In a study published online by JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, researchers evaluated the effect of a cognitive training program on tinnitus. Individuals with tinnitus have poorer working memory, slower processing speeds and reaction times and deficiencies in selective attention. Neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections) has been the foundation...
Category: <span>Pharmaceutical Updates</span>
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A brain wide chemical signal that enhances memory
New research could lead to ways of enhancing cognitive function to counteract the effects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, as well as enhancing memory in healthy people. How does heightened attention improve our mental capacity? This is the question tackled by new research published today in the journal Cell Reports, which reveals a chemical...
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Cell disposal faults could contribute to Parkinson’s, study finds
A fault with the natural waste disposal system that helps to keep our brain cell ‘batteries’ healthy may contribute to neurodegenerative disease, a new study has found. The research, led by academics at The University of Nottingham and published in the journal Cell Death and Disease, centres on problems with mitochondria — the powerhouses which produce...
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Researchers discover BRCA1 gene is key for blood forming stem cells
Lead co-author Dr. Victoria E. Mgbemena at work in her lab studying the BRCA1 gene in the Hematology-Oncology Division of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern. Researchers at from the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that the BRCA1 gene is required for the survival of blood forming stem cells, which could explain why patients with BRCA1 mutations...
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First of its kind cancer stem cell research unlocks clues to treatment resistance
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have made exciting new findings that could offer a means of fighting resistance to treatment for people with esophageal cancer. Resistance to radiotherapy is a major stumbling block in the treatment of this cancer. For the first time, the research team led by Dr Stephen Maher, Ussher Assistant Professor in...
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Structure of atypical cancer protein paves way for drug development
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has helped uncover the elusive structure of a cancer cell receptor protein that can be leveraged to fight disease progression. Previous studies have showed blocking the receptor can slow tumor growth and metastasis in certain cases. However, the development of drugs (inhibitors) has...
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Dietary supplement may carry both benefits and risks associated with statins
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...
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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...
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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 —...
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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...