Steroid News and Research

RSS

Antenatal steroids improve preterm newborn survival in low-resource settings, finds study

The results of a new clinical trial, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, show that dexamethasone- a glucocorticoid used to treat many conditions, including rheumatic problems and severe COVID-19- can boost survival of premature babies when given to pregnant women at risk of preterm birth in low-resource settings.

23 Oct 2020

Study unravels consequences of mating at the molecular level

While it is known that stem cells have the ability to develop into all tissues in a precisely regulated process, the way environmental cues affect stem cell behavior has remained poorly understood.

21 Oct 2020

Androgen deprivation strategies could help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have noted that women are generally less severely affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This has led to the exploration into estrogen and androgens' role in the hyperinflammatory clinical phenotypes of COVID-19. A recent study published on the preprint server bioRxiv shows that drugs targeting androgens and TMPRSS2 inhibitors may potentially combat the pandemic.

20 Oct 2020

Immunoglobulin M ACE2 autoantibodies associated with severe COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses with little prospect of immediate relief, a recent study by Johns Hopkins University researchers published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 discusses the association of Immunoglobulin M (IgM) autoantibodies against the host receptor that binds severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with severe disease via vascular endothelial damage. This could help develop better therapies and prognostic criteria.

19 Oct 2020

Serum metabolite profile can help identify individuals at risk of alcohol-related disease

A new study from the University of Eastern Finland is the first in the world to show that the serum metabolite profile can be used to identify individuals likely at risk of developing an alcohol-related disease in the future.

19 Oct 2020

Comparative analysis reveals common vulnerabilities across coronaviruses

Three lethal human respiratory syndromes associated with coronavirus (CoV) infections have emerged in the past two decades. They are severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2019.

18 Oct 2020

COVID-19 can cause sudden permanent hearing loss in rare cases

Many complications have been reported, including heart disease and prolonged respiratory issues in a group of people called “long-haulers.” Now, a new worrying finding shows that COVID-19 can cause sudden and irreversible hearing loss in patients.

15 Oct 2020

Engineered tissue grafts for temporomandibular joint regeneration

Scientists have engineered tissue grafts that, in pigs, regenerated both bone and cartilage in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), a part of the jaw that can cause debilitating pain and disability when damaged.

15 Oct 2020

Scientists engineer tissue grafts for personalized joint replacement

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which forms the back portion of the lower jaw and connects your jaw to your skull, is an anatomically complex and highly loaded structure consisting of cartilage and bone.

14 Oct 2020

Blood profile could help identify COVID-19 patients at greatest risk of deterioration

Southampton researchers have identified a blood profile that could help identify COVID-19 patients at greatest risk of deterioration and direct them towards trials of specific treatments that could modify their immune systems' responses.

14 Oct 2020

Vitamin D deficiency may predict COVID-19 seroconversion

A recent study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in October 2020 reports the potential contribution of vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk of COVID-19 in a subset of health care workers in the UK.

8 Oct 2020

Severe lymphatic disorder reversed through genetic sequencing and targeted treatment

Through genetic sequencing and targeted treatment, researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have resolved a severe lymphatic disorder in a young woman with kaposiform lymphangiomatosis (KLA), a complex and rare disorder that causes lymphatic vessels around the heart and lung to leak fluid, causing breathing difficulties, infections, and often death.

5 Oct 2020

Cincinnati Children's research leads to approval of new drug for hypereosinophilic syndrome

Following two decades of research on a group of rare diseases called hypereosinophilic syndrome at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug Nucala (mepolizumab) for use in the treatment of patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome.

28 Sep 2020

New drug offers hope for young boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

A new drug offers hope for young boys with the progressive neuromuscular disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by potentially offering an alternative to high-dose glucocorticoids that have significant side effects.

25 Sep 2020

Biomarker predicts disease severity in COVID-19 patients

Airway cell analyses showing an activated immune axis could pinpoint the COVID-19 patients who will most benefit from targeted therapies.

17 Sep 2020

Study finds increased risk of serious complications in children taking oral steroids

Children who take oral steroids to treat asthma or autoimmune diseases have an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood clots, according to Rutgers researchers.

17 Sep 2020

Conditions linked to obesity leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19

Conditions related to obesity, including inflammation and leaky gut, leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19 and may explain why they are more likely to die from the disease, UTSW scientists say in a new article published online in eLife.

16 Sep 2020