Babies born vaginally have different gut bacteria — their microbiome — than those delivered by Caesarean, research has shown. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UCL, the University of Birmingham and their collaborators discovered that whereas vaginally born babies got most of their gut bacteria from their mother, babies born…
Breaking the ‘stalemate’ in the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children: First randomized clinical trial to show positive results in rhabdomyosarcoma since 1974
A phase 2 clinical trial has found that combining a molecular targeted drug called temsirolimus with chemotherapy shows promise in the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common soft tissue sarcoma in childhood. The Children’s Oncology Group trial was led by Leo Mascarenhas, MD, MS, Deputy Director of the Children’s Center…
Opioid treatment for teens? Medications can help
Teens who misuse prescription or illicit opioids might benefit from opioid treatment medications, according to a new study led by a Yale researcher. An estimated 900 adolescents started to misuse opioid painkillers every day in 2017, and some of them turned to cheaper and more potent illegal opioids like heroin….
Resistance can spread even without the use of antibiotics
Antibiotic resistance does not spread only where and when antibiotics are used in large quantities, researchers conclude from laboratory experiments. Reducing antibiotic use alone is therefore not sufficient to curtail resistance, and should be done in conjunction with measures to prevent infection with resistant germs. Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant…
Benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy for IBS continue 2 years after treatment
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder affecting 10 — 20 per cent of people. Abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel habit significantly affect patient’s quality of life and can force them to take days off work. Previous research (the ACTIB trial) led by Professor Hazel Everitt at…
Novel combination of drugs may overcome drug-resistant cancer cells
Cancer cells can adapt and develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs, making it difficult to eradicate tumors. A new study led by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggests that a combination of three drugs, including a new class of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase inhibitors, could overcome cross-therapy resistance. The results of the…
Single enzyme helps drive inflammation in mice, provides target for new sepsis drugs
Sepsis occurs when the body goes overboard in its attempt to fight off an infection. Immune cells rush in, overreact and wreak havoc on tissues and organs, often resulting in organ failure and death. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine recently found that removing the enzyme…
Pancreatic cancer: Less toxic, more enduring drug may improve therapy
Unlike many other cancers, most pancreatic tumors are rock hard. “That’s one reason why pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer,” says Kenneth Olive, PhD, associate professor of medicine and pathology & cell biology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and a pancreatic…
Cardiac device complications vary widely among hospitals
The chances of patients experiencing complications after having a cardiac device implanted vary according to where they have the procedure. A study of 174 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that the quality of care people receive may account for the…
Mutation discovery leads to precise treatment for child with severe lymphatic disorder: A repurposed drug reshapes anatomy, brings dramatic clinical improvement
Faced with a preteen boy in pain and struggling to breathe from a severe, deteriorating rare condition, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia identified the responsible gene mutation and harnessed that knowledge to develop a novel treatment that dramatically improved the problem. The patient had been born with a complex…
Clinical trial improves treatment of genetic rickets
A new study shows a drug developed in conjunction with investigators at Indiana University School of Medicine to alleviate symptoms of a rare musculoskeletal condition is significantly more effective than conventional therapies. The findings are published in Lancet. X-linked hypophosphatemia, or XLH, is a phosphate-wasting disease that causes rickets and…