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Remdesivir shows promise in post-infection treatment for COVID-19 disease

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has no approved treatment or vaccine as the world grapple with its wrath. The viral infection has so far infected 1.8 million and killed more than 114,000 people. Now, a team of scientists has shown that an experimental antiviral drug, remdesivir, has shown promise in treating patients with severe COVID-19.

13 Apr 2020

Researchers reveal novel player in obesity-related breast cancer

It is widely accepted that higher levels of body fat increase the risk of developing breast cancer, as well as other cancers.

13 Apr 2020

Cats, ferrets more vulnerable to COVID-19 than dogs

A recent Chinese study published on the preprint server BioRxiv finds that cats and ferrets appear to be extremely vulnerable to the virus, but dogs, pigs, and poultry do not seem to contract it. As preprints, papers are not yet peer-reviewed, undergoing only basic scientific screening.

12 Apr 2020

What are the side effects of social and physical distancing?

Researchers Sandro Galea from the Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Raina M. Merchant, from the Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, and Nicole Lurie, from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Oslo, Norway, published an opinion paper in the JAMA Internal Medicine titled, “The Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 and Physical Distancing The Need for Prevention and Early Intervention”.

12 Apr 2020

UMSOM launches new initiative to expand COVID-19 testing

University of Maryland School of Medicine Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, announced today the launch of a large-scale COVID-19 Testing Initiative that will significantly expand testing capability over the coming weeks, enabled by new funding of $2.5 million from the State of Maryland.

12 Apr 2020

Risks and benefits of separating infants from COVID-19-positive mothers

In a new commentary, Alison Stuebe, MD, President of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, addresses the risks and benefits of separating infants from COVID-19-positive mothers following birth.

12 Apr 2020

PARP inhibitor drugs can be structurally modified to better kill tumor cells

A prospective "PARP inhibitor" drug that has struggled to show effectiveness in clinical trials against cancers can be structurally modified to greatly increase its power to kill tumor cells, researchers from Penn Medicine report this week in Science.

12 Apr 2020

FDA approves COVID-19 solutions created by Ohio State Medical Center scientists

The Food and Drug Administration has approved solutions created by scientists at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center that both expand and accelerate COVID-19 testing across Ohio.

12 Apr 2020

Researchers identify new risk gene for Parkinson's disease

Screening DNA of Parkinson's patients in the Christine Van Broeckhoven laboratory (VIB-UAntwerpen Center for Molecular Neurology) identified a new risk gene for Parkinson's disease. Mutations in ATP10B resulted in loss of ATP10B protein.

12 Apr 2020

Recipients of 2020 Sleep Research Society awards announced

The Sleep Research Society has selected three outstanding sleep and circadian scientists as recipients of the 2020 Sleep Research Society awards, which recognize excellence in sleep and circadian research.

12 Apr 2020

UTSW researchers uncover shape of key protein involved in muscle contraction

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the detailed shape of a key protein involved in muscle contraction. The report, published today in Neuron, may lead to improved understanding of muscle-weakening genetic conditions called congenital myasthenic syndromes.

12 Apr 2020

Where cancers spread can give specific insights on disease traits

Kidney cancers that metastasize to the pancreas have a fundamentally different biology from those that metastasize elsewhere, with characteristics that can influence successful treatment, a study led by investigators with the UT Southwestern Kidney Cancer Program suggests.

12 Apr 2020

New clinical trial launches to test efficacy of cell therapy for severe COVID-19 cases

After a lightening round of proposals and reviews, an international team of scientists led by Dr. Camillo Ricordi was granted immediate FDA authorization for a 24-patient clinical trial to test the safety and exploratory efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to block the life-threatening lung inflammation that accompanies severe cases of COVID-19.

11 Apr 2020

Many of Washington State’s illicit drug users want to reduce use

A new survey of people who inject illicit drugs in the state of Washington yields positive and important findings for policy makers as the world struggles to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, said authors of the survey by the University of Washington and Public Health-Seattle & King County.

11 Apr 2020

Free program to reduce and replace animal tests in scientific research

From June 22 to 25, students and early-career scientists will gather virtually for a free program of lectures, laboratory tours, interactive sessions, e-poster presentations, and virtual engagement with speakers and attendees on innovative methods to reduce and replace animal tests in toxicology and biomedical science.

11 Apr 2020

‘It’s like walking into Chernobyl,’ one doctor says of her emergency room

At one New York City hospital, a doctor’s used mask tore as she performed CPR on her infected patient.

11 Apr 2020

Study: Bangladesh’s surface waters have high levels of antibiotic residues, chemicals

High levels of antibiotic residues, other medicines and chemicals present in Bangladesh's ponds, canals, lakes, rivers and other surface waters are contributing to a spike in antibiotic resistance in the country, says a new study.

11 Apr 2020

A remote military surgical team can offer insights for U.S. medical centers to tackle COVID-19

As the number of people infected with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) rises in the U.S. and around the world, hospitals are faced with difficult decisions for how to best provide care for a growing number of patients.

10 Apr 2020

Study demonstrates the benefits of genomic risk assessment in preventing common diseases

A new Finnish study demonstrated the benefits of large-scale genomic information in estimating the risk of onset for cardiac diseases, diabetes and common cancers.

10 Apr 2020

A Colorado ski community planned to test everyone for COVID-19. Here’s what happened.

In late March, residents of the Colorado town of Telluride and surrounding San Miguel County stood in line, along marked spots spaced 6 feet apart, to have their blood drawn by medical technicians wearing Tyvek suits, face shields and gloves for a new COVID-19 test.

10 Apr 2020