Tag: treating

Gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy might have a high up-front price tag. But by screening and treating infants early, the therapy can save both lives and money in the long term. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a type of motor neurone disease, is one of the deadliest genetic illnesses an infant can be diagnosed with.

We’re living longer, but not necessarily better. As the population over 65 in the United States is projected to double by 2060—with one in five residents in retirement age—so will the number of Americans needing long-term care services. A new study suggests targeting aging itself—rather than individual diseases associated with it—could be the secret to

Prolonging a cellular defense response to inflammation could help regenerate the protective coating of axons that is degraded in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in eLife. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs that have been shown to effectively regenerate this coating, called myelin. This new strategy could

While autism specialists are crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of children with autism, primary care providers are very often the first to care for children with autism spectrum disorder. Two new studies reveal a range of barriers these clinicians face in recognizing and treating autism symptoms, as well as evidence that an innovative tele-mentoring

A drug used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia appears to be more effective at stopping a type of medulloblastoma in mouse models than existing treatments for the deadly pediatric brain tumor, reports a multi-institutional team led by researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego. In the study,

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys have identified the long-sought structure of an essential blood protein: vitronectin. Knowing the protein’s structure—an advance that enables rational drug design—could lead to medicines that kill multi-drug-resistant bacteria, halt cancer metastasis, treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and more. The study was published in Science Advances.  “For decades, scientists have speculated

Initiating stroke treatment just 15 minutes faster can save lives and prevent disability, according to a new UCLA-led study, published today in JAMA. The research also determined that busier hospitals—those that treat more than 450 people for stroke each year—have better outcomes than those that treat fewer than 400 stroke patients per year. Researchers at

Some hospitals may strategically divert ambulances to avoid treating low‐paying patients who are uninsured or who have Medicaid, according to a recent analysis. Charleen Hsuan, assistant professor of health policy and administration at Penn State, led a study that examined whether hospitals are more likely to temporarily close their emergency departments to ambulances—a process known

University of British Columbia researchers have developed a specialized microscope that has the potential ability to both diagnose diseases that include skin cancer and perform incredibly precise surgery—all without cutting skin. The researchers describe the technology in a study published today in Science Advances. “Our technology allows us to scan tissue quickly, and when we

The medicinal powers of aspirin, digitalis, and the anti-malarial artemisinin all come from plants. A Salk Institute discovery of a potent neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory chemical in a native California shrub may lead to a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease based on a compound found in nature. The research appears in the February 2019 issue of the

— Dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes do not make enough tears. As adults get older, they are more likely to have medical conditions that trigger dry eye, such as autoimmune diseases, diabetes, stroke and thyroid problems, the AARP says. Certain medications also may affect tear glands’ ability to function properly. AARP suggests how

Korean researchers have identified the inhibition of autophagy in microglia, brain immune cells. It is expected to help develop treatments for Alzheimer’s disease which occur due to the inhibition of autophagy. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most representative degenerative brain disease, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases. In search for new

Someone who is “neurotic” does not necessarily show anger or anxiety in a given situation, even though those are generally accepted traits of a person with that personality style. New University of California, Davis, research suggests that lumping those with personality disorders into a package of traits should be left behind for more dynamic analysis

It is well-recognized that women are at increased risk of depression during postpartum when hormone levels are changing, but the risk of depression associated with perimenopause—the time right before menopause when female hormones are in decline—remains under-recognized and clinical recommendations on how to diagnose and treat this kind of depression in women have been lacking

Researchers at the University of Zurich have discovered a new approach to suppressing itch by targeting two receptors in the spinal cord with the right experimental drug. In a series of experiments in mice and dogs, they successfully alleviated different forms of acute as well as chronic itch. For the chronic itch, current treatment options

A clinical trial has begun which will use stem cell transplants to grow a new immune system for people with untreatable Crohn’s disease—a painful and chronic intestinal disease which affects at least 115,000 people in the UK. The study, led by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS trust, is funded with £2m

A new community-based model to treat HIV and other health conditions in rural East Africa led to 20 percent fewer HIV deaths, reduced the incidence of HIV and tuberculosis (TB), and improved control of hypertension and diabetes, according to results presented today at the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) in Amsterdam. The results are

In a viral haemorrhagic disease where up to 40% of people developing it die, it is remarkable that doctors still do not agree whether the only recognised treatment, an antiviral drug called ribavirin, makes a difference. In a new Cochrane Review a team of authors at LSTM, along with colleagues in London, The Philippines and

A Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-supported randomized clinical trial of cancer survivors showed that eight weeks of either acupuncture or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) decreased the severity of insomnia among cancer survivors, though improvements were greatest among patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy. The study will be presented at the upcoming 2018 ASCO Annual

Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland have found that continued treatment of muscle wasting with a soluble growth factor receptor protein, produced at the University of Helsinki, improved survival in a pre-clinical cancer model without affecting the tumour size. This effect was not found when the mice were treated with the recombinant protein