By DAMIAN GARDE @damiangarde Thirty patients have died after taking a Vertex (VRTX) Pharmaceuticals treatment for cystic fibrosis, according to a government database, news that sent the company’s share price down as much as 4% on Wednesday morning. The deaths, reported to the Food and Drug Administration’s database of side effects, relate to patients who...
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AAN issues guideline on vaccines and multiple sclerosis
by American Academy of Neurology Can a person with multiple sclerosis (MS) get regular vaccines? According to a new guideline, the answer is yes. The guideline, developed by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), recommends that people with MS receive recommended vaccinations, including yearly flu shots. The guideline is published in the August 28, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the AAN,...
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The Problem With MRIs for Low Back Pain
Studies suggest that routine imaging for low back pain is a waste of time and money that sometimes harms patients. Why does it persist? It’s a symptom of a well-diagnosed problem: the overuse of medical services. Unnecessary imaging isn’t confined to just low back pain. Americans spend more than $100 billion on various types of diagnostic imaging each year, much of which...
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Adults with cerebral palsy about twice as likely to develop non-communicable diseases
Thursday, 29 August 2019 – Adults with cerebral palsy are about twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease compared to adults without cerebral palsy, according to a new study led by RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) and Brunel University London. The study compared 1,700 adults with cerebral palsy and...
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Sea snail compound reduces cancer risk
Potential for new drug to prevent colorectal cancer tumors FLINDERS UNIVERSITY The remarkable ability of a small Australian sea snail to produce a colourful purple compound to protect its eggs is proving even more remarkable for its potential in a new anti-cancer pharmaceutical. Researchers at Flinders University, Southern Cross University and Monash University in Australia have isolated one compound in the gland secretions from the...
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Augmented reality glasses may help people with low vision better navigate their environment
Glasses enhance mobility and function in patients who have difficulty with peripheral vision or seeing in low light UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – HEALTH SCIENCES LOS ANGELES – Nearly one in 30 Americans over the age of 40 experience low vision — significant visual impairment that can’t be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery. In a new study of patients with retinitis pigmentosa, an...
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Skin patch could painlessly deliver vaccines, cancer medications in one minute
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY SAN DIEGO, Aug. 25, 2019 — Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that has been increasing in the U.S. for the past 30 years. Nearly 100,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed every year, and 20 Americans die every day from it, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Now, researchers have developed...
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The technology behind Bitcoin may improve the medications of the future
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN THE FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES BLOCKCHAIN. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a prototype of an app that may potentially prescribe the optimal dose of medicine for the individual patient, as well as prevent counterfeit products. Big data. Machine Learning. Internet of Things. Blockchain. Futuristic concepts from the world of technology will...
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Bioprinting complex living tissue in just a few seconds
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE Tissue engineers create artificial organs and tissues that can be used to develop and test new drugs, repair damaged tissue and even replace entire organs in the human body. However, current fabrication methods limit their ability to produce free-form shapes and achieve high cell viability. Researchers at the Laboratory of Applied Photonics Devices...
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Brain’s astrocytes play starring role in long-term memory
by Salk Institute Star-shaped cells called astrocytes help the brain establish long-lasting memories, Salk researchers have discovered. The new work adds to a growing body of evidence that astrocytes, long considered to be merely supportive cells in the brain, may have more of a leading role. The study, published in the journal Glia on July 26, 2019, could inform therapies for disorders in which long-term memory is...