Becker News and Research

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Early treatment with ACE inhibitors improves cardiac outcomes of patients with Becker muscular dystrophy

There is no consensus on when to introduce cardioprotective treatment in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), and practice varies widely.

20 Sep 2021

Fetal membranes can heal after injury, study shows

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London and UCL have shown that fetal membranes are able to heal after injury in a new study.

18 Aug 2021

Pandemic disrupted the utilization of women’s preventive health services

The COVID-19 pandemic knocked many women off schedule for important health appointments, a new study finds, and many didn't get back on schedule even after clinics reopened. The effect may have been greatest in areas where such care is already likely falling behind experts' recommendations.

16 Jul 2021

Researchers reveal a promising target for designing anti-cancer therapies

Chances are, every one of us has been affected by cancer in one way or another. Unlike some other deadly diseases, cancer can take many forms inside the human body, so learning more about a single enzyme linked to many types of this disease could lead to more effective treatments.

2 Jul 2021

Black male veterans more likely to receive radiation or surgery for prostate cancer than non-Black men

Black men most likely to benefit from advanced prostate cancer therapies are 11 percent less likely to get them than non-Black men. This happens despite apparent equal opportunities in obtaining health care services, a new study in American veterans shows

29 Jun 2021

An “analytical chronicle" of COVID-19 crisis in India

The initial spread of the coronavirus in India led to the introduction of a national lockdown in March 2020. After the first wave of the pandemic had subsided and a nationwide vaccination campaign had begun, a mutation of the virus in the spring of 2021 caused infection and mortality rates to rise steeply again.

25 Jun 2021

Heidelberg researchers replicate rare genetic defect in fish model

A rare genetic defect that affects the so-called ALG2 gene can cause serious metabolic diseases in humans. It does so through the defective formation of proteins and sugar molecules.

23 Jun 2021

In a murky sea of mental health apps, consumers left adrift

In the eyes of the tech industry, mental health treatment is an area ripe for disruption.

22 Jun 2021

Major anti-cancer protein released by neutrophils selectively kills tumor cells

A study published in the June 10, 2021 issue of Cell describes a remarkable new mechanism by which the body's own immune system can eliminate cancer cells without damaging host cells.

10 Jun 2021

Patients hospitalized with active cancer are more likely to die from COVID-19

New research indicates that patients hospitalized with active cancer were more likely to die from COVID-19 than those with a history of cancer or those without any cancer diagnosis.

7 Jun 2021

New study will help design better antibodies for potential treatments

Scientists are harnessing hard X-rays in the fight against cancer. A team of researchers, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, has used ultrabright X-ray light to determine how specific types of antibodies can tell the difference between different forms of a cancer-linked molecule.

3 Jun 2021

DFG establishes new collaborative research centers to promote world-class research at universities

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing eleven new Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) to promote world-class research at universities. This was announced by the relevant Grants Committee, which met by video conference due to the coronavirus pandemic.

29 May 2021

Campylobacter infection can also be spread through sexual contact

Campylobacter infection, one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the Western world, can also be spread through sexual contact, according to a new research discovery by an OU Hudson College of Public Health faculty member, working in conjunction with colleagues in Denmark.

21 May 2021

Connecticut's MAT programs have higher-than-average patient retention rates

Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is an important tool in the ongoing fight against opioid use dependence in the United States.

19 May 2021

Study reveals genes that cause loss of lung function in active smokers

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a disease caused by cigarette smoking that reduces lung function and causes difficulty breathing. It is the third leading cause of death worldwide. Current treatments for COPD only affect symptoms, not progression. Identifying who is going to get COPD before they get it is key to figuring out how to intercept the disease at an early stage.

12 May 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Sharing vaccines with the world

The Biden administration — keeping a campaign promise — announced it would back a temporary waiver of patent protections for the covid-19 vaccines, arousing the ire of the drug industry.

6 May 2021

Study reveals mechanisms that cause muscle weakness in patients with Becker disease

Muscle weakness in patients with Becker disease is caused by unusual electrical activity in muscle fibres termed 'plateau potentials' that make them temporarily inactive, says a study published today in eLife.

27 Apr 2021

NIAID establishes a clinical research network to improve understanding of childhood asthma

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded $10 million in first-year funding to establish a clinical research network called Childhood Asthma in Urban Settings (CAUSE).

23 Apr 2021

Virtual care spreads in Missouri health system, home to ‘hospital without beds’

When Tom Becker was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in March 2020, the 60-year-old EMS helicopter pilot from Washington, Missouri, worried he would never fly again.

23 Apr 2021

Study sheds new light on the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metastasize

With an overall survival rate of 9% for those diagnosed, pancreatic cancer remains exceedingly difficult to treat. However, the patient's primary tumor typically isn't what leads to death - it is the cancer's ability to evade detection and metastasize to other organs.

19 Apr 2021