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New study may offer a breakthrough in treating telomere diseases

Capping decades of research, a new study may offer a breakthrough in treating dyskeratosis congenita and other so-called telomere diseases, in which cells age prematurely.

21 Apr 2020

Report finds nearly half of the U.S. population breathing polluted air

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, which is responsible for dramatic improvements in air quality.

21 Apr 2020

Non-invasive, low-cost ventilator developed for regions with limited means

Researchers from the Biophysics and Bioengineering Unit of the UB have created a non-invasive low-cost ventilator, to support patients with respiratory diseases in areas with limited means.

21 Apr 2020

ATS publishes first official clinical practice guidelines for sarcoidosis

New guidance is available for physicians who must go through a number of steps to provide a probable diagnosis of sarcoidosis - an inflammatory disease that affects the lungs, lymph glands, and other organs.

20 Apr 2020

Do ACE inhibitors increase SARS-CoV-2 binding to ACE2?

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced clinicians and academicians to intensive research to find evidence for many conventional therapies. A new round-up editorial published in the journal Cardiovascular Research in April 2020 summarizes the current clinical grounds for and against the use of the commonly used angiotensin axis inhibitors in patients with COVID-19.

20 Apr 2020

Cost-effective plastic canopy system protects health workers at risk of airborne coronavirus infection

Researchers have designed a cost-effective, constant flow plastic canopy system that can help to protect healthcare workers who are at risk of airborne coronavirus infection while delivering non-invasive ventilation or oxygen via high flow nasal canula, according to a research letter published in the European Respiratory Journal.

20 Apr 2020

Remdesivir prevents COVID-19 progression to severe pneumonia, animal study shows

A team of scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, has tested the efficacy of remdesivir, a nucleotide analog prodrug with a broad antiviral activity, as a COVID-19 treatment.

20 Apr 2020

Smoking doubles risk of severe COVID-19 disease

The fatality rate among infected people increases among the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. Now, a new study published as a pre-print on medXriv, links smoking to the progression of COVID-19 disease, suggesting that the odds of disease progression is more than double in smokers.

20 Apr 2020

West Virginia University creates aerosol-blocking intubation boxes to prevent COVID-19 spread

Boxes, barriers, and shields of various types and designs are making their appearance the world around to protect vulnerable healthcare professionals and allied staff from picking up COVID-19 while undertaking their duties. One such new device is the intubation box from West Virginia University (WVU).

19 Apr 2020

Delayed clearance of SARS-CoV2 may explain why men fare worse than women

Researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine may have solved a mystery surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic: Why men infected by the virus generally show more severe symptoms and are more likely than women to die from COVID-19.

17 Apr 2020

A promising antiviral drug to fight COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 patients in a clinical trial at Houston Methodist Hospital are responding quickly to the antiviral drug Remdesivir. The trial's criteria allows for the treatment of patients early in their clinical course and, in some cases, at times where they might have otherwise been intubated.

17 Apr 2020

100th COVID-19 patient discharged from St. Luke’s Anderson Campus

St. Luke’s Anderson Campus discharged its 100th COVID-19 patient Wednesday. The Anderson Campus in Bethlehem Township is one of the Network’s 11 hospitals.

17 Apr 2020

Gimsilumab trial starts in first US patient with ARDS and COVID-19

The first American patient with COVID-19 and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been put on the drug gimsilumab at Temple University Hospital, as part of the BREATHE clinical trial. The trial, sponsored by Roivant Sciences, will evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous gimsilumab in preventing death in patients with COVID-19 and ARDS.

16 Apr 2020

Are overactive immune cells causing COVID-19-related deaths?

While the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating many regions, the world over, a new paper published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine in April 2020 describes the possibility that the critical or very severe cases of COVID-19 are due to the production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) due to hyperactivated immune cells.

16 Apr 2020

Specialized proteins could soak up excess cytokines in COVID-19 patients

One of the defining features of Covid-19 is the excessive immune response that can occur in severe cases. This burst of immune overreaction, also called a cytokine storm, damages the lungs and can be fatal.

16 Apr 2020

COPD lungs inundated by abnormal stem cells, research finds

Two internationally renowned stem cell experts have found an abundance of abnormal stem cells in the lungs of patients who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a leading cause of death worldwide.

16 Apr 2020

A sensor chip smaller than a ladybug records multiple lung and heart signals

During a stroll, a woman's breathing becomes a slight bit shallower, and a monitor in her clothing alerts her to get a telemedicine check-up.

16 Apr 2020

NICE guidelines strongly encourage COPD patients to quit smoking for COVID-19

Rapid guidelines just published by NICE on the treatment of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ‘strongly encourage’ patients to quit smoking.

16 Apr 2020

Regular exercise may reduce risk of deadly complication in patients with COVID-19

Regular exercise may reduce the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a major cause of death in patients with the COVID-19 virus, a top exercise researcher reports.

15 Apr 2020

Anosmia (loss of smell) confirmed as a clinical feature of COVID-19

Earlier last month, the association of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists in the UK issued a public statement advising patients with a sudden loss of smell or taste to get tested for COVID-19. They cited not only their own observations but those from numerous other ENT consultants the world around. A review of multiple papers on the sinus and nasal symptoms and signs related to the diagnosis of COVID-19, published in April 2020, in the journal Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, reiterates this finding.

15 Apr 2020