Clinical Trials & Research

How can we shift from a state of inattentiveness to one of highest attention? The locus coeruleus, literally the “blue spot,” is a tiny cluster of cells at the base of the brain. As the main source of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline, it helps us control our attentional focus. Synthesizing evidence from animal and human studies,

Mechanical engineering and materials science professor David Needham has shown that a slight increase in solution pH might be all it takes to turn a metabolic inhibiting drug, traditionally used to treat gut parasites, into a promising prophylactic/preventative nasal spray and early treatment throat spray for COVID-19. The results appear online on December 28 in

A recent randomized clinical trial from the United States (US) shows how daily use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) probiotic may protect against symptom development in instances when it is used as post-exposure prophylaxis within seven days after exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2). Study: Daily Lactobacillus Probiotic versus Placebo in COVID-19-Exposed

When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first arose, it spread across the world very rapidly, and many countries were forced to enact costly and restrictive measures in order to reduce the transmission rate. These included mandatory face masks, social distancing and even full lockdowns/stay-at-home orders. Most countries were worried that high numbers of cases could overwhelm

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* pre-print server, researchers used statistical and mathematical models to explore the progressive transmissibilities of B.1.177, Alpha, and Delta variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) circulating in England between September 2020 and July 2021. They modeled the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic during this period to

Under the changes, victims of domestic abuse will be allowed more time to report incidents of common assault or battery against them. Currently, prosecutions must commence within six months of the offense. Instead, this requirement will be moved to six months from the date the incident is formally reported to the police – with an

A team of investigators have discovered a genomic variant that may help clinicians predict which patients will experience cardiotoxicity from a widely used chemotherapy drug, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Circulation. The findings underscore the significance of identifying reliable predictive genomic biomarkers and their potential to improve the course of treatment plans

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers developed the K18-hACE2 transgenic (K18-hACE2) mouse with hACE2 expression directed by the epithelial cell cytokeratin-18 (K18) promoter to study severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‑CoV) pathogenesis. The mice were infected with the Pango B lineage, Delta, and Omicron variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers demonstrated the neutralization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant by select antibodies and used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures to reveal structural mechanisms for the maintenance of potent neutralization against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Study: Structural

In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, researchers investigated the potency of trimeric human nephrocystin SH3, TriSb92, a domain-derived antibody, against a conserved region in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs). Study: Intranasal inhibitor blocks Omicron and other variants of

In a recent study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers determined the neutralizing antibody (nAb) levels against various strains of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus disease 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in sera collected from individuals with varying degrees of immunity against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Study: Three doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine confer neutralising

When coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread across the world, many countries introduced methods to prevent transmission from rising. These included lockdowns, social distancing and closure of public spaces, but the most ubiquitous was the mandatory isolation of infected individuals for a period of time. This prevented the disease from being transmitted to individuals outside the

A study using artificial intelligence to analyze radiographs from thousands of patients after hip replacement surgery redefines the acetabular “safe zone” to help avoid the risk of dislocation, reports The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer. Two key angles – anteversion and

Thousands more first and second doses were administered last week compared with the week before, as the public are today reminded that the offer of a vaccine is still available and encouraged to come forward to protect themselves against Omicron. 221,564 first doses were administered in the week of 15 to 21 December in England,

Scientists at Scripps Research, University of Chicago and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a new Achilles’ heel of influenza virus, making progress in the quest for a universal flu vaccine. Antibodies against a long-ignored section of the virus, which the team dubbed the anchor, have the potential to recognize a broad

A new medRxiv* preprint study suggests that the immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is greater with a three-dose regimen than a two-dose regimen. Administering a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot produced a 1.7-fold increase in IgG levels one after one month compared to IgG levels one month after the second dose. Additionally,

A new medRxiv* preprint study awaiting peer review found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was correlated with a 30% lower risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization than the AstraZeneca two-dose vaccines. The findings were robust for at least six months when Delta was the dominant strain, showing that there were no differences in waning immunity between

A study recently published in the journal Nature has revealed that an activated pre-exposure innate interferon response in airways together with significantly reduced systemic interferon-stimulated populations are associated with relatively milder severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in children. Study: Local and systemic responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adults. Image Credit:

In a study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers evaluated potential public health implications of the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant of concern (VOC) Omicron, using a rapid computational prediction platform. Study: SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant predicted to exhibit higher affinity to ACE-2 receptor and lower affinity to

In a recent preprint study posted to the medRxiv* preprint server, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the impact and risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in cancer patients based on age, tumor type, and therapy. Study: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the global data involving 61,532

New research suggests that prenatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure increases the risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in the baby’s first year of life. The risk of neurodevelopmental disorders increased if COVID-19 infection occurred in the third trimester. The majority of diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders involved motor and language problems. Because children born to previously infected mothers

A computer analysis of hundreds of thousands of secure email messages between doctors and patients found that most doctors use language that is too complex for their patients to understand. The study also uncovered strategies some doctors use to overcome communication barriers. Experts on health literacy, as well as leading health care organizations, have advised

A medication typically used for treating diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), could also be used to prevent cardiovascular disease and major cardiovascular events, but a new study showed inequities in its use based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Looking at four years of data, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at

Recent studies indicated that the effectiveness of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines especially the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) and BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccines, against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was high for US veterans who were vaccinated in January and February of 2021. However, the emergence of the Delta variant of concern

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Sanofi – one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies – have signed a new agreement for donations of medicines to sustain specific efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). This decades-long collaboration exemplifies a successful public–private partnership that has created meaningful impact in several countries and has brought sleeping

High pressure (hyperbaric) oxygen resolves severe breathing difficulties in COVID-19 patients much more quickly than standard therapy, taking an average of 3 rather than 9 days, reveal the results of a small comparative clinical trial published online in Emergency Medicine Journal. This method of oxygen delivery is safe and effective for treating very sick COVID-19

INTEGRA Biosciences provides an extensive range of multichannel and electronic pipettes – as well as robotic-assisted platforms – to help increase the throughput of your cell culture workflows. Switching to electronic pipettes or automated systems has been proven to offer significant advantages over manual processes, providing reproducible results with fewer handling errors, while eliminating the

When it comes to finding effective treatments against coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), researchers are finding there’s little need to reinvent the wheel. Repurposing existing treatments for other conditions may be effective in inhibiting viral infection and reducing symptoms of severe infection. Study: A signaling pathway-driven bioinformatics pipeline for predicting