MDMA-assisted therapy is safe and effective for the treatment of people with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a phase 3 clinical trial published in Nature Medicine. This study was granted an FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation and provides a new treatment option for people who suffer from PTSD. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors are the FDA-approved […]
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New strategy to treat brain bleeding
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)—bleeding from a ruptured aneurysm—leads to delayed cerebral vasospasm (blood vessel constriction) and stroke. SAH morbidity and mortality are high, and therapeutic options are limited. Joyce Cheung-Flynn, Ph.D., and colleagues proposed that SAH downregulates the nitric oxide-protein kinase G (NO-PKG) signaling pathway that normally relaxes cerebral blood vessels. Using a rat model, they […]
Molecule with potential to treat multiple sclerosis passes toxicology testing in zebrafish
Brazilian researchers who study a native venomous fish have confirmed a route to drug development for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and asthma. The venomous toadfish Thalassophryne nattereri contains a peptide (TnP) with anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic potential. Confirmation of this potential has now come via the zebrafish Danio rerio, a […]
Why it’s too soon for Australia to legalize ecstasy and magic mushrooms to treat mental illness
While the public focus remains on COVID vaccines, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) continues to evaluate a range of proposals around the provision of medical treatments in Australia. The regulatory body is currently considering whether psychiatrists should be allowed to prescribe MDMA and psilocybin to treat mental illness. The TGA will announce its interim decision […]
Arthritis drug may treat immunotherapy-related heart complication
A drug typically prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis may also be effective in treating a rare but potentially deadly heart complication some cancer patients experience after taking immunotherapies, according to a study published in Cancer Discovery and co-led by investigators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). The researchers demonstrated that the drug abatacept reduced the severity […]
Cancer researchers identify potential new class of drugs to treat blood and bone marrow cancers
A new study by researchers in Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute and Lerner Research Institute describes a novel class of targeted cancer drugs that may prove effective in treating certain common types of leukemia. The results first appeared online in Blood Cancer Discovery. Myeloid leukemias are cancers derived from stem and progenitor cells in the […]
Tokophobia is an extreme fear of childbirth. Here’s how to recognise and treat it
Many pregnant women worry about birth. Some, however, suffer from a much more serious condition called tokophobia: a severe and unreasoning dread of childbirth, which is sometimes accompanied by a disgust of pregnancy. At its most extreme, tokophobia can lead to: an obsessive use of contraception to prevent pregnancy termination of pregnancy not attending maternity […]
Disappearing trick: New strategies to treat chronic pain
Pain is a normal part of life, but persistent pain is oppressive to endure. “It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die,” said Roman emperor Julius Caesar, “than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.” Yet, many people live with persistent pain, defined as physical suffering that lasts […]
Why we need to treat wildfire as a public health issue in California
Deadly fires across California over the past several years have shown how wildfire has become a serious public health and safety issue. Health effects from fires close to or in populated areas range from smoke exposure to drinking water contaminated by chemicals like benzene to limited options for the medically vulnerable. These kinds of threats […]
What causes excessive sweating and how can you treat it?
Most of us sweat while we exercise, when it’s too hot, or if we’re on the London Underground (particularly the Central line). Perspiring is important because of how the body regulates temperature – sweat keeps us cool and comfortable and prevents the body from overheating. But you shouldn’t be sweating if your body doesn’t need […]