Health & Medicine
Using patient datasets to track COVID-19 prevalence
Obtaining an accurate picture of COVID-19 cases has provided a major challenge throughout the pandemic. Changes in testing methods and skewed selection of higher-risk groups may bias the results. Dr Amy Hou, Dr Genevieve Pang, and Dr Lorrin Pang at the Hawaii State Department of Health, Maui District Health Office, US, propose a novel way to estimate local prevalence of […]
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Targeting cancer stemness: A new approach to target tumour metastasis in colorectal cancer
At COARE Holdings in the US, Dr Courtney W Houchen and Edwin Bannerman-Menson examine innovative ways to target and treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Their research focuses on the ‘stemness’ of cancer cells – a property by which the cells within a tumour are able to divide and give rise to every cancerous cell within the tumour. When these cancerous […]
Usher syndrome: Recent advances in our understanding of genes and therapeutics
Usher syndrome is a rare disease that affects the sensory systems of vision, hearing, and balance. Recent advances in scientific technologies reveal the genes involved in Usher syndrome, their varying phenotypic outcomes, and avenues for therapeutic development. Dr Aziz El-Amraoui of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, and Dr Gwenaelle Géléoc of Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in […]
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Month of birth, ultraviolet radiation exposure, and the development of major mental illnesses
Major mental illnesses (MMIs) are a significant global health burden. Recent data confirms that MMI is associated with an individual’s month of birth (MOB). Levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) vary during the calendar year, and over cyclic periods UVR intensity peaks. UVR can cause cellular mutations and affect epigenetic processes, therefore exposure at conception or during early gestation potentially has […]
Making strides in veterinary pathology: A dedicated career
Mast cell tumours and pancreatic diseases are common in dogs but also present to a lesser degree in other veterinary species, including cats and horses. For these and many other diseases of veterinary species, diagnostic methods and criteria were not well characterised and made determination of prognosis difficult. Changing this, with decades of research into the pathology of veterinary diseases, […]
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Improving the effectiveness of an anticancer fluoropyrimidine by molecular hybridisation
Capecitabine (Cape) – a fluoropyrimidine used primarily in the treatment of breast and colorectal cancer – disrupts the synthesis of DNA in cancer cells following its conversion to 5-fluorouracil (FU). Since FU has been associated with several potentially fatal side effects, Dr Thomas I. Kalman at the University at Buffalo and The State University of New York has developed a […]
Nanomedicine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and other viruses
While many viral infections can be prevented through vaccination, it can take a long time for vaccinations to be developed for new diseases and many people object to themselves or children taking vaccines. There is a high need for quicker, readily available alternative treatments. Serial entrepreneur Professor Thomas J Webster thinks this could be achieved using nanomaterials. Webster’s research has […]
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Facilitating open discussions: New guidelines for paediatric blended diets
Homemade blended diets are becoming more popular in children with long-term feeding tubes. Due to the challenges and intricacies of a blended diet, open discussions and multidisciplinary team working are crucial if we are to ensure consistency and plan for the best outcomes for the child and family. In 2020, Nestlé Health Science UK launched a paediatric tube feed containing […]
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Cooling Cryosim drops for treatment of cough
A cough can significantly impact our quality of life, disrupting sleep and daily activities. Coughing is usually a symptom of benign viral infections – but sometimes a cough can linger long after the infection has cleared and persist for months. There is a need for new treatments to alleviate lingering coughs. Professor Edward T Wei at the University of California, […]
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Unlocking the mechanism of action of arsenic trioxide in leukaemia
The blood cancer acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) has recently been transformed from a fatal condition to a curable one, thanks to the development of treatments including vitamin A1 and arsenic trioxide (ATO). Although very effective, the mechanism of action of ATO has remained unclear until now. Changing this is Professor Paul B Tchounwou and his team at Jackson State University, […]
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