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Study demonstrates safety of novel immuno-oncology therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors

A novel therapy designed to help stimulate the body's immune system response against cancer appears to be safe to use as alone or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

1 Dec 2020

Mild electrical stimulation with heat shock exerts protective effect against nephrotic syndrome

A research team from Kumamoto University in Japan has found that the combination of weak pulsed electrical current and heat exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects in the kidneys, as well as a protective effect against nephrotic syndrome (NS) by inhibiting apoptosis (cell death) of kidney cells.

30 Nov 2020

The role of micro-RNA in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19

A team of researchers based in Iran have explored the role of micro-RNA in COVID-19. Their study titled, “The emerging role of microRNAs in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection,” was published in the latest issue of the journal International Immunopharmacology.

24 Nov 2020

Researchers find new link between incretin hormones and arteriosclerosis

Diabetes is currently treated using incretin hormones to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other medical issues that the illness can trigger.

19 Nov 2020

MD Anderson presents positive clinical data from combination cancer therapies at SITC 2020

Promising clinical results with combination treatments for patients with melanoma and lung cancer highlight immunotherapy advances being presented by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs.

11 Nov 2020

Novel super-activating macrophage receptor could explain hyper-inflammation in severe COVID-19

Immunity is a curious thing. While essential in protecting the body against invading pathogens and foreign antigens, it can also turn against the body and trigger destructive immunological processes. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in November 2020 reports on the role played by hyperactive macrophages in a range of acute and chronic hyper-inflammatory conditions.

10 Nov 2020

Genetic mutation may accelerate heart function decline in DMD patients

A mutation in the gene that causes cystic fibrosis may accelerate heart function decline in those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a new study by UT Southwestern researchers suggests.

4 Nov 2020

Drug combo for Type 2 diabetes continues to stay effective after two years of treatment

Patients with Type 2 diabetes often take metformin as first-line therapy to help stabilize their blood glucose.

2 Nov 2020

CBD could reduce lung damage caused by COVID-19

One way CBD appears to reduce the "cytokine storm" that damages the lungs and kills many patients with COVID-19 is by enabling an increase in levels of a natural peptide called apelin, which is known to reduce inflammation and whose levels are dramatically reduced in the face of this storm.

19 Oct 2020

WHO survey: COVID-19 halted mental health services in 93% of countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing, according to a new WHO survey.

5 Oct 2020

Researchers unravel new mechanism of cell survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Researchers at The Wistar Institute unraveled a mechanism employed by chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells for their survival.

30 Sep 2020

A TLR2 agonist reduces SARS-CoV-2 in upper respiratory tract of ferret model

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, Professor Miles W. Carroll et al. study an agonist for reducing the SARS-CoV-2's viral load. They show that prophylactic intra-nasal administration of TLR2/6 (toll-like receptor) agonist, INNA-051, reduces viral RNA in the nose and throat, in a ferret model.

30 Sep 2020

Newer Type 2 diabetes medications could reduce kidney, heart disease risks

Two newer groups of medications prescribed primarily for Type 2 diabetes treatment (SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists) could significantly reduce risks associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart disease.

28 Sep 2020

Inhaled corticosteroids may not increase COVID-19 mortality

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the first line of treatment to counter the inflammatory pathology in several conditions, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Now, a new study published in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine in September 2020 reports on the actual role of ICS in reducing COVID-19 mortality.

28 Sep 2020

An overview of withdrawal syndromes following discontinuation of psychotropic drugs

The current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics reports an article that analyzes the data that are available on what may happen when psychotropic drugs are discontinued.

24 Sep 2020

Study: R-spondin growth factor reduces intestinal tumors in early phase of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer constitute the third most common cancer in the Western world. Their incidence constantly increases as the population ages, and despite recent advances in colorectal cancer therapy, the cancer metastasizes in every third of colorectal cancer patients, and a significant part of these patients eventually die from the disease

24 Sep 2020

Conditions linked to obesity leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19

Conditions related to obesity, including inflammation and leaky gut, leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19 and may explain why they are more likely to die from the disease, UTSW scientists say in a new article published online in eLife.

16 Sep 2020

India's whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine shows promise

Researchers in India have conducted a preclinical study demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a new candidate vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

13 Sep 2020

Researchers discover a new way to limit inflammation from adjuvants in vaccines

Adjuvants are a key ingredient of many modern vaccines, working to unleash an immune response that helps protect the body from disease. Many scientists believe that adjuvants are they key to developing new kinds of vaccines for hard-to-vaccinate viruses, like HIV.

9 Sep 2020

Common diabetes drug controls aspects of inflammation in mice

The diabetes drug metformin--derived from a lilac plant that's been used medicinally for more than a thousand years--has been prescribed to hundreds of millions of people worldwide as the frontline treatment for type 2 diabetes.