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…

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COVID-19: 1 in 3 adults anxious, depressed

SINGAPORE, 28 January 2021 – One in three adults, particularly women, younger adults, and those of lower socioeconomic status, are experiencing psychological distress related to COVID-19, researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, reported in the journal PLOS ONE. COVID-19 continues to pose serious threats to public health across the globe, and interventions such as lockdowns,…

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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…

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Rites of Passage

As January ends, we’re approaching one year of quarantine. How do we understand a year in which we’ve spent weeks, months and seasons mostly apart, our plans upended? We might not be able to yet. But we’ve found ways to cope: marking time, developing routines, creating novelty, getting accustomed to the two-dimensional world of video…

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