Red yeast rice (RYR) is contained in dietary supplements that are often used by patients with high cholesterol, and it is often proposed as an alternative therapy in those who experience side effects from statins. A new study found that it is not a good choice for statin-intolerant patients: RYR was linked with muscle and...
Post
New genetic engineering technique could help design, study biological systems
Technique works in organisms from bacteria to animals Sergej Djuranovic (right) and graduate student Laura Arthur look at plates of bacteria producing precisely calibrated levels of a protein. The two are part of a team that has developed a new technique — effective in species as diverse as bacteria, plants and humans — to regulate...
Post
FDA Grants Priority Review For Genentech’s Actemra® (Tocilizumab) Supplemental Biologics License Application For Giant Cell Arteritis, a Form of Vasculitis
Genentech recently announced positive results from a Phase III clinical trial in giant cell arteritis (GCA) There have been no new therapies for GCA in more than 50 years Breakthrough Therapy Designation was granted to Actemra for the treatment of GCA by the FDA in 2016 South San Francisco, CA — January 23, 2017 —...
Post
New molecule knocks out superbugs’ immunity to antibiotics
In the fight against superbugs, a newly-developed molecule may allow us to use existing antibiotics again One of the most terrifyingly-plausible doomsday scenarios is the rise of superbugs, strains of bacteria that are evolving a resistance to our most powerful antibiotics. To try to prevent that situation occurring, scientists are building a creative array of weapons by...
Post
Financial ties between researchers and drug industry linked to positive trial results
Financial ties between researchers and companies that make the drugs they are studying are independently associated with positive trial results, suggesting bias in the evidence base, concludes a study published by The BMJ. Relationships with industry are common among investigators of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) — raising concerns about the effect that financial ties may have...
Post
New TSRI Method Could Turbocharge Drug Discovery, Protein Research
LA JOLLA, CA – January 19, 2017 – A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has developed a versatile new method that should enhance the discovery of new drugs and the study of proteins. The new method enables researchers to quickly find small molecules that bind to hundreds of thousands of...
Post
Alzheimer’s breakthrough: Scientists discover the protein that causes sufferers to lose their sense of direction
Tau protein builds-up in the brain and causes spacial disorientation, experts say This symptom is experienced by many sufferers at the start of their dementia It’s the reason why three in five people with the condition wander off and get lost Experts say the findings could lead to an early test and possible treatments ...
Post
Don’t like blood? Neither does this potentially life-saving titanium
Drops of blood, plasma and water bead up when placed on the superhemophobic titanium(Credit: Colorado State University) When a medical implant such as a stent or catheter is rejected by the body, blood platelets adhere to the device, forming a clot that encapsulates it. Those clots can in turn lead to heart attacks, embolisms or infections....
Post
Thync Relax: 10 days with the new “neuroscience” wearable
We take Thync’s second-gen product, Thync Relax, for a test-drive The original Thync was one of the most eyebrow-raising wearables of 2015. Sending electrical currents through your head to essentially zap your brain into either a calmer or more-energized mood, we saw it as a potential preview of a future where tech can replace drugs. While the...
Post
Bodywide immune response important for fighting cancer, researchers say
Edgar Engleman and his colleagues have found that a systemwide immune response is needed to effectively attack a tumor. Fighting off cancer requires the concerted efforts of immune molecules throughout the body, rather than just in the tumor itself, according to a new study of laboratory mice by researchers at the Stanford University School of...