The skin cream was made of solenopsins, the main toxic component in venom In trials on mice, it was discovered to reduce skin thickening and inflammation Scientists are hopeful the ‘interesting’ findings could lead to a cure for humans Venom from fire ants could one day be used to treat psoriasis, new research suggests. A...
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Potential new therapy relieves chronic itch
MD/PhD student Landon K. Oetjen (left) and Brian S. Kim, MD (center), examine chronic itch patient Donald E. Hodges, whose symptoms improved following treatment with the arthritis drug tofacitinib. Kim and Oetjen tested the strategy The roots of chronic itching have long remained a mystery. Meanwhile, those with the condition suffer from an unrelenting...
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Another use for statins? Cholesterol-lowering drugs slash the risk of death from cirrhosis by nearly half
Statins reduce the risk of dying from the alcohol-related condition by 43% Doctors are reluctant to prescribe as statins cause abnormal liver enzymes Past research shows drugs reduce death from hepatitis B or C, and infections Statins may improve liver scarring and reduce scar tissue accumulations’ onset Experts say results are promising and they hope...
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New hope for asthma sufferers: Breakthrough drug ‘reduces the rate of serious attacks by up to 70%’
Trial found those on tezepelumab had 61% to 71% fewer exacerbations Drug is a biological therapy, which stimulates immune system to defend itself In 15% of patients, the condition is not controlled with inhaled medications Severe asthma sufferers are forced to take high dose steroids with side effects Researchers say ‘a new era’ has begun in...
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Egypt, once top Hep C sufferer, draws cure seekers
Electron micrographs of hepatitis C virus purified from cell culture. Scale bar is 50 nanometers. Like millions in Egypt, Ahmed Nada suffered silently from Hepatitis C. But the country is turning from the world’s most afflicted by the disease to a global destination for those seeking a cure. Nada, 31, only learned that he...
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New treatment options for type 2 diabetes
Bacterial cell wall mopping agents may be the answer to treat chronic inflammatory diseases like type 2 diabetes Bacteria may be responsible for more than we suspect. Especially when it comes to inflammatory diseases such as Type 2 diabetes. Prof. Resia Pretorius from Stellenbosch University (SU) in South Africa and Prof. Douglas B. Kell from...
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Folic acid may mitigate autism risk from pesticides
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Researchers at UC Davis and other institutions have shown that mothers who take recommended amounts of folic acid around conception might reduce their children’s pesticide-related autism risk. Rebecca Schmidt In the study, children whose mothers took 800 or more micrograms of folic acid (the amount in most prenatal vitamins) had a significantly lower...
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Third dose of MMR vaccine could help curb mumps outbreaks
(HealthDay)—A third dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine lowers the risk of mumps during an outbreak, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Cristina V. Cardemil, M.D., M.P.H., from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues evaluated the effectiveness of a third dose of...
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Study finds legal cannabis may reduce use of dangerous prescription drugs
The opioid epidemic is the leading preventable form of death in the United States. The United States is in the midst of a major drug epidemic. Stories continue to roll in daily about the lives claimed by prescription and non-prescription drug overdoses. The numbers are staggering. Opioids alone (including prescription pain killers and street...
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Statins may help people with COPD live longer
(HealthDay)—Drugs known as statins may have benefits beyond lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. A new study suggests people with chronic lung disease who take these drugs may extend their survival. The study from Canada included nearly 40,000 people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One in five patients was taking a statin, and those individuals had a...