Author: healthadmin
A team of researchers at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute reports that an innovative pathway-targeted therapy may be an effective treatment for certain melanoma patients and fill an unmet clinical need for patients with advanced disease. Dr. Martin McMahon, senior director of preclinical translation at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of dermatology in the United States, evaluated an investigational compound for the drug daraxonelasib. NRAS-Driven melanoma. NRAS- Propulsive melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer caused by mutations in the skin. NRAS gene. Daraxonrasib, developed by Revolution Medicines, targets and inhibits RAS, a protein that when…
Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy work primarily by shredding the DNA of cancer cells so that they can no longer reproduce. However, cancer cells are known to be resilient, often deploying their own internal “repair squads” to repair the damage caused by treatment, continue to proliferate, and eventually become resistant to treatment. Researchers at Wayne State University and Indiana University have developed an innovative approach that has the potential to significantly increase the effectiveness of standard cancer treatments at lower doses and safely by inhibiting cancer’s ability to heal itself. With support from a new grant from the…
Loss of one copy of DNA ligase I (LIG1) Genes of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) TP53 Mutations confer resistance to chemotherapy, but researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions identified a vulnerability in these cells and used it to their advantage. The research team has identified the underlying molecular mechanisms of platinum resistance, which can be neutralized with a combination of drugs available to inhibit tumor growth in animal models. Highlights of this work LIG1 Status as a patient stratification factor in current and future clinical trials. This research Molecular cancer therapyJournal of the American Association for…
The Society’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Hypogonadal Men recommend appropriate testing and prescribing practices. 1. Emphasis should be placed on getting an accurate diagnosis from a clinician. Diagnosis of hypogonadism requires confirmation of symptoms of low testosterone and consistently low blood total and free testosterone accurately measured by laboratory tests. The diagnostic approach and definitions are the same for men of any age. Terms such as “age-related,” “late-onset,” and “functional” hypogonadism are difficult to operationally define, blurring the line between treatable disease and normal aging. Hypogonadism…
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a promising experimental strategy to treat glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain tumor. Less than 30% of patients survive 2 years after diagnosis. The study, led by Ole Talatulla, Olena Talatulla, and Yoon Tae-goo from the OSU College of Pharmacy, focuses on two major issues that have long limited treatment for glioblastoma. First, the therapy must cross the blood-brain barrier, a tightly regulated network of cells that protects the central nervous system from substances circulating in the bloodstream. Second, the treatment must reach tumor cells without affecting healthy tissue. Sugar-coated nanoparticles target…
The Trump administration has proposed sweeping changes to Medicare payment policies that would prevent third-party vendors from remotely monitoring patients. Health technology leaders say the changes will significantly disrupt services that help patients manage conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The policy change, included in the draft Medicare physician pay rules announced this week, marks a change that will have far-reaching implications for RPM companies, primary care physicians, hospitals and health systems by eliminating third-party vendors. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday announced changes to Medicare Part B payment policies for physicians under the…
Bumblebees may be small, only about an inch long, but they play a huge role in global agriculture. Approximately one-third of the world’s food production relies on pollinators such as bees. At the same time, these important insects face increasing pressure from pesticides and other environmental threats. Modern pesticides are helping farmers protect crops and increase yields, but some can harm the pollinators that make large crops possible. One such chemical, sulfoxaflor, is a next-generation pesticide introduced in 2013 to control sap-sucking insects such as aphids on crops such as soybeans and corn. Although sulfoxaflor is effective against pests, it…
A new assessment from America’s most influential scientific advisory panel says climate attribution science has moved beyond asking whether human-induced global warming is causing deadly heat waves, floods and wildfires. As more and more abnormal situations occur, the focus is on how serious the future impacts will be. “As the frequency of multiple types of extreme weather increases, the likelihood that they occur simultaneously or in succession across the same location or region increases,” the 14 authors wrote in the extreme weather attribution report prepared by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an independent organization chartered by Congress…
People who score high on the neuroticism personality trait are at increased risk of developing dementia later in life, and recent research points to an imbalance in circulating fatty acids as a potential explanation. A large study of middle-aged adults suggests that neuroticism is associated with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which in turn is associated with a higher likelihood of brain vascular damage and cognitive decline. The study results were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Neuroticism is a basic personality trait that describes a person’s tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, worry, and…
In a new twist in the turmoil at the American Diabetes Association, leaders have blocked the publication of an opinion piece by the editors of the association’s flagship magazine and a first-person report detailing a high-profile controversy at the association’s annual meeting last month. Nearly five weeks after five diabetes experts were taken from a New Orleans conference center for distributing reprints of an editorial expressing concerns about cuts to federal research, the ADA’s flagship journal, Diabetes Care, is preparing to publish an editorial and several reports detailing the episode, which garnered national attention and prompted the ADA to apologize…