Articles related to CLINICAL RESEARCH

Swedish researchers have learned how to “grow” electrically conductive regions in tissue. The process involves injecting an enzyme-rich hydrogel into target tissues. The enzymes interact with molecules in the tissue and change the structure of the gel to make it conductive. The technique has potential application in areas as diverse as cardiac pacing to brain-computer interface development – all without the implanted electrodes that are used today and the physical limits they impose.

In this video, Dr. Robert Vonderheide, the Director of the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine, discusses cancer interception, an approach to cancer treatment that involves identifying and treating pre-cancerous cells before they develop into tumors. Dr. Vonderheide explains that cancer interception involves using genomic sequencing to identify cells that are at high risk of developing into cancer and then using drugs or other treatments to kill these cells before they become cancerous. He notes that cancer interception has the potential to be a highly effective form of cancer treatment, but that it requires a collaborative approach between researchers, clinicians, and patients. Dr. Vonderheide also discusses the role of immunotherapy in cancer interception and the challenges associated with developing effective interception strategies for different types of cancer.

Researchers discovered that inhibiting the activity of the fumarate hydratase enzyme in macrophages (a type of immune cell that plays a key role in inflammatory disorders) increased the cells’ production of interferon-beta. They also discovered that lupus patients’ macrophages have abnormally low levels of fumarate hydratase. These findings suggest that dysregulation of this enzyme may be a factor in the development of lupus, and that fumarate hydratase could be a potential therapeutic target.

In a review of hospitalization records in Hong Kong, Feb-July 2022, adults hospitalized for COVID and given molnupiravir or nirmatrelvir–ritonavir showed lower all-cause mortality, regardless of vaccination status. However, there was no significant reduction in ICU admission or the need for mechanical ventilation.

In total, 1,732 grants were included in the study. The grants were mostly given to researchers in the United States (93%), and the majority of recipients were men (61%). Researchers at four institutions received more than one-third of the grants: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and John Hopkins University.

In this extensive meta-analysis, myorelaxants, NSAIDS, and NSAIDs plus acetaminophen were all effective at one week in improving comfort and activity in sufferers of acute low back pain. NSAIDs plus acetaminophen were more effective than either drug class alone.