A team of researchers at Glasgow University, UK have developed a portable rapid diagnostic device that could be used to detect a number of conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Inspired by the famous Star Trek medical tricorder, the research team behind the innovation set out to create a “multicorder” device. The handheld diagnostic device consists of...
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What’s the link between brain fog and rheumatoid arthritis?
Rheumatoid arthritis causes chronic inflammation that affects not only the joints but other organ systems, too. One of the lesser-known symptoms of the condition is brain fog. Many people with rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, report having trouble thinking clearly, problems with memory, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms, known as brain fog, are widespread in people...
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Wider Use Of Osteoporosis Drug Could Prevent Bone Fractures In More Elderly Women
A large study has produced strong evidence that a drug commonly used to treat the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis could safely prevent fractures in elderly women who have bones that aren’t as weak. Osteoporosis specialists are considering wider use of a drug to strengthen bones in elderly women. The study of 2,000 women age 65 and...
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In rare case, patient developed resistance to CAR-T after cancer cell began hiding in ‘plain sight’
To make CAR-T therapies, the pioneering cancer treatments, scientists introduce a gene into the body’s immune cells that turns them into cancer-homing attackers. But in one case described by scientists Monday, the gene was inadvertently delivered to a cancer cell instead, camouflaging it from the therapy and allowing cancer to develop resistance to treatment. Image:...
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No ‘reservoir’: detectable HIV-1 in treated human liver cells found to be inert
Novel study suggests HIV-1 still detectable in human liver macrophages unlikely to stay infectious after long-term antiretroviral therapy JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE In a proof-of-principle study, researchers at Johns Hopkins report that a certain liver immune cell called a macrophage contains only defective or inert HIV-1 copies, and aren’t likely to restart infection on their own...
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Study: Improvement in glycemic parameters by adding dapagliflozin to metformin in T2D
New Rochelle, NY, October 1, 2018–Researchers used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to assess the effects of adding dapagliflozin to a regimen of either metformin or insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and found significant reductions in mean glucose and other glycemic factors, with greater improvements seen in patients taking metformin compared to insulin....
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A sea change in CBD drug policy?
Katie Pearce And Saralyn Cruickshank, Johns Hopkins University The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced a shift Friday that clears the way for the first prescription drug derived from the marijuana plant to make its way to market where it will provide treatment for severe forms of childhood epilepsy. GW Pharmaceuticals, the company responsible for the...
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A diagnostic tool to save lives and prevent brain damage
A new study confirms the efficacy of a new diagnostic tool that utilizes ultrasound to measure intracranial pressure following accidents. The technology will now be provided with artificial intelligence so that ambulance personnel can carry out examinations at accident scenes. Image: By examining the patient’s eye with ultrasound, doctors can reveal high brain pressure. In...
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Irreversible damage to color vision linked to popular erectile dysfunction drug
In a first-of-its-kind study, Mount Sinai researchers have shown that color vision problems caused by retinal damage on a cellular level can result from a high dose of sildenafil citrate, the popular erectile-dysfunction medication sold under the brand name Viagra. The results demonstrate that excessive use of the drug could lead to long-term vision problems,...
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Ciprofloxacin has dramatic effects on the mitochondrial genome
Antibiotics have saved many lives by rescuing patients with bacterial or fungal infections, but these valuable drugs also have a dark side. As most medical drugs, also many antibiotics can have undesired effects on the body’s metabolism, causing more or less severe symptoms. IMAGE: CIPROFLOXACIN HAS DRAMATIC EFFECTS ON THE MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME — ANTIBIOTICS SHOULD BE...