Algorithm based on response, biology guides neuroblastoma therapy

(HealthDay)—Use of a response- and biology-based treatment algorithm for intermediate-risk neuroblastoma is associated with excellent survival and reduces treatment for some patients, according to a study published online Aug. 6 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Clare J. Twist, M.D., from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, and colleagues enrolled 404 evaluable patients between 2007 and 2011 […]

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To detect new odors, fruit fly brains improve on a well-known computer algorithm

It might seem like fruit flies would have nothing in common with computers, but new research from the Salk Institute reveals that the two identify novel information in similar ways. The work, which appeared in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on December 3, 2018, not only sheds light on an important neurobiological problem—how organisms detect new odors—but […]

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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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Computer algorithm maps cancer resistance to drugs, therapy

New methods of studying the evolution of treatment resistance in head and neck cancer are being developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The scientists wanted to examine how cancers acquire resistance to treatment over time and whether those changes could be modeled computationally to determine patient-specific timelines of resistance. The research was published by Genome Medicine […]

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New algorithm more accurately predicts life expectancy after heart failure

A new algorithm developed by UCLA researchers more accurately predicts which people will survive heart failure, and for how long, whether or not they receive a heart transplant. The algorithm would allow doctors to make more personalized assessments of people who are awaiting heart transplants, which in turn could enable health care providers to make better use of limited life-saving […]

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