Promising findings for treating damaged heart valves

Aortic valve calcification is a challenging condition for the health service and for the patients concerned. The only treatment currently available is surgery. Mariia Boganova recently defended her thesis which addresses the options available for future pharmacological treatment. Mechanisms behind the disease The Russian doctoral research fellow explains that her thesis first looks at the mechanisms behind the disease. She […]

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Treating COPD patients for anxiety using CBT reduces hospital visits and is cost-effective

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) delivered by respiratory nurses is cost-effective and reduces anxiety symptoms in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, according to research published in ERJ Open Research. COPD is a long-term condition that causes inflammation in the lungs, narrowing of the airways and damaged lung tissue, making breathing difficult. Anxiety often occurs alongside COPD and can mean that […]

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Treating a rare genetic disorder that causes colon cancer in children

A University of Houston pharmaceutical scientist is developing a new drug which could bring relief to children suffering with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP), a rare genetic disorder characterized by hundreds—if not thousands—of colorectal polyps. This hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome occurs in 3-per-100,000 live births and, if left untreated, causes colorectal cancer in patients nearly 100 percent of the time. Prior […]

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Breakthrough neurotechnology for treating paralysis

Three patients with chronic paraplegia were able to walk thanks to precise electrical stimulation of their spinal cords via a wireless implant. In a double study published in Nature and Nature Neuroscience, Swiss scientists Grégoire Courtine (EPFL and CHUV/Unil) and Jocelyne Bloch (CHUV/Unil) show that after a few months of training, the patients were able to control previously paralyzed leg […]

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Nurse-led care significantly more successful in treating gout, trial reveals

The research, led by academics at the University of Nottingham and published in The Lancet, has shown that keeping patients fully informed and involving them in decisions about their care can be more successful in managing gout. And the study, which was funded by the charity Versus Arthritis, highlights the importance of individualised patient education and engagement to treat the […]

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A Trojan Horse delivery for treating a rare, potentially deadly, blood-clotting disorder

In proof-of-concept experiments, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have highlighted a potential therapy for a rare but potentially deadly blood-clotting disorder, TTP. The researchers deliver this therapeutic enzyme via the cellular equivalent of a Trojan Horse, using tiny blood cell platelets as their protective delivery vehicle, with a key enzyme hidden inside. TTP, or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, appears as […]

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Cancer drug and antidepressants provide clues for treating brain-eating amoeba infections

The amoeba Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm swimming pools, lakes and rivers. On rare occasions, the amoeba can infect a healthy person and cause severe primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a “brain-eating” disease that is almost always fatal. Other than trial-and-error with general antifungal medications, there are no treatments for the infection. Researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical […]

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Intervention shows promise for treating depression in preschool-aged children

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have shown that a therapy-based treatment for disruptive behavioral disorders can be adapted and used as an effective treatment option for early childhood depression. Children as young as 3-years-old can be diagnosed with clinical depression, and although preschool-aged children are sometimes prescribed antidepressants, a psychotherapeutic intervention is greatly needed. The study, funded […]

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Minimally invasive, cost-effective method shows promise in treating cancer without harming healthy cells

Purdue University researchers have developed a minimally invasive technique that may help doctors better explore and treat cancerous cells, tissues and tumors without affecting nearby healthy cells. The method, called PLASMAT—Plasma Technologies for a Healthier Tomorrow—combines three emerging techniques that appear promising in the fight against most types of cancer. PLASMAT combines cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) with electroporation and/or photoporation […]

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