Unique protein is a vulnerability in the malaria parasite
The malaria parasite is highly dependent on a unique protein for infecting new mosquitoes. This protein could be a target for the development of new drugs. Powerhouses of the cell Almost all cells in the body contain mitochondria: organelles that provide energy to power cellular…
Why don’t kids use their asthma medicines?
In a new analysis of interviews conducted with children who have asthma, their caregivers and their clinicians, researchers found that there was significant lack of agreement about why the kids miss their needed daily anti-inflammatory medication. A report on the findings, published in the Journal of…
Post-surgical opioids can, paradoxically, lead to chronic pain
Giving opioids to animals to quell pain after surgery prolongs pain for three weeks and primes specialized immune cells in the spinal cord to be more reactive to pain, according to a new study. The authors say the paradoxical findings could add a new wrinkle…
First-in-human clinical trial of new targeted therapy drug reports promising responses for multiple cancers
A phase I, first-in-human study reveals for the first time, an investigational drug that is effective and safe for patients with cancers caused by an alteration in the receptor tyrosine kinase known as RET. The drug appears to be promising as a potential therapy for…
Organoids created from patients’ bladder cancers could guide treatment
Researchers have created patient-specific bladder cancer organoids that mimic many of the characteristics of actual tumors. The use of organoids, tiny 3-D spheres derived from a patient’s own tumor, may be useful in the future to guide treatment of patients. The study was published today…
New guidance for safe opioid prescribing for hospitalized patients with acute pain
Even as current research demonstrates that hospitalized patients’ exposure to opioids has contributed to the nationwide addiction epidemic, there is little guidance on the safe prescribing of these pain killers in the inpatient, non-operative setting. Now, a national working group has developed a Consensus Statement…
Acupressure for menstrual pain
Can acupressure achieve a sustained reduction in menstrual pain? Is an app-based self-care program particularly attractive to young women? These questions addressed in a new study. Approximately 50 to 90 percent of young women experience pain during their periods. While this pain primarily manifests itself…
Attacking flu viruses from two sides
Researchers have discovered a new way in which certain antibodies interact with the flu virus. This previously unknown form of interaction opens up new possibilities for developing better vaccines and more efficient medication to combat the flu. Fever, shivering, headaches, and joint pains —…
Medical marijuana gets wary welcome from older adults, poll shows
Few older adults use medical marijuana, a new national poll finds, but the majority support its use if a doctor recommends it, and might talk to their own doctor about it if they developed a serious health condition. And two-thirds say the government should do…
Relationship between legal cannabis and opioid prescribing examined
Alternative methods of pain management have been a topic of discussion as the United States grapples with the opioid and heroin epidemic. New research finds that medical and adult-use cannabis laws were associated with lower opioid prescribing rates. In an article published in the Journal of…