Enzyme identified as possible novel drug target for sickle cell disease, Thalassemia

Medical researchers have identified a key signaling protein that regulates hemoglobin production in red blood cells, offering a possible target for a future innovative drug to treat sickle cell disease (SCD). Experiments in cultured human cells reveal that blocking the protein reduces the characteristic sickling that distorts the shape of red blood cells and gives the disease its name. “We […]

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Study reveals long-term effectiveness of therapy for common cause of kidney failure

New research provides support for the long-term efficacy of a drug used to treat in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), a common cause of kidney failure. The findings appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The hormone vasopressin promotes the progression of ADPKD, the fourth leading cause of […]

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Study results may lead to improved diagnostics for breast cancer

A study in Molecular Oncology indicates that examining the protein and RNA in leftover materials from routine diagnostic tests for breast cancer may lead to more accurate diagnoses. Using samples from fine needle aspiration from 25 patients with breast cancer and 33 patients with benign lesions, investigators found that such a strategy could distinguish all cancer patient samples from all […]

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Algorithm identifies patients best suited for antidepressants

McLean Hospital researchers have completed a study that sought to determine which individuals with depression are best suited for antidepressant medications. Their findings, published in Psychological Medicine on July 2, 2018, have led to the development of a statistical algorithm that identifies patients who may best respond to antidepressants—before they begin treatment. Christian A. Webb, Ph.D., director of the Treatment […]

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A gene required for addictive behavior

Cocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain’s reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors. Alban de Kerchove d’Exaerde from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, and his colleagues have now uncovered that a gene called Maged1 plays a crucial role in controlling these […]

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Why randomized trials for proton therapy are difficult to complete (and what we can do about it)

Randomized clinical trials are the gold standard of cancer research and can shed light on whether innovative, new therapies with great potential actually have clear benefits over usual care for patients. However, the seven randomized trials funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to test proton therapy are enrolling more slowly than […]

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Using hepatitis C-infected donor kidneys could reduce time on dialysis for transplant patients with HCV

Transplanting hepatitis C (HCV)-infected dialysis patients with organs from HCV-positive donors and then treating the infection after transplantation is more effective, costs less and will shorten wait times for donated organs, according to a computer analysis conducted by physician-researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. The findings are available online in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The […]

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Synthetic surfactant could ease breathing for patients with lung disease and injury

Human lungs are coated with a substance called surfactant which allows us to breathe easily. When lung surfactant is missing or depleted, which can happen with premature birth or lung injury, breathing becomes difficult. In a collaborative study between Lawson Health Research Institute and Stanford University, scientists have developed and tested a new synthetic surfactant that could lead to improved […]

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