Opinion | Should Young and Healthy Patients Take Paxlovid?
The development of an oral anti-viral medication that could reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in unvaccinated high-risk individuals was nothing short of game-changing and something that clinicians like me were clamoring for. This milestone was achieved with the FDA’s granting of emergency use authorization (EUA) to Pfizer’s nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) in December 2021. The active ingredient […]
Intraoperative Catheter Disappoints for Urinary Retention After Hernia Repair
The use of an intraoperative catheter did not protect against the development of postoperative urinary retention (PUR) for patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair surgery, a randomized trial found. Among over 450 such patients, no significant difference was observed in the rate of PUR for those who received an intraoperative catheter placement versus those […]
B12 deficiency harms young children’s development, and the food relief we provide isn’t good enough
Vitamin B12 deficiency in infants leads to poor motor development and anaemia, according to a study from Burkina Faso conducted by the University of Copenhagen and Médecins Sans Frontières. B12 deficiency is an enormous, yet overlooked problem, and the food relief we currently supply is not helping. According to the researchers, the problem calls for […]
‘Resetting’ the injured brain offers clues for concussion treatment: In mice, ‘turning over’ cells reverses cognitive, behavior problems
New research in mice raises the prospects for development of post-concussion therapies that could ward off cognitive decline and depression, two common conditions among people who have experienced a moderate traumatic brain injury. The study in mice clarified the role of specific immune cells in the brain that contribute to chronic inflammation. Using a technique […]
Lipidomics provides new biomarkers for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes
The lipid metabolism plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. However, little is known about the molecular relationships. Using lipidomics, a modern analytical method, the team led by Dr. Fabian Eichelmann from DIfE and DZD identified those lipids that are statistically associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 […]
Biden Administration Unveils $3.2 Billion Hunt For Pill To Treat COVID-19, Other Viruses
The Biden administration said Thursday it would invest $3.2 billion to speed the development of antiviral pills that could treat COVID-19 and other viruses, a major step that could save many lives in future pandemics. The Department of Health and Human Services said the plan, dubbed the Antiviral Program for Pandemics, would accelerate and expand […]
Weight gain in pregnancy may be linked to later growth patterns in daughters
Rapid weight gain in the first and final months of a pregnancy may play a key role in the development of excess fat tissue in children and adolescents — at least if those children are girls, according to a new study from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. In the study, published today […]
Microglial methylation ‘landscape’ in human brain: Profiles differ across age, disease state, brain region
In the central nervous system, microglial cells play critical roles in development, aging, brain homeostasis, and pathology. Recent studies have shown variation in the gene-expression profile and phenotype of microglia across brain regions and between different age and disease states. But the molecular mechanisms that contribute to these transcriptomic changes in the human brain are […]
A missing genetic switch at the origin of malformations: Scientists have discovered how the absence of a genetic switch can lead to malformations during embryonic development.
Embryonic development follows delicate stages: for everything to go well, many genes must coordinate their activity according to a very meticulous scheme and tempo. This precision mechanism sometimes fails, leading to more or less disabling malformations. By studying the Pitx1 gene, one of the genes involved in the construction of the lower limbs, a team […]
Year in Review: HIV
Long-acting therapies headlined a year of continued drug development, both in the treatment and prevention of HIV. Meanwhile, CDC recommended a third dose of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for certain patients living with advanced or untreated HIV to boost their protection. Cabotegravir’s Big Year The year started with the approval of cabotegravir-rilpivirine (Cabenuva), the first […]