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First-in-class, anti-cancer mitochondrial drug found to be effective against most carcinoma cell lines

A study of the lead agent (CPI-613) in a class of anticancer drugs undergoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical trials reveals that CPI-613 is effective against most carcinoma cell lines, and, used in combination, could have efficacy against reducing some tumors.

9 Jun 2022

Gene therapy for degenerative retinal disease has no safety concerns but fails to improve vision loss

A 28-patient phase 1 gene therapy clinical trial for the degenerative retinal disease Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) found no significant safety concerns; however, treatment failed to improve or slow vision loss, with even the highest dose. LHON affects the optic nerve, which carries visual signals from the light-sensing retina to the brain.

1 Jun 2022

Using 'off-the-shelf' engineered stem cell based therapy for treating glioblastomas post-surgery

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are highly aggressive cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord. Brain cancers like GBM are challenging to treat because many cancer therapeutics cannot pass through the blood-brain barrier, and more than 90 percent of GBM tumors return after being surgically removed, despite surgery and subsequent chemo- and radiation therapy being the most successful way to treat the disease.

19 May 2022

Heightened antibody responses in COVID-19 booster vaccinated individuals following SARS-CoV-2 Omicron

Investigators illustrated that a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection post-booster vaccination imparts robust, long-lasting immunity against future re-infections.

10 May 2022

New COVID-19 vaccine proven to be safe and effective in late-stage clinical testing

A COVID-19 vaccine developed at the University of Washington School of Medicine has proven safe and effective in late-stage clinical testing.

25 Apr 2022

Report provides recommendations to help prevent or mitigate economic challenges during future public health emergencies

The Association for Molecular Pathology, the premier global, molecular diagnostic professional society, today released a report entitled "Economics of Clinical Testing during a Public Health Emergency: Lessons Learned from Two Years of COVID-19."

19 Apr 2022

Study predicts that different statins exhibit divergent effects on host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection

A new study explores the possibility that different statins may exhibit different effects within the host and may differ in their outcomes while treating COVID-19 patients.

18 Apr 2022

Research shows effectiveness of a 3rd mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose

A recent study assessed the efficacy of the second and third doses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants in outpatient settings.

13 Apr 2022

Newcastle disease virus-based trivalent vaccine found to be effective across SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice

In a new study, researchers tested the bi-, tri-, and tetravalent formulations of Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-based low-cost vaccine in mice.

29 Mar 2022

How capable are children to self-swab for SARS-CoV-2?

Researchers gather data that supports the evidence-based recommendations for children to successfully perform nasal swabs on themselves.

15 Mar 2022

New Phase 1 clinical trial of mRNA HIV vaccine enrolls first participant

The first 12 study participants have been enrolled in a new Phase 1 clinical trial using the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine technology developed by Moderna.

14 Mar 2022

Tumor cells’ 'ferroaddiction' can be exploited to deliver powerful anticancer drugs

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have discovered that cells carrying the most common mutation found in human cancer accumulate large amounts of ferrous iron and that this "ferroaddiction" can be exploited to specifically deliver powerful anticancer drugs without harming normal, healthy cells.

11 Mar 2022

Genomic surveillance of bacterial colonies could help physicians keep closer tabs on drug resistance

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are difficult to treat and cause more than a million annual deaths worldwide, especially in hospitalized patients with pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, or abdominal infections.

11 Mar 2022

Study shows anti-itch and pain relief potential of protein in tick saliva

A protein found in tick saliva could be turned into a drug that eases itching and chronic pain in people.

8 Mar 2022

Development of RT-qPCR assays for differentiating SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv*preprint server, a team of researchers from Israel developed and validated novel reverse transcriptase - quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. The new assays enable the rapid and high throughput identification and differentiation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants.

8 Mar 2022

World Trade Center responders have increased levels of mutations that escalate blood cancer risk

Scientists from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) collaborated with researchers from New York to determine that 9/11 first responders to the World Trade Center have increased levels of mutations that escalate their risk for blood cancers or cardiovascular disease, according to a study published March 7 in Nature Medicine.

7 Mar 2022

SARS-CoV-2 monitoring could be improved with use of bacterial metatranscriptomes in wastewater

In a recent research report from the United States, currently available on bioRxiv* preprint server, scientists have shown that bacterial taxonomic and functional profiles can discriminate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) status even without directly detecting viral transcripts – opening the door for entirely novel approaches in wastewater-based epidemiology.

27 Feb 2022