experimental treatment A small clinical trial has shown that gene therapy can safely correct the immune systems of infants newly diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening inherited disorder in which infection-fighting immune cells do not develop or function normally. Eight infants with the disorder, called X-linked severe combined
Researchers have infused cells edited using CRISPR-Cas9 into two patients in a trial conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, NPR reports today (April 16). A university spokesperson confirmed in an emailed statement to The Scientist that the trial is underway and that two patients, one with multiple myeloma and one with sarcoma, have been treated so far. The study is
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the in the United States. And one of the most effective preventive measures to lower the risk of a CVD event are statins — a class of cholesterol-lowering medications. It’s well established that statins save lives, but a recent study finds that even after two years, half of all people prescribed statins don’t achieve healthy cholesterol levels.
Hundreds of smartphone apps promise to make managing diabetes easier, but very few offer real-time guidance on what to do for dangerously high or low blood sugar, a US study suggests. Researchers looked at 5,185 apps for phones running Google’s Android software or Apple’s iOS system. Out of this total, they found 371 apps that claimed
Researchers discovered thousands of genes essential for cancer’s survival and ranked which ones show the most promise as drug targets for developing new treatments In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers used CRISPR technology to disrupt every gene in over 300 cancer models from 30 cancer types and discover thousands of key
Diets that replaced red meat with healthy plant proteins led to decreases in risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Purdue University. The study is the first meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examining the health effects of red meat by substituting it for
It was once a central tenet of biology that RNA molecules did their work inside the cell. But it’s now clear that RNA molecules are also active outside the cell, with potentially major implications for our health. To learn more about these unrecognized roles, the NIH Common Fund has launched the Extracellular RNA (exRNA) Communication Program. This month,
A new analysis published on 3 April in the Lancet links 20 per cent of global deaths to poor diet, equating to around 11 million deaths per year (1). The biggest risk factors were a high intake of sodium (salt) or low intake of whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and other healthy foods. The Global Burden of Disease
The biomolecule ribonucleic acid (RNA) is pivotal to cell function. RNA plays various roles in determining how the information in our genes drives cell behavior. One of its roles is to carry information encoded by our genes from the cell nucleus to the rest of the cell where it can be acted on by other
OVERVIEW Shifting from treating symptoms to curing chronic diseases by making the transformative promise of Advanced Therapies a reality for the benefit of patients and society and by making Europe a spearhead of Advanced Therapies in Science,Clinics and Biomedical Industry, that is the vision of the international project RESTORE Health by Advanced Therapies, coordinated by
New research reveals a potential revolutionary way to treat eye injuries and prevent blindness – by softening the tissue hosting the stem cells which then helps repair wounds, inside the body. The team discovered that the simple application of a tissue-softening enzyme, collagenase, prevents the loss of corneal stem cells following an injury and could
Your diet plays an important role in your health. An unhealthy diet is one of the leading risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Eating a healthy diet can lower your risk for some of these conditions. A healthy eating plan includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy
In the past three decades, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has gone from an experimental procedure to being more common. Pregnancies enabled by IVF frequently have more difficulties, with children born earlier and smaller even among singleton births. University of Minnesota researchers conducted the largest study of childhood cancer after conception by IVF to date. This
The first gene therapy to treat a rare blood disorder is one step closer to approval Friday following a recommendation by European officials. Lentiglobin, the gene therapy for beta-thalassemia developed by Cambridge, Mass.-based Bluebird Bio, was recommended for approval by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the drug-reviewing arm of the European Medicines Agency.
