Genetic testing is a powerful diagnostic tool that is increasingly being used for the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart becomes enlarged, making it difficult to pump blood. Cardiomyopathy affects more than 3.5 million people in the United States. African Americans are at especially high risk but have been underrepresented in […]
A new way to target high rates of obesity
A novel drug is being touted as a major step forward in the battle against Australia’s escalating rates of obesity and associated metabolic diseases. As it stands, 2 in 3 adults in Australia are classified as being overweight or obese. A long-term study between researchers at the Centenary Institute and UNSW Sydney has led to […]
Seven percent of children in orthodontic care at ‘high risk’ for sleep disorders, according to new research
A child who is restless, hyperactive and can’t concentrate could have a problem rooted in a source parents might not suspect: a sleep disorder. That’s according to a new study by Case Western Reserve researchers at the School of Dental Medicine, who found that about 7 percent of children between ages 9 and 17 in […]
Los Angeles Cats Need Your Help: Now’s Your Chance to Find a New Feline Friend!
Kitten season is still in full swing in Los Angeles County, and animal care centers are still seeing an influx of feline friends. Currently, all seven of the Animal Care Centers (ACCs) at the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control are at capacity and are in desperate need of loving adopters […]
Getting kids ready for the new school year
(HealthDay)—There are a number of things you can do to ensure your kids have a smooth start to the new school year. Don’t wait until the first day of class to seek help. Schools are open over the summer to address any concerns you or your child might have, and the best time to get […]
New assay to detect genetic abnormalities in sarcomas outperforms conventional techniques
Sarcomas are rare tumors that are often misdiagnosed. Specific recurrent chromosomal rearrangements, known as translocations, can serve as essential diagnostic markers and are found in about 20 percent of sarcomas. Identification of these translocations helps establish a correct diagnosis and guides treatment. A report in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics describes a new assay, anchored […]
New algorithm could improve diagnosis of rare diseases
Today, diagnosing rare genetic diseases requires a slow process of educated guesswork. Gill Bejerano, Ph.D., associate professor of developmental biology and of computer science at Stanford, is working to speed it up. In a paper published July 12 in Genetics in Medicine, Bejerano and his colleagues describe an algorithm they’ve developed that automates the most […]
New Drug of Last Resort Tackles Resistant HIV
THURSDAY, Aug. 16, 2018 — HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is typically a manageable infection, but medications that keep the virus at bay don’t work for everyone. Now, researchers have developed a new medication to help them. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug — ibalizumab (Trogarzo) — in March. Phase 3 […]
Clinical trial suggests new direction for heavy-smoking head and neck cancer patients
Patients with a greater than 10 pack/year history of smoking tend to develop an especially dangerous form of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) for which prognosis remains poor and treatments have changed little during the past two decades. However, recent phase 1 clinical trial results by the Head and Neck Cancer Group at […]
Researchers identify new genes that may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine, working with scientists across the nation on the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP), have discovered new genes that will further current understanding of the genetic risk factors that predispose people to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The ADSP was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) […]