Landmark clinical trial to help juvenile idiopathic arthritis sufferers
A clinical trial funded by Arthritis Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) led by professors from the Universities of Liverpool and Bristol has discovered a drug combination that could help thousands of children with arthritis. Over 5,000 children and adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in the UK are likely to develop uveitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the middle layer of the eye.
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Research moves closer to unraveling mystery cause of multiple sclerosis
A new study has made a major new discovery towards finding the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way for research to investigate new treatments. Ahead of MS Awareness Week, which starts today, an international team involving the University of Exeter Medical School and the University of Alberta has discovered a new cellular mechanism - an underlying defect in brain cells - that may cause the disease, and a potential hallmark that may be a target for future treatment of the autoimmune disorder.
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Research uncovers life-saving benefits in the battle against viruses
At-risk patients, such as those with HIV or transplant recipients, could benefit from potentially life-saving study carried out by a University of Surrey led group of international researchers. The research, led by Professor Vince Emery, Senior Vice-President (Global Strategy and Engagement) and Professor of Translational Virology at the University of Surrey, has developed a model that will provide vital insight into how best to help patients with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, particularly those who have undergone organ transplantation.
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Fungi have enormous potential for new antibiotics
Fungi are a potential goldmine for the production of pharmaceuticals. This is shown by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, who have developed a method for finding new antibiotics from nature's own resources. The findings - which could prove very useful in the battle against antibiotic resistance - were recently published in the journal, Nature Microbiology.
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Scientists discover how a decades-old drug reduces the size of a heart attack
Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) have discovered a new mechanism of action of metoprolol, a drug that can reduce the damage produced during a heart attack if administered early. The team led by Dr. Borja Ibáñez, Clinical Research Director at the CNIC and cardiologist at the Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital Health Research Institute (IIS-FJD), has identified the mechanism that explains why this drug is so beneficial: rapid administration of metoprolol during a heart attack directly inhibits the inflammatory action of neutrophils, a type of blood cell.
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Trial of new triple inhaler shows 20 percent reduction in COPD flare-ups
Flare-ups in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the UK's fourth leading cause of death, can be reduced by 20% by a combined triple inhaler, according to the results of a trial of more than 2,000 people conducted by The University of Manchester. The study, published in the Lancet, contains the results of a year-long trial involving 2,691 patients.
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More reliably predicting what will work
The translation of preclinical research findings into effective treatments continues to deliver unsatisfactory results. When experimental diagnostic and treatment approaches are applied in practice, many of them fail. What are the reasons behind this? A recent study by researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) has shown that a more flexible approach to study design can significantly improve the efficiency of preclinical research.
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