The European Commission is announcing the winners of a pan-European competition open to researchers addressing grand scientific and technological challenges that could change our future. The six preparatory actions now launched will have one year to prepare science and technology agendas in areas of strategic importance for Europe. These may contribute to defining and launching
A new study led by scientists in the Center for Cancer Research (CCR) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) sheds light on one way tumors may continue to grow despite the presence of cancer-killing immune cells. The findings, published March 29, 2019, in Science, suggest a way to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies for cancer
With modern, guideline-directed therapy,1 which includes angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), β-receptor blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor blockers, and angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors, up to 40% of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) may experience a return of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and ventricular geometry to normal.2 This encouraging result
An important achievement in stem cell research was recognized in 2012, when the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two scientists who transformed the field: Shinya Yamanaka and John Gurdon. Together, they received the award for “the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent.” The impact of this breakthrough
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, diagnosing disease faster and potentially with greater accuracy than physicians, some have suggested that technology may soon replace tasks that physicians currently perform. But a new study from the Google AI research group shows that physicians and algorithms working together are more effective than either alone. It’s one of
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0375-9 Reports of old brains’ decrepitude have been greatly exaggerated, scientists reported on Monday, unveiling results that contradict a much-discussed 2018 study and instead support the idea that human gray matter is capable of generating new neurons up to the ninth decade of life. The research, published in Nature Medicine, also found that old brains from
Statistical significance has become an infallible doctrine of scientific research. However, many scientists and statisticians argue that long-held beliefs about statistical significance have, in fact, harmed the scientific community. In hypothesis testing, the p-value gives the probability or likelihood that the null hypothesis is true and is frequently used as a measure of “statistical significance.”
A mouse study finds that when blood platelets are activated during exercise, they release factors that increase the number of newborn neurons in the hippocampus. It’s well established that exercise is good for the mammalian brain. As early as 1999, researchers discovered considerably more newborn neurons in the hippocampi of mice that had access to
Overall death rates from breast cancer fall in the EU, but rise in Poland Death rates from breast cancer are predicted to fall in all European Union (EU) countries in 2019 with the exception of Poland, according to new research published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncology In their annual predictions for cancer deaths
Study uncovers genes that control process of whole-body regeneration A new study looks at how three-banded panther worms are able to regenerate their whole bodies and how this regeneration could be applied to humans. Video by Yi-Jyun Luo When it comes to regeneration, some animals are capable of amazing feats. If you cut off a
It was surprisingly simple. University of California, Berkeley, scientists inserted a gene for a green-light receptor into the eyes of blind mice and, a month later, they were navigating around obstacles as easily as mice with no vision problems. They were able to see motion, brightness changes over a thousandfold range and fine detail on
New results of a gigantic study testing how well the Apple Watch detects important heart-rhythm changes offer a tantalizing glimpse of how consumer devices might change medicine and lead to new ways to conduct science — but little more. Unfortunately, the data don’t tell us much about whether anyone should buy an Apple Watch, or
SUPPORT RESTORE AND DIFFUSE INFORMATION USING DOWNLOAD MATERIAL AT https://www.restore-h2020.eu/documents/download/restore_pr_slides_short_update_14_03_2019.pdf Large Scale Research Initiative RESTORE is a “place” where medicine, basic research, technology development and engineering meet, communicate and work together. Advanced Therapies (Advanced Therapies Medicinal Products and Biologised Medical Devices – ATMP/bio-MD) are a potential game changer in health care: They aim to transform
Eric Lander, Françoise Baylis, Feng Zhang, Emmanuelle Charpentier, Paul Berg and specialists from seven countries call for an international governance framework. We call for a global moratorium on all clinical uses of human germline editing — that is, changing heritable DNA (in sperm, eggs or embryos) to make genetically modified children. By ‘global moratorium’, we
Here’s why that’s undermining personalized medicine In a paper published last week, scientists led by Dr. Pui-Yan Kwok of the University of California, San Francisco, analyzed 154 genomes from 26 ethnic populations, from Han Chinese and Tuscans to Yoruba, Esan, Puerto Ricans, and Peruvians. They found 60 million bases in one or more of these populations
A feature-length documentary chronicling the story of CRISPR premiered at the SXSW festival yesterday. From executive producer Dan Rather and director Adam Bolt, the co-writer and editor of the Oscar-winning film Inside Job, comes the story of the biggest tech revolution of the 21st Century. And it isn’t digital, it’s biological. A breakthrough called CRISPR has
Discovery made while editing genetic defect behind Duchenne muscular dystrophy Scientists have developed a method to boost the efficiency of CRISPR gene editing in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a study that could have implications for optimizing gene therapies for other diseases. The finding stemmed from research at UT Southwestern in which a single-cut gene-editing
Cell sheets have previously shown greater efficacy for tissue repair than injections of single stem cells. New research conducted by scientists at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and Emmaus Life Sciences, Inc. (both CA, USA) has demonstrated the possibility of producing scaffold-free engineered cell sheets. These cell ‘patches’ could enable better organ repair follow
In a paper published in the journal Nature, an international research team led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden report that bone growth in mice takes place in accordance with the same principles as when new cells are constantly produced in blood, skin and other tissue. This contradicts the previous understanding that bone growth depends
Advanced Therapies are new treatment modalities (e.g. cell and gene therapy, tissue engineering) that aim to consign the never-ending treatment of chronic ailments to the past and instead offer sustained improvement and even cures. To enable Europe to become a competitive leader in this field, RESTORE is defining an Advanced Therapies roadmap 2021-2030 for Europe.
