Although it is still too early, as only two dozen patients have taken part in the trial so far, scientists take an optimist view in the results. In the new treatment, specialists use a high dose of chemotherapy to knock out the immune system before rebuilding it with stem cells taken from the patient’s own blood.
Scientists from the University of San Luis Potosi in Mexico have proposed a new idea for detecting brain conditions including Alzheimer's - a skin test. Their work, which is at an early stage, found the same abnormal proteins that accumulate in the brain in such disorders can also be found in skin. Early diagnosis is key to preventing the loss of brain tissue in dementia, which can go undetected for years.
In a remarkable new advance against the virus that causes AIDS, scientists have announced the creation of a novel drug candidate that is so potent and universally effective, it might work as part of an unconventional vaccine.
The first rapid test for the Ebola virus, which can deliver a result in 15 minutes, has been approved by the World Health Organisation for use in west Africa. A quick and easy test that can be used in rural African settings rather than relying on the transport of samples to distant labs is much needed in the Ebola epidemic, and several companies have been working to produce one. The ReEBOV Antigen rapid test kit, which now has a WHO seal of approval, is made by Corgenix in the US. Instead of testing for the genetic material of the virus – its nucleic acid – the test detects the Ebola protein. It is less definitive, but trials have shown that it can correctly identify about 92% of Ebola-infected patients and clear 85% of those not infected with the virus.
Scientists have uncovered a marvel molecule that blocks a key driver of inflammatory diseases. The finding could meet a major unmet clinical need by inspiring new non-invasive treatments for arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Muckle-Wells syndrome, among a myriad of other inflammatory diseases.
Investigators have discovered the genomic switches of a blood cell key to regulating the human immune system. The findings open the door to new research and development in drugs and personalized medicine to help those with autoimmune disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis.
Scientists at the Medical Research Council's Clinical Sciences Centre at Hammersmith Hospital are scanning detailed 3D videos of the hearts of 1,600 patients and collecting genetic information from each volunteer. The aim is to develop new treatments by comparing the detailed information on the hearts and the patients' genes.
It has long been the belief that cerebral palsy occurs when a child experiences a lack of oxygen during pregnancy or at birth. However, the Australian Collaborative Cerebral Palsy Research Group, based at the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute, has found at least 14% of cerebral palsy cases are likely caused by a genetic mutation.
People who die of Ebola probably remain infectious for at least a week after death, according to a new study. The findings underscore how important it is to safely handle and bury corpses in the epidemic.
The halted trial was testing the antiviral drug brincidofovir at a clinic in Monrovia, Liberia. The developer of the drug, Chimerix, announced late Friday that it would no longer participate in the study.