FDA Approves First Gene Therapy for Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
The FDA has approved nadofaragene firadenovec (Adstiladrin) as the first gene therapy for the treatment of high-risk bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), the agency announced on Friday. An adenoviral vector-based product, nadofaragene firadenovec, is specifically indicated for adult patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors. Approval was based on […]
Gut microbiomes of mouse pups are permanently altered when moms are fed a low-fiber diet while nursing
The first things that mouse newborns touch and eat establishes their native microbiome, which is often influenced by their mother during birth and throughout nursing. Although diet has been a known contributor to obesity in all stages of life, the effects of nursing mothers’ diets is an ongoing investigation. In a paper publishing December 8th […]
I Had An Abortion In My 40s. I’ll Never Forget The Shocking Thing The Doctor Said To Me.
I never would have guessed that my first abortion would be when I was in my 40s, married, and a parent already. But that’s the situation I was in when my pregnancy test came back positive in the first July of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, I thought I had COVID — or just anxiety from […]
Opinion | I’m a Doctor and I’ve Been Sober for a Year
My first COVID vacation last year was spectacular, except that I barely remember 3 days of it because I was drinking to the point of amnesia. I am a physician from a multigenerational family of alcoholics, and I never wanted to struggle with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Instead, I discovered that I could avoid feelings […]
FDA OKs First Gene Therapy for Hemophilia B
The FDA on Tuesday approved the first gene therapy for treating hemophilia B, a genetic bleeding disorder resulting from missing or insufficient levels of factor IX. Etranacogene dezaparvovec (Hemgenix) is indicated for adults with the condition who currently use factor IX prophylaxis therapy for blood clotting, those who have or have had life-threatening hemorrhage, or […]
A better model for type 2 diabetes: The Nile rat
Researchers have assembled the first reference genome for the Nile rat — a kind of genetic template of this species that may be used for laboratory and clinical studies. The hope, according to UC Santa Barbara researcher Huishi Toh, is that it will be useful for those who investigate Type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders […]
Promising Results in First Test of In Utero Enzyme-Replacement Therapy
The first test of in utero enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) proved safe and effective for a baby with infantile-onset Pompe disease, according to a case report. An infant with cross-reactive immunologic material (CRIM)-negative infantile-onset Pompe disease — the most severe end of the disease spectrum — had no cardiac manifestations following treatment, compared to her […]
Diet high in saturated fat can reprogram immune cells in mice
A new study by Portland State University researchers is the first to show that eating a diet exclusively high in saturated fats can reprogram the mouse immune system, making it better able to fight off infection but more susceptible to systemic inflammatory conditions, including sepsis. Brooke Napier, assistant professor of biology at PSU, led the […]
Sedentary lifestyle and sugary diet more detrimental to men: Study involved short-term exposure to reduced activity and increased sugar consumption
A new study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine is the first evidence in humans that short-term lifestyle changes can disrupt the response to insulin of blood vessels. It’s also the first study to show men and women react differently to these changes. Vascular insulin resistance is a feature of obesity and type […]
Everyone Says Don’t Google For Medical Advice. I Did Anyway, And It Might Have Saved My Vision.
I first felt the dull pang in my head on a Wednesday in mid-July 2021. I didn’t think much of it, because like most people, I’m used to having the occasional headache ― usually from PMS or not drinking enough water. I popped an Advil, took a test to rule out COVID, and continued about […]