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Combination of antiviral medications can eradicate HCV infection in patients with advanced liver disease

A large multi-center clinical trial has found that a combination of antiviral medications can eradicate hepatitis C infection in more than 90 percent of patients with advanced liver disease. Known as the ASTRAL-4 trial, the study was co-led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Intermountain Medical Center and published online Nov. 17 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

1 Dec 2015

Could statins treat muscular dystrophy? An interview with Dr. Nick Whitehead and Dr Stan Froehner

In addition to their well established cholesterol lowering benefits, statins also have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and antioxidant effects, which continue to be identified in a wide range of diseases.

30 Nov 2015

Researchers find ranibizumab drug as effective alternative to laser therapy for treating diabetic retinopathy

In a randomized clinical trial of more than 300 participants, researchers from Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have found that ranibizumab — a drug most commonly used to treat retinal swelling in people with diabetes — is an effective alternative to laser therapy for treating the most severe, potentially blinding form of diabetic retinal disease. Results of the government-sponsored study also show that the drug therapy carries fewer side effects than the currently used laser treatment.

17 Nov 2015

Tyrogenex announces results from phase 1 study of orally-administered X-82 in patients with AMD

Tyrogenex, a privately held company focused on the development of targeted therapeutics for cancer and ophthalmology, today announced data from its phase 1 open-label study of orally-administered X-82 in patients for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

15 Nov 2015

Armaron Bio starts Phase 2 trial for novel lead candidate drug for heart failure

Armaron Bio, a Melbourne-based drug development company focused on heart failure and other diseases, is pleased to announce that it has begun its Phase II clinical trial for NP202, its novel lead candidate drug for heart failure.

9 Nov 2015

Study explores prevalence of myocardial scars in middle-aged and older population

In a multiethnic, middle-aged and older study population, the prevalence of myocardial scars (evidence of a heart attack) was nearly 8 percent, of which nearly 80 percent were unrecognized by electrocardiography or clinical evaluation, according to a study in the November 10 issue of JAMA.

9 Nov 2015

RXi Pharmaceuticals begins Phase 1/2 clinical trial in ophthalmology

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing innovative therapies primarily in the areas of dermatology and ophthalmology today announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in ophthalmology. The clinical study RXI-109-1501 will evaluate the safety and clinical activity of RXI-109 to prevent the progression of retinal scarring, a harmful component of numerous retinal diseases.

5 Nov 2015

New combination treatment provides better wound healing compared to SSGs alone

The use of meshed split skin autographs (SSGs) is a standard treatment for large, deep burns. However, serious scarring is often a result. In an effort to improve wound healing and reduce scarring, a team of researchers in The Netherlands tested a treatment technique on patients with serious, deep burns that employed SSGs along with autologous cultured proliferating epidermal cells (ECs) compared to SSGs alone.

3 Nov 2015

RXI-109 use after scar revision surgery has beneficial effect on suppression of hypertrophic scarring

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company that owns a broad intellectual property portfolio including a unique self-delivering RNAi platform, today announced that results from a blinded panel and an Investigator review show that incision sites treated with RXI-109 after scar revision surgery achieved better scores as compared to control incision sites in the same subjects, three months post scar revision surgery.

19 Oct 2015

Study could help mitigate effects of ageing on blood stem cells, promote new therapies for anaemia

A research conducted by Juan Méndez, Head of the DNA Replication Group of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of ageing of the stem cells responsible for regenerating blood cells and opens up a new avenue for reducing their progressive functional decline with age.

16 Oct 2015

Thyroid hormone treatment improves cardiac health in female rats with high blood pressure

Thyroid hormones administered to female rats with high blood pressure led to encouraging cardiac improvements, according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology led by NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine researcher Martin Gerdes.

14 Oct 2015

Avita Medical gains two CE marks to complete skin healing portfolio

Avita Medical Ltd. (ASX: AVH), (OTCQX: AVMXY), a medical device company specializing in the treatment of wounds and skin defects, today announced it has received CE Mark authorization to market in Europe that will allow it to define and target its autologous cell suspension technology for particular clinical market segments.

9 Oct 2015

SMC5/6 protein complex plays vital role in cancer suppression and premature ageing

A study conducted by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre´s Genomic Instability Group, led by Óscar Fernández-Capetillo, describes for the first time in mammals, the role played by the SMC5/6 protein complex in cancer suppression and premature ageing. Mutations in these complexes, which were sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents, had been previously described in yeast cells, but their exact relationship with cancer or other diseases in mammals was unknown.

8 Oct 2015

Sticky, protein-rich gel improves cardiac function after simulated heart attacks

A sticky, protein-rich gel created by Johns Hopkins researchers appears to help stem cells stay on or in rat hearts and restore their metabolism after transplantation, improving cardiac function after simulated heart attacks, according to results of a new study.

25 Sep 2015

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome can cause debilitating lung disease in Puerto Ricans

A hereditary condition called Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) can cause bleeding problems, low vision, albinism and, in some patients, a debilitating lung disease.

21 Sep 2015

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles are not ideal candidates for fetal spina bifida surgery

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles--the fluid-filled cavities inside the brain--may be less likely than other fetuses to benefit from surgery in the womb to treat spina bifida, according to a study co-authored by researchers at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.

16 Sep 2015

Desmoplasmic melanoma may possess unprecedented burden of gene mutations, say UCSF scientists

A rare, deadly form of skin cancer known as desmoplasmic melanoma (DM) may possess the highest burden of gene mutations of any cancer, suggesting that immunotherapy may be a promising approach for treatment, according to an international team led by UC San Francisco scientists. One of these mutations, never before observed in any cancer, may shield nascent DM tumors from destruction by the immune system and allow further mutations to develop.

7 Sep 2015