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First cell-based gene therapy approved by the FDA for treating multiple myeloma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Abecma (idecabtagene vicleucel), a cell-based gene therapy to treat adult patients with multiple myeloma who have not responded to, or whose disease has returned after, at least four prior lines (different types) of therapy.

29 Mar 2021

Combined clinical and genomic data better predicts COVID-19 severity

The current COVID-19 outbreak is one of the worst pandemics in history and has claimed millions of lives across the globe, overwhelmed healthcare systems, and created unprecedented socio-economic ramifications.

28 Mar 2021

How one state’s public health defunding led to vaccination chaos

Missourians have driven hours to find vaccines in rural counties — at least those with cars and the time. Tens of thousands of doses are waiting to be distributed, slowly being rolled out in a federal long-term care program.

26 Mar 2021

Food preservative may harm the immune system, shows new study

A food preservative used to prolong the shelf life of Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-Its and almost 1,250 other popular processed foods may harm the immune system, according to a new peer-reviewed study by Environmental Working Group.

25 Mar 2021

New therapeutic vaccine uses patient's own tumor cells to aid in cancer destruction

Immunotherapy, which recruits the body's own immune system to attack cancer, has given many cancer patients a new avenue to treat the disease.

24 Mar 2021

Repurposed heart and flu drugs that protect platelets improve survival of septic mice

Despite continued improvements in antibiotics and hospital intensive care, staph sepsis - a bloodstream infection caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria - still causes severe illness or death in 20 to 30 percent of patients who contract it.

24 Mar 2021

Survey of surge capacity managers captures pandemic preparedness status of the U.S. health care system

A University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine-led survey of dozens of surge capacity managers at hospitals nationwide captures the U.S. health care system's pandemic preparedness status in the months before the first COVID-19 cases were identified in China.

24 Mar 2021

Delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccines can reduce positive cases

Delaying second doses of COVID-19 vaccines should reduce case numbers in the near term; however, the longer term case burden and the potential for evolution of viral ‘escape’ from immunity will depend on the robustness of immune responses generated by natural infections and one or two vaccine doses, according to a study from McGill University and Princeton University published today in Science.

24 Mar 2021

People who received flu shot last season had fewer complication of COVID-19

People who received a flu shot last flu season were significantly less likely to test positive for a COVID-19 infection when the pandemic hit, according to a new study.

23 Mar 2021

Survey findings reveals persistence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Daily national surveys by Carnegie Mellon University show that while COVID-19 vaccine uptake has increased, the proportion of vaccine-hesitant adults has remained unchanged. The concerns about a side effect remain high, especially among females, Black adults and those with an eligible health condition.

23 Mar 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

What are the chief predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children?

A new study seeks to explore the factors associated with the diagnosis in children. The ability to rapidly diagnose COVID-19 in this age group is essential not only for monitoring progressive disease in individual children, but to avert further transmission chains.

22 Mar 2021

The hype has faded, but don’t count out convalescent plasma in Covid battle

Six months after it was controversially hailed by Trump administration officials as a "breakthrough" therapy to fight the worst effects of Covid-19, convalescent plasma appears to be on the ropes.

22 Mar 2021

Preventing future pandemics by ending the wildlife trade

In this News-Medical interview, we spoke to Professor Diana Bell about the illegal wildlife trade and how we could prevent future pandemics by stopping it.

22 Mar 2021

Study: 8 out of 10 Spanish health professionals are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Approximately 8 out of every 10 health professionals in Spain are willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a study led by researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

20 Mar 2021

Study: COVID-19 causes more severe disease and is more lethal than influenza

In a paper published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, physician-researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center assessed the relative impact of COVID-19 on patients hospitalized with the viral infection in March and April 2020, versus patients hospitalized with influenza during the last five flu seasons at the medical center.

19 Mar 2021

Blue Shield spent years cultivating a relationship with Newsom. It got the state vaccine contract.

Gavin Newsom was just making a name for himself as mayor of San Francisco in 2005 when Blue Shield of California wrote him its first major check.

19 Mar 2021

The case for donating US Covid vaccines overseas

A Senate committee grilled federal officials about the shortage of vaccines to protect Americans against a pandemic virus. Two months later, the U.S. public had lost interest in the virus, and millions of vaccines were sitting in warehouses — although poor countries still needed them.

19 Mar 2021

Rare pulmonary disease discovered in rural Alberta

A rare pulmonary disease that is linked to bats has made Alberta home, according to new research led by provincial lab scientists.

19 Mar 2021

Social distancing can be highly effective at preventing outbreaks, says public health expert

Eric Shattuck, assistant professor of research in the UTSA Institute for Health Disparities Research (IHDR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio, is studying the phenomenon of social distancing in response to infectious disease and its effects on pathogen transmission and the health of individuals and communities.

18 Mar 2021