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Stem cell transplants offer long-term benefits for pediatric cancer patients receiving immunotherapy

Children and young adults who receive CAR T-cell therapy for the most common childhood cancer - acute lymphoblastic leukemia - suffer remarkably fewer relapses and are far more likely to survive when the treatment is paired with a subsequent stem cell transplant, a new study finds.

1 Apr 2021

Specific gene may play a causal role in heart disease independent of cholesterol levels

High cholesterol is the most commonly understood cause of atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries that raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

1 Apr 2021

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in pregnancy

A new preprint research paper posted to the medRxiv* server shows that while pregnant women are seriously worried about their risk of contracting the infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but are also hesitant to take the vaccine.

1 Apr 2021

Giving chemotherapy in the morning can extend survival of glioblastoma patients

An aggressive type of brain cancer, glioblastoma has no cure. Patients survive an average of 15 months after diagnosis, with fewer than 10% of patients surviving longer than five years.

31 Mar 2021

CDC and NIH launch community COVID-19 testing initiative

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health, has launched an innovative community health initiative called "Say Yes! COVID Test" starting in Pitt County, North Carolina, and coming soon to Chattanooga/Hamilton County Tennessee.

31 Mar 2021

SwRI researchers part of two collaborative teams receive SAMF bioscience grants

Collaborative teams that include Southwest Research Institute staff received two of six recently awarded San Antonio Medical Foundation (SAMF) bioscience grants. SwRI, in collaboration with UT Health San Antonio and University Health System, received a nearly $200,000 grant to develop machine learning algorithms for cancer detection.

31 Mar 2021

New Phase 1 clinical trial of investigational vaccine against B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variant begins

An investigational vaccine designed to protect against the B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 variant has been administered as part of a new Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the vaccine candidate's safety and immunogenicity in adult volunteers.

31 Mar 2021

Scientists discover how Streptococcus pyogenes can obtain nutrition from the skin surface

Streptococcus pyogenes is one of the most important bacterial causes of human skin infections. If S. pyogenes invades deep into the tissue, it can cause life-threatening illnesses, such as sepsis and toxic shock.

31 Mar 2021

Early treatment with anti-VEGF injections slows diabetic retinopathy

Early treatment with anti-VEGF injections slowed diabetic retinopathy in a clinical study from the DRCR Retina Network (DRCR.net). However, two years into the four-year study its effect on vision was similar to standard treatment, which usually begins at the onset of late disease.

31 Mar 2021

Widely available drug reduces morbidity, mortality in COVID-19-infected mice

Mount Sinai researchers have found that a widely available and inexpensive drug targeting inflammatory genes has reduced morbidity and mortality in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

31 Mar 2021

COVID-19 patients with dementia have higher risk for complications, mortality

Early in the pandemic, neurologists expressed concern that COVID-19 patients with dementia may be at higher risk for complications and mortality.

31 Mar 2021

COVID-19 associated seizures may increase death risk in patients

COVID-19 can have damaging effects on multiple organs in the body, including the brain. A new study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) indicates that some hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experience non-convulsive seizures, which may put them at a higher risk of dying. The findings are published in the Annals of Neurology.

31 Mar 2021

Soft X-ray microscopy shows how viral pathogens penetrate human cells

How do viral pathogens succeed in penetrating human cells? Which cellular mechanisms do they use to multiply efficiently and, in doing so, how do they change the structure of their host cell? These questions are the focus of a pan-European research project called "Compact Cell-Imaging Device" (CoCID), in which Heidelberg scientists are playing a major role.

31 Mar 2021

NIAID researchers identify key player in the immune response to SARS-CoV-2

When variants of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) emerged in late 2020, concern arose that they might elude protective immune responses generated by prior infection or vaccination, potentially making re-infection more likely or vaccination less effective.

31 Mar 2021

Study finds remarkable differences in the way individuals respond to malaria

Scientists have discovered that tracking malaria as it develops in humans is a powerful way to detect how the malaria parasite causes a range of infection outcomes in its host.

31 Mar 2021

New Columbia University center provides specialized care for Lyme and tick-borne diseases

A new center that will provide specialized care for patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases will begin seeing patients this summer at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

31 Mar 2021

Comparing the transmission routes of two SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

The research team had previously identified the UK variant as having higher viral RNA shedding than the D614G variant. However here, they wanted to compare the transmission of such variants through different routes of potential infection: direct contact, aerosol (airborne droplets), and fomite (objects which may be contaminated and therefore spread infectious agents).

30 Mar 2021

Study shows how innate valence is encoded

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a loss of smell has emerged as one of the telltale signs of COVID-19. Though most people regain their sense of smell within a matter of weeks, others can find that familiar odors become distorted.

30 Mar 2021

FDA-approved cancer drug blunts SARS-CoV-2 protein's detrimental effects

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified the most toxic proteins made by SARS-COV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 – and then used an FDA-approved cancer drug to blunt the viral protein's detrimental effects. In their experiments in fruit flies and human cell lines, the team discovered the cell process that the virus hijacks, illuminating new potential candidate drugs that could be tested for treating severe COVID-19 disease patients.

29 Mar 2021

Study: Common medications are often derived from animal byproducts

More physicians and pharmacists are advocating for patients to be made aware of animal byproducts contained in common medications, according to new research in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.

29 Mar 2021