February 27 2019 P.M.Fornasari At the MWC Barcelona, one of the largest mobile events in the world, Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology today unveiled a unique mixed reality concept developed together with Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) for the operating room of the future. Based on the state-of-the-art technologies
February 27 2019 P.M. Fornasari Yale researchers have developed a new way to efficiently engineer immune cells, an advance which enhances the ability to fend off cancer and other diseases, they report in the Feb. 25 issue of the journal Nature Methods. A number of new life-saving therapies rely on reconfiguring human immune cells to act
Highlights •Microbiome-derived NO promotes widespread S-nitrosylation of the host proteome •Interspecies S-nitrosylation regulates miRNAs, gene expression and host development •Microbiota control host function by shaping the post-translational landscape Summary Bioactive molecules can pass between microbiota and host to influence host cellular functions. However, general principles of interspecies communication have not been discovered. We show here
Advanced Therapies (Advanced Therapies Medicinal Products and Biologised Medical Devices – ATMP/bio-MD) are a potential game changer in health care: They aim to transform the current focus on “treatment of disease” into one that concentrates on “regeneration of health”. The unifying goal of RESTORE is the implementation of newly developed Advanced Therapies in clinical routine
Allogeneic CAR-Ts could serve an important niche – particularly for patients who can’t receive autologous CAR-Ts – but the earliness of the data makes conclusions tough to draw. Since their transition from small, academic clinical trials to commercial production, CAR-T cell therapies have won recognition as a novel and highly effective therapeutic modality, particularly in
Research led by Johns Hopkins investigators has uncovered the roles of two types of cells found in the vessel walls of fat tissue and described how these cells may help speed bone repair. The study found that one of these perivascular stem cell types, pericytes, induces growth of new blood vessels, while another type, adventicytes,
The hype around AI applications in healthcare spans decades, but the latest wave of AI tech suggests real-world traction. Artificial intelligence is already promising big things at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where researchers have been building machine learning models over the past couple of years. Those models now help
Data is pouring in from more than 100 million wearable devices worldwide that can track your steps, sleep patterns, blood pressure, heart rate, energy levels and a whole range of other measures. There’s just one problem, says Dr. Karl Poterack, director of applied clinical informatics at Mayo Clinic: “We don’t know if this data can
REGENHEALTHSOLUTIONS is a strong supporter of RESTORE, one of the six large scale research initiatives selected by European Commission in areas from health and energy to artificial intelligence and cultural heritage—to compete to become one of its next billion-euro ‘flagship’ science initiatives. On 1 March, each team will receive €1 million (US$1.1 million) to develop a
The NIAID-sponsored trial will enroll up to 1,500 patients at approximately 100 sites in the United States and other countries. Participants will be assigned at random to one of two treatment arms of equal size. One group will receive both dexamethasone, a corticosteroid available as a generic drug, and remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral discovered and
