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New drug shows promise in treating sarcomas

A new compound that targets a receptor within sarcoma cancer cells shrank tumors and hampered their ability to spread in mice and pigs, a study from researchers at the University of Illinois reports.

14 Dec 2018

Johns Hopkins researchers identify molecular causes of necrotizing enterocolitis in preemies

Using a mouse model of necrotizing enterocolitis -- a potentially fatal condition that causes a premature infant's gut to suddenly die -- researchers at Johns Hopkins say they have uncovered the molecular causes of the condition and its associated brain injury.

14 Dec 2018

Recent developments and challenges in hMAT inhibitors

Zhu et al. have reviewed the recent developments in the knowledge about the binding, inhibitory mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of hSERT, hNET and hDAT, which are primary human monoamine transporters hMATs.

14 Dec 2018

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What the Health?’ Insurance enrollment is lagging — and there are lots of reasons why

With less than a week to go before the deadline in most states, enrollment in health insurance for 2019 under the Affordable Care Act is lagging compared with the pace of previous years. That was expected, given last year's tax law eliminated the tax penalty for not having coverage starting Jan. 1. But analysts say there are other reasons for the downturn as well.

14 Dec 2018

Study: Chronic opioid therapy associated with increased healthcare spending and hospital stays

Using data from commercial insurance claims of working-aged adults, new research published in the December issue of The American Journal of Accountable Care found that chronic opioid therapy for noncancer pain is associated with increased healthcare spending as well as hospital stays.

14 Dec 2018

Study shows septin proteins detect and kill gut pathogen, Shigella

Using state-of-the art technologies to image human cells and study infection at the level of a single bacterial cell, the research team, led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, has uncovered the strongest evidence yet that septins take Shigella prisoner.

13 Dec 2018

Fentanyl surpasses heroin in cause of U.S. drug overdose deaths

According to a new report from health officials, Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid drug, is surpassing heroin as cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. The report was released 12th of December 2018 in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Report.

13 Dec 2018

Acne could have a genetic basis find researchers promising new cure

In one of the pioneering genetic studies of acne, it has been seen that the condition that affects millions of teenagers and adults could have a genetic basis. This genetic study can also pave the way for new and accurate treatment for acne promise researchers. The study results are published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.

13 Dec 2018

Study finds drug targets for Ebola, Dengue, and Zika viruses

No drugs are currently available to treat Ebola, Dengue, or Zika viruses, which infect millions of people every year and result in severe illness, birth defects, and even death. New research from the Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco may finally change that. Scientists identified key ways the three viruses hijack the body's cells, and they found at least one potential drug that can disrupt this process in human cells.

13 Dec 2018

GW researchers review studies on treatments for prurigo nodularis

Prurigo nodularis is a disabling chronic skin condition characterized by severely itchy, crusty, firm papules and nodules that often occur on the arms and legs, but can appear diffusely on the body. The pathogenesis of prurigo nodularis is poorly understood, as this condition has been associated with a broad array of primary skin and underlying medical diseases affecting the liver, kidneys, and blood.

13 Dec 2018

Genetic study reveals new insights into underlying causes of moderate-to-severe asthma

The largest-ever genetic study of people with moderate-to-severe asthma has revealed new insights into the underlying causes of the disease which could help improve its diagnosis and treatment.

13 Dec 2018

Probiotics may offer therapeutic benefits for biopolar patients

A new study has shown that probiotics may serve as a potential therapeutic approach to bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions.

13 Dec 2018

For the asking, a check is in the mail to help pay for costly drugs

Kip Burgess was relieved last year when pharmaceutical giant Amgen overnighted him a $2,976 check to help pay for his go-to arthritis drug, Enbrel.

13 Dec 2018

New ingestible capsule can be controlled using Bluetooth wireless technology

Researchers at MIT, Draper, and Brigham and Women's Hospital have designed an ingestible capsule that can be controlled using Bluetooth wireless technology. The capsule, which can be customized to deliver drugs, sense environmental conditions, or both, can reside in the stomach for at least a month, transmitting information and responding to instructions from a user's smartphone.

13 Dec 2018

Salk professor receives $1.8 million from NOMIS Foundation for research on mechanisms to promote health

Associate Professor Janelle Ayres has been awarded $1.8 million over two years by the NOMIS Foundation to study health as an active process in which microbes--including the trillions of microorganisms that call the human body home--initiate interactions that promote the health of the host.

13 Dec 2018

Scientists develop new stem cell line to study conversion of stem cells into muscle

To help patients with muscle disorders, scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have engineered a new stem cell line to study the conversion of stem cells into muscle. Findings appeared in Cell Reports.

13 Dec 2018

RUDN medics first to gather scattered data on hepatitis morbidity in Somalia

Viral hepatitis means liver inflammation caused by viruses and is among top-10 mortality factors in the world. It is passed with contaminated food and water, through contact with infected blood, via common use of household appliances such as manicure or shaving sets.

13 Dec 2018

New method to visualize small-molecule interactions inside cells

Like people in a large company, proteins in cells constantly interact with each other to perform various jobs. To develop new disease therapies, researchers are trying to control these interactions with small-molecule drugs that cause specific proteins to associate more or less with their "coworkers."

13 Dec 2018

Recent findings on rare genetic disorder may help develop new treatment options

Fresh discoveries about a rare genetic disorder that affects mainly boys may inform the development of therapies to treat the condition.

13 Dec 2018

New mouse model shows potential for rapid identification of promising muscular dystrophy therapies

A Massachusetts General Hospital research team has created a new mouse model of a common form of muscular dystrophy with the potential of rapidly distinguishing promising therapeutic drugs from those unlikely to be successful.

13 Dec 2018