What Grieving People Really Want During The Holidays This Year
After losing someone close to you, certain milestones can be tough. So while the holidays are joyous for many, they may also be a time of sadness. “This time of year can stir up old memories of those we have lost, and it can be a very painful time for many,” explained Michelle Chalfant, a […]
Time for Targeted PSA Screening for Men With Rare Pathogenic Variants?
Men with certain pathogenic variants had a higher incidence of prostate cancer versus age-matched controls, and may be candidates for targeted prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, according to findings from the IMPACT trial. In the international, prospective study, men with confirmed pathogenic variants in mismatch repair (MMR) genes who underwent one screening round had a higher […]
Crayfish and carp among the invasive species pushing lakes towards ecosystem collapse
Certain invasive, non-native species can disrupt lakes to the point of rapid ecosystem collapse, contaminating water for drinking, aquaculture and recreation, a new study has found. Human activity and climate change are causing invasive non-native species to spread rapidly across the globe. Researchers have found that certain invasive species can push lake ecosystems beyond a […]
Regular Blood Work After Gene Therapy Warranted by Rare Condition
Recipients of certain adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapies should be monitored closely for signs of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), FDA advisors agreed. “Frequent laboratory assessments are necessary,” said Barry Byrne, MD, PhD, of the University of Florida in Gainesville, based on his observations that patients on onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma) tend to first show IgM presence […]
Stem-like T cells could aid immunotherapy in cancer treatment
In a new study by Yale Cancer Center, researchers show stem-like T cells within certain lymph nodes could be natural cancer fighters. Targeting these T cells, which are a type of white blood cells, with immunotherapy drugs could increase the number of cancer patients that respond to treatment. The findings were reported online today in […]
Do some diabetes drugs reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s? Study finds people taking the drugs have fewer biomarkers, slower cognitive decline
People taking certain drugs to lower blood sugar for type 2 diabetes had less amyloid in the brain, a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease, when compared to both people with type 2 diabetes not taking the drugs and people without diabetes. The new study, published in the August 11, 2021, online issue of Neurology, the medical […]
Common floral bacteria can induce pollen germination: The bacteria can double amount of protein released from pollen
Certain species of floral bacteria can enhance pollen germination, according to a study published today from the University of California, Davis in the journal Current Biology. “This is the first paper documenting stimulation of pollen germination by non-plants,” said first author Shawn Christensen, a doctoral candidate in associate professor Rachel Vannette’s laboratory in the Department […]
Molecular Changes Could Guide Metastatic Breast Cancer Therapy
Certain molecular changes in breast cancer genes occurred more often in metastatic disease, possibly suggesting new strategies for difficult-to-treat disease, according to initial data from an ongoing study. Matched tissue specimens from primary tumors and metastases showed higher rates of mutations in driver genes and variations in gene copy number in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). […]
FDA Authorizes IL-6 Inhibitor for Severe COVID-19 Patients
Tocilizumab (Actemra), an interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor, was authorized to treat certain hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the FDA announced late on Thursday. The drug received emergency use authorization (EUA) for hospitalized patients ages 2 and up who are receiving systemic corticosteroids and require supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). It is […]