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Study shows fatty liver disease is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 hospitalization

A recent observational study by US researchers reveals that individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis have increased odds of hospitalization due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19); conversely, metabolic surgery was found to be protective against the admission of infected individuals. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

3 Sep 2020

14 existing drugs identified as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors

Now, a new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in August 2020 reports on the identification of 14 compounds that can inhibit the key viral enzyme called the Main Protease (MPro) at micromolar concentrations.

1 Sep 2020

Triple therapy increases response rates in patients with Severe Aplastic Anemia

The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), Europe's collaborative peer network of professionals working in the field of stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy, announced today the results of the phase III RACE trial during EBMTs virtual 46th Annual Meeting. Preliminary data show that adding Eltrombopag to standard immunosuppressive treatment is safe and increases response rates in patients with Severe Aplastic Anaemia.

31 Aug 2020

New breast cancer drug is safe and effective, can halt disease progression

A new type of breast cancer drug developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago can help halt progression of disease and is not toxic, according to phase 1 clinical trials. The drug is specifically designed for women whose cancer has stopped responding to hormone therapy.

28 Aug 2020

Inhaled steroids reduce SARS-CoV-2-related genes in COPD

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* aims to explore the effects of treatment with ICS on the expression of specific genes related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in bronchial epithelial cells in a prospective interventional design.

25 Aug 2020

Research shows nonprescribed fentanyl and stimulants were the major cause for overdose mortality

Nonprescribed fentanyl and stimulants were the primary contributors to overdose mortality, while few people had prescribed opioids in their systems, according to new toxicology research in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

24 Aug 2020

Electronic alert on general practitioners can reduce excessive prescribing of short-acting asthma reliever

An automatic, electronic alert on general practitioners' (GPs) computer screens can help to prevent excessive prescribing of short-acting asthma reliever medication, according to research presented at the 'virtual' European Respiratory Society International Congress.

24 Aug 2020

Researchers identify new treatment for osteoarthritis

The study results revolve around the long-established idea that machines within animal and human cells turn the sugars, fats, and proteins we eat into energy used by the body's millions of cells.

10 Aug 2020

FDA approves opioid agonist for management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Olinvyk (oliceridine), an opioid agonist for the management of moderate to severe acute pain in adults, where the pain is severe enough to require an intravenous opioid and for whom alternative treatments are inadequate.

9 Aug 2020

Sanford Burnham Prebys receives NIH grant to identify new therapies for mental disorders

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has been awarded a $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify new therapies for mental health disorders.

6 Aug 2020

Asthma drugs improve performance in healthy non-asthmatic subjects

Popular asthma control drugs β2-agonists such as Albuterol, Formoterol, Terbutaline, etc. that are used as inhalers by millions of asthmatics around the world could have power and stamina enhancing properties in sportspersons, finds a new study.

3 Aug 2020

Platelet hyperreactivity, a unique feature of COVID-19

A new study by Irish researchers and published in the preprint server medRxiv in July 2020 reports a bidirectional relationship between COVID-19 and coagulation abnormalities.

29 Jul 2020

Vesigen Therapeutics to develop and commercialize novel drug-delivery technologies

Harvard University's Office of Technology Development (OTD) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health today announced the launch of Vesigen Therapeutics, a startup company that aims to overcome the challenge of delivering next-generation therapeutics, such as gene-editing complexes, RNA molecules, and other large proteins, to intracellular targets in specific tissues of interest.

23 Jul 2020

Involvement of nicotine receptors in COVID-19

Researchers from the University of Bristol, Oxford Brookes University and the University of California San Diego neatly demonstrated how the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibits high affinity for nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), with significant implications for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pathology and infectivity. Their findings are published on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

20 Jul 2020

Experimental therapy slows zika replication and prevents microcephaly in mice

An international group of researchers have discovered that inhibiting AHR (aryl hydrocarbon receptor), a protein with roles in regulating immunity, stem cell maintenance and cellular differentiation, enables the immune system to combat replication of zika virus in the organism far more effectively.

20 Jul 2020

Many private post-acute care facilities explicitly discriminate patients with substance use disorder

A new study shows that 29 percent of private post-acute care facilities in Massachusetts explicitly discriminated against hospitalized individuals with opioid use disorder, rejecting their referral for admission.

16 Jul 2020

Fat cell hormone enhances therapeutic potential of MSC therapy

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into a range of different cell types, including bone, fat, and muscle cells.

12 Jul 2020

Repurposed drug for acute lung injury in COVID-19

Now, a new study addresses the possible use of an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody, called fostamatinib, a spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitor (SYK), to reduce the levels of mucin-1, a molecule associated with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). People who have severe COVID-19 disease may develop ARDS.

2 Jul 2020

New radiopharmaceutical shows excellent imaging performance in tumor detection

For neuroendocrine cancer patients with liver metastases, a new radiopharmaceutical, 68Ga-DOTA-JR11, has shown excellent imaging performance in tumor detection, staging, and restaging, providing important information to guide treatment.

26 Jun 2020

Researchers discover receptor that makes mice strong and slim

Increasing abdominal girth and shrinking muscles are two common side effects of aging. Researchers at the University of Bonn have discovered a receptor in mice that regulates both effects.

25 Jun 2020