News

Sublingual immunotherapy was developed nearly 30 years ago as an alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy, an alternative that might trigger fewer systematic reactions such as anaphylaxis.

Thymoma is rare and most known for its presence in 15% of patients who have myasthenia gravis. Thymoma tumors can be quite large. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for thymoma, but when thymoma recurs (as it does in 10% to 30% of patients), the best course of action is often unclear.

Cardiologists have discussed the pros and cons of drug-eluting stents (DES) for several years. Some evidence seems to indicate that DES reduce risk of restenosis or ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. They may, however, be more prone than bare metal stents to late (beyond 1 year) and sudden coronary artery occlusion.

US health care workers' concern over protecting themselves from Ebola infection may have compromised the care of some patients who turned out not to have Ebola, but whose care was delayed until Ebola test results were done. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Dec. 5 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, at least 2 patients who tested negative for Ebola died from other causes.

Women with rheumatoid arthritis are at greater risk for respiratory-related death than women without the disease, according to data presented at the 2014 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

Results from a study published in the International Journal of MS Care suggest that magnetic resonance imaging may be used to identify asymptomatic patients who are at higher risk for developing multiple sclerosis.

A committee for the European Medicines Agency has recommended approval for a hepatitis C drug combination, a key step to winning European marketing authorization for the drug maker AbbVie. The recommendation for marketing authorization is for AbbVie's investigational drug named Exviera (dasabuvir) and Viekirax (ombitasvir, paritaprevir and ritonavir) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in combination with other medicine.

A study with rats appears to show promise for a drug that could help axons crushed in spinal cord injuries regenerate. Reporting in Nature Bradley Lang PhD, lead author of the study and a graduate student in the Lab of Jerry Silver, PhD, a professor of neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University School Medicine, say they found a way to design a drug that would help axons grow without having to touch the healing spinal cord.

The US Food and Drug Administration recently rejected a bid by Bristol-Myers Squibb to win regulatory approval for its hepatitis C drug daclatasvir, pending further information requested in a Complete Response Letter issued by the agency.

Could multiple sclerosis be caused by a "rogue protein" that attacks the central nervous system? That's the hypothesis of a research team from the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK and researchers at the University of Texas Houston Medical School's Mitchell Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Brain Disorders.

Genetic mutations likely case more cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) than previously thought, according to a new study in Annals of Neurology.

Results from a recent study show that weak bile acid absorption leads to chronic diarrhea among cancer patients.

Surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which entails tonsil and adenoid removal, also improved asthma in affected children, research suggested.

Chikungunya (CHIKV) virus infection can be hard to distinguish from dengue. Both of these mosquito-borne, acute febrile illnesses have become endemic in the Caribbean and the Americas, with locally acquired cases also starting to turn up in Florida. A new proactive household CHIKV surveillance program begun in January 2014 in Puerto Rico found that cross-testing for dengue and CHIKV found that the actual incidence of CHIKV is higher than thought. By visiting households in addition to getting reports from public health agencies, the CDC found 282 cases per 100,000 residents.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today the approval of a new use for Jakafi (ruxolitinib) to treat patients afflicted with polycythemia vera, a chronic type of bone marrow disease associated with phlebitis, splenomegaly, and other potentially severe symptoms.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) investigators had identified Carbon Monoxide (CO) as a viable agent in fighting off bacterial infections.

University of Michigan (UM) C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health found a large majority of parents – 74% – would remove their child from a daycare where other kids are unvaccinated.

Individuals with airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal suggested.

ZMapp, an experimental antibiotic, pinpointed weak spots on the Ebola virus (EBOV)'s surface, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) discovered.

A study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found the common bed bug could transmit Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), a parasite, which causes Chagas disease.

Researchers report that nutrition treatment for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) aged 65 or older helps reduce of lengths of stay, hospital costs, and probability of returning to the hospital within 30 days.

Researchers report that patients diagnosed with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who were treated with ixekizumab, an investigational anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, have maintained a favorable clinical response over a year-long course of treatment.

Researchers compared the effectiveness of biologics approved in Europe for the treatment of plaque psoriasis based on their performance as measured by primary endpoints in clinical trials.

Diabetes, particularly poorly controlled diabetes, seems to be associated with late-life dementia. Study results show that African Americans with longstanding diabetes are at risk for accelerated cognitive decline.

Clinicians are most likely to prescribe amiodarone when they see patients who have recurrent ventricular dysrhythmias; paroxysmal supraventricular dysrhythmias including atrial fibrillation and flutter; and or need sinus rhythm maintenance after electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation.

Also known as alternate day fasting, "zigzag" caloric cycling calls for the dieter to eat the number of calories required to maintain weight one day, and then 25% of his or her energy needs on the fast day. Studies have shown that individuals who are compliant with this pattern can lose 4% to 8% of their body weight over 8 to 12 weeks.

According to a recent study published in JAMA Dermatology, a longer wavelength laser is an effective treatment option for keratosis pilaris (KP), a skin condition in which skin proteins form hard plugs within hair follicles, for improving skin roughness and textural irregularities.

While there are currently no active cases of Ebola virus infection in the United States, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that 35 hospitals across the country are now designated treatment centers for the virus.

Although the introduction of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of achalasia, a condition that affects the ability of the esophagus to move food into the stomach, has caused quite a stir, clinicians are reminded to consider additional factors when discussing therapeutic options.

Amgen and AstraZeneca recently announced AMAGINE-2TM, a pivotal, multi-arm Phase 3 clinical trial, met all primary endpoints for brodalumab, an experimental drug designed for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treatment.