An experimental medication for depression related to the hallucinogenic street drug ketamine won a crucial endorsement from an independent advisory committee convened by the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday. In a 14-to-2 vote, the panel said the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson drug, known as esketamine, outweigh the risks. The vote brings...
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Noninvasive liquid biopsies rapidly, accurately determine response to cancer treatment
Results of two clinical studies have added to evidence that blood-based liquid biopsies can accurately track lung cancer treatment responses by measuring circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during immunotherapy and related treatments. Johns Hopkins Medicine “There is an unmet clinical need for real-time, noninvasive detection of tumor response to targeted and immune checkpoint blockade treatments,” says...
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Microbiome could be culprit when good drugs do harm
People sometimes suffer toxic side effects from drugs that help many others. Yale scientists have identified a surprising explanation—the gut microbiome. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The research, published Feb. 8 in the journal Science, describes how bacteria in the gut can transform three drugs into harmful compounds. “If we can understand the microbiome’s contributions to...
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Pinpointing the cells that control the brain’s memory flow
From the cab driver heading for Times Square to the commuter returning home on the freeway, we all carry maps in our head labeled with important locations. And a new Columbia study in mice shows that, by directing the delicate ebb-and-flow of brain activity, a small cluster of cells helps the brain’s internal GPS remember...
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Too many children with autism are let down by schools and end up in prison
For many young people, school can be a difficult place. And for some, it can be just about impossible. Negative experiences in school can have harmful long-term effects on pupils with autism spectrum conditions. Credit: shutterstock Official figures show that children, are increasingly being suspended or expelled from school because of “behavioural problems” – many...
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New study demonstrates effectiveness and safety of vaginal estrogen
Women who were followed for 18 years in the Nurses’ Health Study showed no increased risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer as a result of using vaginal estrogen THE NORTH AMERICAN MENOPAUSE SOCIETY (NAMS) CLEVELAND, Ohio (December 19, 2018)–Despite its proven effectiveness in treating the genital symptoms of menopause, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy remains underused...
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Repurposing FDA-approved drugs can help fight back breast cancer
Screening Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds for their ability to stop cancer growth in the lab led to the finding that the drug flunarizine can slow down the growth of triple-negative breast cancer in an animal model of the disease. Led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the National Taiwan University College...
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DICE: Immune cell atlas goes live
LA JOLLA, CA–Compare any two people’s DNA and you will find millions of points where their genetic codes differ. Now, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are sharing a trove of data that will be critical for deciphering how this natural genetic variation shapes the immune system’s ability to protect our health. IMAGE:...