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Scientists discover peptides that can be used as new antibiotic candidates

The human body produces many antimicrobial peptides that help the immune system fend off infection. Scientists hoping to harness these peptides as potential antibiotics have now discovered that other peptides in the human body can also have potent antimicrobial effects, expanding the pool of new antibiotic candidates.

21 Aug 2018

Temple University Hospital becomes the first in U.S. to perform BLVR using Zephyr valve

Temple University Hospital has become the first U.S. center to perform bronchoscopic lung volume reduction using implantation of the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve to treat severe emphysema following U.S. FDA approval.

21 Aug 2018

Blood management program associated with fewer transfusions in orthopedic patients

A patient blood management program designed to limit the amount of transfused blood orthopedic patients undergoing common surgeries such as hip and knee replacement receive was associated with fewer transfusions, reduced blood use and improved outcomes, reports a study published in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

20 Aug 2018

New project to combat DMD-related fibrosis receives major funding boost

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the most common congenital diseases in the world, affecting one in 3,500 Canadian males. DMD is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene that results in progressive muscle degeneration and there are currently no effective treatments for DMD.

17 Aug 2018

Statins may improve conditions of people with rare lung disease

In the first study of its kind, researchers have found that cholesterol-lowering statins may improve the conditions of people with a rare lung disease called autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. The research also suggested that two new tests could help diagnose the condition.

17 Aug 2018

Seeking solutions to treat scleroderma

It begins with cold hands. Not just put-on-some-gloves cold. Instead, the fingers overreact to cold by turning white or blue and may become numb or tingly.

17 Aug 2018

Study finds role of autoimmunity in development of COPD

Autoimmunity plays a role in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study led by Georgia State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center that analyzed human genome information stored in Vanderbilt's DNA biobank.

16 Aug 2018

Researchers develop new method to diagnose broad range of cancers using malaria protein

In a spectacular new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered a method of diagnosing a broad range of cancers at their early stages by utilizing a particular malaria protein, which sticks to cancer cells in blood samples. The researchers hope that this method can be used in cancer screenings in the near future.

16 Aug 2018

FDA expands approval of Vertex' cystic fibrosis medicine to treat children aged 12 to <24 months

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved KALYDECO® (ivacaftor) to include use in children with cystic fibrosis ages 12 to <24 months who have at least one mutation in their cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene that is responsive to KALYDECO based on clinical and/or in vitro assay data.

16 Aug 2018

Penn researchers develop first mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The biggest hurdle to finding effective therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) – a life-threatening condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing is increasingly difficult – has been the inability to fully model the disease in animals, limiting the ability to observe and understand the disease.

16 Aug 2018

Study provides insight into link between sleep apnea and lipid metabolism

Obstructive sleep apnea is a clinical disorder characterized by repeated partial or complete blockage of the airway during sleep.

15 Aug 2018

Prams may expose babies and toddlers to more air pollution finds study

According to a new study, babies put in prams and taken outdoors are exposed to 60 per cent more air pollution compared to adults. The researchers explain that the air in the first one metre above the ground is more polluted than that above.

14 Aug 2018

Study helps to better understand disease caused by Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

The disease consists of a production deficit of Alpha-1 antitrypsin, which is produced in the liver. The main role of this protein is to protect the lungs from degradation or inflammation caused by infections that attach lung tissue, as well as from external agents such a tobacco or pollution.

14 Aug 2018

NIH grant for Mount Sinai to study use of inhaled corticosteroids for treatment of sickle cell disease

The Departments of Emergency Medicine and Hematology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have been awarded a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health toward further study of inhaled corticosteroids to treat sickle cell disease in individuals who do not have asthma.

14 Aug 2018

E-cigarettes not so safe but still better than cigarettes

According to latest research vaping using e-cigarettes can hasten the death of lung cells by up to fifty times and cause serious lung diseases later in life. This latest study was published in the journal Thorax.

14 Aug 2018

Quality-improvement project to standardize feeding practices helps micro preemies gain weight

A quality-improvement project to standardize feeding practices for micro preemies--preterm infants born months before their due date-- helped to boost their weight and nearly quadrupled the frequency of lactation consultations ordered in the neonatal intensive care unit, a multidisciplinary team from Children's National Health System finds.

13 Aug 2018

Scientists uncover mechanisms responsible for development of fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable lung disease of unknown origin with limited treatment options. Research suggests that the signaling molecule WNT5A plays a key role in the pathogenic process.

10 Aug 2018

Study: Over 40% of women with asthma may develop COPD

More than 4 in 10 women with asthma may go on to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a study conducted in Ontario, Canada, and published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

10 Aug 2018

Breathing ‘a chore’: California wildfires threaten the health of young and old

Debbie Dobrosky noticed a peculiar hue in the sky on Monday — "a very ugly yellow casting" — as she peeked outside. A large cloud of smoke had begun to cover the sun.

8 Aug 2018

Taking cholesterol-busting pills can effectively treat brutal PAP

Researchers report in Nature Communications they figured out why air sacs in the lungs clog up with a thick substance called surfactant in a brutal disease called Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis, and they show taking cholesterol-busting pills called statins can effectively treat the disease.

7 Aug 2018