Clinical Trials & Research

This week (25 July) the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer project has released the results of four years of intense data gathering and exploration which will power genetic research into cancer treatment worldwide. The freely available data set includes unique data comparing almost 1,000 cancer cell lines’ responses to 453 licensed and experimental drugs.

A phase 3 clinical trial testing esketamine nasal spray in the treatment of severe depression found the spray mostly safe and effective. The findings led to the recent FDA approval of this treatment. Despite this, other researchers caution that “more questions than answers” remain. A phase 3 clinical trial found esketamine nasal spray safe and

Researchers from the United Kingdom have appraised the most recent assessment by the European Food Safety Authority regarding the safety of aspartame, a popular type of artificial sweetener. The investigators caution that the commission’s findings may be misleading. Is aspartame really as safe as official reports claim? Some researchers are unsure. Aspartame is perhaps the

Jul 25 2019 Johns Hopkins Medicine and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers will lead a multicenter, multinational study of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), the “poliolike” condition affecting children that causes loss of muscle control. The National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases awarded an approximate $10 million contract to

People with cancer have trouble accessing appropriate psychological support, a new global report published today by the All.Can international cancer initiative reveals. Patient insights on cancer care: opportunities for improving efficiency reveals findings from the international All.Can patient survey, in which seven out of ten respondents (69%) said they needed psychological support either during or

The media is rife with claims of breakthrough biomedical studies performed in animals. However, can animals ever faithfully model human health? What can animal models tell us about human health? Avid readers of medical news will be familiar with the widespread use of animal models in biomedical research. From nutrition to cancer research and studies

On average, American colleges and universities with nursing programs offer about one hour of instruction in handling catastrophic situations such as nuclear events, pandemics, or water contamination crises, according to two recent studies co-authored by a nursing professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Events that can cause greater impact but are less likely to

As medical researchers continue their efforts to improve human health, some are turning their attention to the ocean because they believe that the Earth’s seas might harbor novel disease-fighting chemistry. Could human health depend on the creatures of the ocean? The oceans cover more than two-thirds of Earth. As the adage goes, we know more

Diabetes, which is marked by increased glucose levels in the body, eventually leads to certain complications, including cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study shows a cellular connection between diabetes and blood vessel narrowing that boosts one’s risk of chronic and potentially fatal health conditions, including stroke and heart disease. A team of researchers at the

New insights into a specific gene variant may help to explain why some Alzheimer’s drugs work in certain people but may fail in others. The findings call for a more personalized approach to drug testing. An individual’s genotype may explain why some Alzheimer’s drugs work and others fail, new research shows. Earlier this year, a

Ever stand up too quickly and see stars? Fainting from low blood pressure can be dangerous for astronauts as well as for patients. With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing approaching, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are publishing heart-related space research that helps us to understand the problem of low blood pressure.

Jul 19 2019 The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson is delighted with the recent announcement from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to include abiraterone acetate (ZYTIGA®) for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), in the updated Essential Medicines List, published on 9th July 2019.1,2 The WHO’s Essential Medicines List is a

Sandrine Pierre, Ph.D., associate scientific director at the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR), has received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further her research on myocardial infarction, known as a heart attack. Pierre received a $440,000 three-year NIH Research Enhancement Award (R15), designed to support small-scale research projects that

Despite evidence that some active substances in cannabis may support some aspects of health, many people who use this drug, and particularly those who smoke it, develop symptoms of dependence. A new clinical trial shows that a safer, cannabis-based medication can counter dependence. A safer cannabis extract could help users fight cannabis dependence, according to

Isotretinoin (also known by its former brand name as Accutane or Roaccutane) is an extremely effective acne medication that can help patients whose severe acne has not responded to other drugs. But the drug is also a potent teratogen — if a woman takes isotretinoin while pregnant, even for a short period of time, the

A team of researchers from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medicine Centre’s Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre (ViREMiCS) found that immune cells undergoing stress and an altered metabolism are the reasons why some individuals become sick from viral infections while others do not, when exposed to the same virus. The findings, published in top medical

Difficulty breathing is becoming easier for patients at Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC). Orlando Health ORMC is the first hospital in Central Florida to offer a new lung valve treatment for patients with severe emphysema, a progressive and life-threatening form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Zephyr® Endobronchial Valve System, by Pulmonx® Corp.

Cells from the rare individuals who naturally control HIV infection have been the focus of investigation for nearly 15 years with the aim of elucidating their specific features. Following research on the ANRS CO21 CODEX and CO6 PRIMO cohorts, scientists from the Institut Pasteur have described the characteristics of CD8 immune cells in these “HIV

Many burn victims suffer acute kidney injury (AKI), but early recognition of AKI remains challenging. Now an Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) model developed at UC Davis Health and reported in a new study can predict acute kidney injury quicker and more accurately than ever. The ability to predict AKI in burn patients using

A new research network for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCNet), led by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Boston Children’s Hospital, will lead, promote and coordinate national research activities to improve their systems of care. Funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human

People who experience acute migraine may soon find relief in a new treatment. The results of a clinical trial of a novel drug revealed that it can eliminate head pain and reduce other symptoms of migraine. New research uncovers the benefits of a novel drug for treating acute migraine. Many people with acute migraine rely

A research team headed by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UC San Diego has identified an enzyme involved in remodeling the plasma membrane of multiple cancer cell types that is critical to both survival of tumors and their uncontrolled growth. The finding,