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Obesity and high-salt diet pose bigger, seemingly synergistic cardiovascular risks for females

Obesity and a high-salt diet are both bad for our hearts but they are bigger, seemingly synergistic risks for females, scientists report.

29 Apr 2021

Peptide nucleocapsid vaccine candidate elicits protective T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo

A new study describes a synthetic peptide used as a platform to generate protective adaptive cellular immunity to the virus in rhesus macaques, which are the gold standard for preclinical testing in humans.

28 Apr 2021

Study uncovers role for STING in regulating tumor response to DNA-damaging treatments

In a study by Yale Cancer Center, researchers report on the discovery of a new role for STimulator of INterferon Genes or STING.

19 Apr 2021

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 14 inhibitors

In a paper recently uploaded to the preprint server bioRxiv* by Diffley et al. (April 8th, 2021), inhibitors of one essential SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein are explored, with four compounds, in particular, identified as potential antiviral leads that exhibit synergistic effects with antiviral drug remdesivir.

12 Apr 2021

CD40 drug before surgery can benefit patients with early-stage pancreatic cancer

Giving early-stage pancreatic cancer patients a CD40 immune-stimulating drug helped jumpstart a T cell attack to the notoriously stubborn tumor microenvironment before surgery and other treatments, according to a new study from researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) at the University of Pennsylvania.

12 Apr 2021

CARA bill to increase nurse practitioner’s buprenorphine prescribing falls short

Since 2016, a federal regulation has allowed nurse practitioners and physician assistants to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder as a medication assisted treatment.

9 Apr 2021

Study shows how melanoma cells evade detection and destruction by immune cells

A dysfunctional immune system significantly contributes to the development of cancer. Several therapeutic strategies to activate the immune system to target cancer cells have been approved to treat different types of cancer, including melanoma.

9 Apr 2021

Phase 2 clinical trial launched in Thailand to evaluate IL-15 agonist as therapy to reduce HIV reservoir

The U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research last week launched a Phase 2 clinical trial in Thailand to evaluate an interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist, ImmunityBio's Anktiva (also called N-803), administered during acute HIV infection as an experimental therapy to target establishment of the HIV reservoir at a very early stage.

8 Apr 2021

A collaborative effort to evaluate treatment of liver and pancreatic tumors

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and TriSalus Life Sciences today announced a strategic research collaboration to evaluate the treatment of tumors of the pancreas and liver by integrating interventional delivery of SD-101.

8 Apr 2021

Hopkins Medicine endocrinologist publishes first clinical practice review on diabetes management

New medicines for people who have diabetes seem to pop up all the time. Drugs that help the body break down carbohydrates, drugs that increase excretion of glucose in the urine, drugs that help muscles respond to insulin and drugs that stimulate the pancreas to produce it - the list of pharmaceutical options to treat diabetes gets longer and longer.

7 Apr 2021

SARS-CoV-2 infection is circadian

An international team of researchers has found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) levels in lung cells vary over the day, affecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The virus entry and replication in the lung cells also have a rhythmic cycle, suggesting circadian processes can affect the virus's life cycle.

22 Mar 2021

The Role of D-Amino Acids in Humans

In this interview, Dr. Daniel Armstrong from the University of Texas at Arlington talks to News-Medical Life Sciences about his upcoming Pittcon presentation.

From Pittcon 4 Mar 2021

Experimental therapy delays viral rebound in SHIV-infected macaques

A recent preclinical study by U.S. Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) researchers showed that an experimental therapy combining a TLR7 agonist and two broadly neutralizing antibodies delayed viral rebound in SHIV-infected macaques after antiretroviral therapy (ART) interruption.

2 Mar 2021

Study demonstrates the novel agonistic effect of curcumin on lipid transcription

Curcumin is a polyphenol compound produced by plants of the Curcuma longa species and has been reported to have many physiological activities, which include anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-amyloid properties.

27 Feb 2021

Extensive use of opioid agonists can considerably reduce drug-related deaths

New evidence that opioid agonists such as methadone and buprenorphine could substantially reduce drug-related deaths if more widely used in the community and prison, and for longer, has been published in Lancet Psychiatry.

25 Feb 2021

Study shows reliability and robustness of injectable anti-obesity medication

A second study of the injectable anti-obesity medication, semaglutide, has confirmed the large weight losses reported in a study earlier this month, establishing the reliability and robustness of this new drug.

24 Feb 2021

Cannabinoid receptor agonist shows potential protective effect on SARS-CoV-2-infected human heart cells

As scientists continue to search for effective antidotes to direct and indirect damage caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server demonstrates the potential of cannabinoid receptor agonists to alleviate myocardial damage in this condition even in the absence of any inhibitory effect on viral infection as such.

23 Feb 2021

An overview of spike protein antigen COVID-19 vaccine candidates

A new paper in the journal Reviews in Medical Virology provides a perspective on current vaccine development strategies and tools, which may allow the production of safe and effective vaccines.

22 Feb 2021

Could an intranasal adjuvant to vaccines boost immunity against SARS-CoV-2 variants?

A research team from the University of Michigan Medical School, USA, developed a supplementary intranasal treatment to improve COVID-19 vaccine response and its effects on long-lasting immunity from other variants, such as the B.1.351 variant first found in South Africa.