The Lancet: Study estimates that, without vaccination against 10 diseases, mortality in children under five would be 45% higher in low-income and middle-income countries

Peer-reviewed / Simulation or Modelling / People A new modelling study has estimated that from 2000 to 2030 vaccination against 10 major pathogens – including measles, rotavirus, HPV and hepatitis B – will have prevented 69 million deaths in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The study estimated that, as a result of vaccination programmes, those…

First hybrid gene therapy shows early promise in treating long QT syndrome

ROCHESTER, Minn. — In a new study published in Circulation, Mayo Clinic researchers provide the first preclinical, proof-of-concept study for hybrid gene therapy in long QT syndrome, a potentially lethal heart rhythm condition. Researchers demonstrated its potential therapeutic efficacy in two in vitro model systems using beating heart cells reengineered from the blood samples of…

NYU Dentistry awarded NIH grant to investigate oral cancer pain treatment utilizing co-delivery of DNA and RNA

NYU College of Dentistry clinician-scientists Seiichi Yamano and Brian Schmidt have set out to develop a new class of medicines using gene therapy to effectively and safely treat oral cancer pain. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded the researchers a five-year, $3,276,000…

Counties with more cannabis dispensaries show reduced opioid deaths

Counties with a greater number of cannabis dispensary storefronts experience reduced numbers of opioid-related deaths relative to other locales, a recent University of California, Davis, study has found. This is the first study to examine the association between active cannabis dispensary operations — both medical and recreational — and opioid-related mortality rates at the county…

A New Option for Morning-After Contraception?

Only two forms of “morning-after” contraception are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, both hormonal drugs taken orally as pills: levonorgestrel (Plan B One-Step and other brands, available over the counter) and ulipristal acetate (Ella, available by prescription). Observational studies strongly suggest that a nonhormonal copper intrauterine device (ParaGard) may also be effective. Now…