news 2022

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin are widely used to treat pain and inflammation. But even at similar doses, different NSAIDs can have unexpected and unexplained effects on many diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Now, a new Yale-led study has uncovered a previously unknown process by which some NSAIDs affect the body.

Researchers from the UPF BCN MedTech research unit, the IMIM-Hospital del Mar and the Hospital del Mar have studied the relationship between clinical treatment options for osteoarthritis of the knee and the functionality, speed and forces involved in each patient's stride. The results reveal that two patients with the same symptoms may need different treatment depending on their age and body mass index.

The pandemic put a spotlight on mental health and burnout within health care professions, but emerging research reveals these issues have been affecting health care workers for years, with suicide rates notably high among physicians and nurses. But until now, less was known about the mental health of pharmacists.

'Nanobodies' from llamas could yield cell-specific medications for humans The nanobodies could help target issues such as irregular heart rhythms and could help prevent and control seizures In "proof of concept" experiments with mouse and human cells and tissues, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have designed tiny proteins, called nanobodies, derived from llama antibodies, that could potentially be used to deliver targeted medicines to human muscle cells.

Some breast tumors with certain genetic alterations are difficult to treat using existing therapies. Researchers at the University of Basel have now discovered an approach that involves a toxic combination with a second target gene in order to kill the abnormal cells. The first clinical trials could be starting soon.

Using anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids to relieve pain could increase the chances of developing chronic pain, according to researchers from McGill University and colleagues in Italy. Their research puts into question conventional practices used to alleviate pain. Normal recovery from a painful injury involves inflammation and blocking that inflammation with drugs could lead to harder-to-treat pain.

Of the 248,000 scripts approved for Australians since the inception of the national medicinal cannabis scheme in 2016, many related to conditions for which the drug has limited evidence of efficacy, a new University of Sydney study shows. The first in-depth study of Australia's medicinal cannabis program, which began in 2016, shows the drug is being increasingly prescribed for various conditions.

The Lymphoma Genomics group, directed by Prof. Francesco Bertoni at the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR, affiliated to USI and member of Bios+), identified a new mechanism behind the resistance to the drug idelalisib, used in the treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma.

UC San Diego researchers describe imbalance of opposing cell signals that cause deadly disease, and how a novel monoclonal antibody therapy might treat or prevent it Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a type of high blood pressure in the lungs, in which blood vessels are narrowed, blocked or destroyed, causing the heart to work harder and, in time, result in cardiac weakness and failure.

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered why malaria parasites are vulnerable to some drug ther apies but resistant to others , offering scientists another piece of the puzzle in the global fight against the disease. The ANU team has characterised two malaria proteins , known as PfMDR1 and PfCRT , t'hat work together to transport drugs away from areas where the y exert their killing effect and concentrate them in "safe zones" that ultimately rend er the treatment s'ineffective.

Researchers discover molecular mechanisms of signal recognition of the neuropeptide system The human body consists of trillions of cells that constantly communicate with each other. A central role in this communication process is played by receptor proteins on the cell surface. Since they often serve as drug targets, they have been the subject of intensive research.

A study has found people with breast cancer who received ongoing support through digital resources such as websites and mobile apps reported improved quality of life, and less stress and fatigue. People with breast cancer who accessed digital support systems such as websites and mobile apps overall found it was a valuable resource in between medical appointments, making them more confident in managing their health and improving their quality of life.

The research team of the Mixed Unit Universitat de Valéncia-IIS La Fe of Experimental Hepatology and Hepatic Transplantation has published a paper in the Journal of Proteome Research, a peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Chemical Society.

Home and lifestyle activities are major contributors to water quality. Social interventions may provide the most sustainable solution. Household and lifestyle activities are key contributors to water quality, according to new research from the University of Bath. Social interventions - such as social prescribing - may provide a more sustainable solution to this problem than improvements to wastewater treatment processes.

Seasonal influenza is a major public health issue because it continues to remain associated with considerable mortality, particularly among people who are elderly, immunocompromised, or both. It also has a significant socioeconomic cost. With vaccination and current treatments still being of limited efficacy, research teams are trying to develop new therapeutic approaches.

Krill oil may be beneficial to muscle function and size in healthy people over the age of 65, according to new research. The study - led by the University of Glasgow's Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences (ICAMS) and published in Clinical Nutrition - found that krill oil supplementation of four grams per day could have beneficial effects on skeletal muscle function and size in this age group.

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat infections and ensure the safety of surgical procedures. However, their overuse has led to the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria, resulting in an -arms race- whereby ever more potent drugs are becoming a necessity.

Through wastewater, rivers and lakes are polluted with numerous micropollutants which originate from care products and pharmaceuticals, among other things. The Waters Protection Act therefore aims to expand Swiss wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) with the addition of a further treatment step. In pilot tests, two processes have proven particularly successful in the removal of trace substances: ozonation and treatment with activated carbon.

Science, Health & Technology Brett Goldhawk As Canada faces a sixth wave of COVID-19 infections, researchers at the UBC faculty of medicine are urging people who are pregnant to remain vigilant based on data from Canada's first national, peer-reviewed study on COVID-19 in pregnancy. The findings, published today in JAMA , show that pregnant people who catch COVID-19 are at greater risk of being hospitalized, being admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) and experiencing an early birth.

Conventional vaccination campaign messages often miss their targets. A study in eight European countries shows that information on the benefits of vaccines can even reduce the willingness to get immunized. The researchers also looked into the factors that influenced the impact of messages, including low health literacy.