Australian researchers have uncovered clues in the immune system that reveal how the balance of ‘good’ gut bacteria is maintained. The information could help in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, showed that the increased presence of a protein responsible for sensing infection – […]
Time to rethink how we diagnose Alzheimer’s disease
With all the focus on Alzheimer disease in recent years as a result of the aging population, what have we learned? A symposium at The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Annual Meeting in San Diego, October 3-6, will not only review conflicting evidence regarding the best way to diagnose the disease, but also the latest […]
Chronic kidney disease outcomes can be improved by expanding specialist care
Providing specialized medical care and coordination to patients whose kidneys are failing before they need dialysis treatment could save the U.S. health care system more than $1 billion annually, according to a new RAND Corporation analysis. About 60 percent of the savings come from avoiding the initiation of kidney dialysis in a hospital setting, while […]
FDA Approves New Drug for Antibiotic-Resistant Lung Disease
MONDAY, Oct. 1, 2018 — Arikayce (amikacin liposome inhalation suspension) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat lung disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria among patients who do not respond to conventional therapies, the FDA said in a news release. MAC bacteria are commonly found in water and […]
Genetics of cholesterol point to possible drug targets for heart disease, diabetes
From the DNA of nearly 300,000 veterans, scientists have singled out a handful of genetic mutations that not only govern levels of cholesterol, but may also inform the development and use of drugs for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Palo Alto Veteran Affairs Health […]
World’s first human case of rat disease found in Hong Kong
A Hong Kong man has developed the world’s first ever human case of the rat version of the hepatitis E virus, according to new research from one of the city’s leading universities. There had previously been no evidence the disease could jump from rats to humans, the University of Hong Kong said Friday, warning the […]
Alcohol use in patients with chronic liver disease
A review article published in the New England Journal of Medicine discusses the effects of alcohol use on various forms of liver disease, as well as the assessment and treatment of alcohol use in patients with chronic liver disease. Liver-related mortality is increasing worldwide, due in large part to the increase in alcohol consumption. This […]
Call for research to address significant gaps in understanding Parkinson’s disease
An analysis published in Drug Discovery Today reveals the gap between animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and our understanding of the neurodegenerative processes underlying the disease, and calls for the implementation of modern, human biology-based technologies to better understand pathological processes and improve treatment outcome. While current approaches to drug discovery for PD have […]
Challenge continues in developing effective drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
The results of a large-scale international study involving the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, which was led and coordinated by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, have just been published this week in a major medical journal, PLOS Medicine. Alzheimer’s disease, the commonest form of dementia, currently affects approximately 34 million people worldwide, with 10.5 million people […]
Detecting epigenetic signature may help people stay ahead of inflammatory bowel disease
With an estimated 1.6 million people in the U.S. dealing with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), physicians can have a hard time telling which newly diagnosed patients have a high risk of severe inflammation or what therapies will be most effective. Now researchers report in the journal JCI Insights finding an epigenetic signature in patient cells […]