Change isn’t a good thing for Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients

Figure 1: A novel genetic locus related to interstitial lung disease was identified following genomic analysis of 5,000 rheumatoid arthritis patients. Credit: Osaka University In many cases, a complex interplay between our genes and the environment governs whether or not we will develop a certain disease. Interestingly though, researchers are discovering that the genetic component […]

Let me tell you how frustrating this pandemic has been for deaf people

It would be a brave person who tried to argue that the UK government, over the past several years, hadn’t shown a kind of systemic ableism in its attitudes towards and policies dealing with disabled people. This ableism is reflected in wider societal and media-based discourses in the UK. Over the past few months in […]

Canada strikes deals for vaccine candidates with Pfizer, Moderna

Canada announced Wednesday it has signed two agreements with American pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Moderna for the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. Millions of doses will be supplied, but the vaccines are still in development while negotiations continue with other potential suppliers, Procurement Minister Anita Anand told a news conference. They will also still […]

US announces clinical trial of antibody treatment for COVID-19

The US has begun late stage clinical trials into a drug formulated to fight COVID-19, officials said Tuesday. The medicine is an antibody against the new coronavirus called LY-CoV555, which was identified in the blood sample of a recovered patient by Canada’s Abcellera Biologics. It was then developed synthetically for mass production by US-based Lilly […]

Approved drug reduces ventilator time for patients with severe COVID-19

The drug tocilizumab, which is used in the treatment of various forms of arthritis, can greatly shorten the time on ventilation and shorten hospital stays for patients with severe COVID-19, a new study from Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital published in The Journal of Internal Medicine reports. “The report is, as far as we […]

Obesity ups risk for intubation, death with COVID-19 in adults under 65

(HealthDay)—Obesity is associated with an increased risk for intubation or death among hospitalized adults with COVID-19, with the association observed in adults younger than 65 years but not in older adults, according to a study published online July 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Michaela R. Anderson, M.D., from the Columbia University Irving Medical […]

Treating children for worms yields long-term benefits, says new study

Children who receive sustained treatment against common parasitic infections grow up to achieve a higher standard of living, with long-lasting health and economic benefits extending to their communities, according to new findings from a research team led by a University of California, Berkeley, economist. The pioneering study, focused on Kenya and covering 20 years, found […]

1st dog that tested positive for COVID-19 dies in New York

A German shepherd in New York that had the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a dog in the U.S. has died. Robert and Allison Mahoney of Staten Island told National Geographic that their 7-year-old shepherd, Buddy, developed breathing problems in mid-April after Robert had been sick with the coronavirus for several weeks. A veterinarian […]

Scientists identify 21 drugs that show promise for treating COVID-19

Scientists identify 21 drugs that show promise for treating COVID-19 – including four that might be used with remdesivir to combat the virus Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in California screened 12,000 drugs for potential to fight coronavirus They found 21 – including remdesivir, which had not yet been given emergency approval – […]

A blood test for Alzheimer’s? Markers for tau take us a step closer

A simple blood test for Alzheimer’s would be a great advance for individuals with—and at risk for—the disease, families, doctors and researchers. At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2020, scientists reported results of multiple studies on advances in blood “tests” for abnormal versions of the tau protein, one of which may be able to […]