A new drug combination has been shown to delay disease progression and increase the longevity of mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The therapy, which combines minocycline, riluzole, and nimodipine, reduced muscle strength loss and nerve cell degeneration in ALS-mice.
Researchers have identified a new form of programmed cell death called paraptosis, characterized by the formation of vacuoles and mitochondrial swelling. This alternative pathway may offer novel therapeutic targets for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Two new research studies have shown significant promise for reducing joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, with a combination of infliximab and methotrexate halting progression and improving symptoms in patients. Etanercept also demonstrates efficacy in slowing joint damage and decreasing symptoms.
Researchers analyzed biologic, chemical, and genetic mechanisms to understand how SCA2 gene mutations cause damaged nerve cells. They found basic mechanisms in SCA2 cells differ from other genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting new treatment possibilities for ataxia and related conditions.
The TMJ Association has launched a national awareness campaign to raise awareness about jaw joint diseases, which affect over 10 million Americans, mostly women. The campaign aims to promote quality research and improved treatments for the condition, which causes debilitating pain and dysfunction.
A clinical trial of Enbrel in children with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis found significant improvement in joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. The drug was well-tolerated, with a 74% response rate among treated patients.
The Pan American Health Organization reports progress in controlling poliomyelitis, measles outbreaks, and Chagas' disease. The region has also seen a decline in cholera cases, with only 5% of reported cases in 1997 compared to six years earlier.
Using PET scans to track glucose metabolism, researchers can identify malignant tumors and detect early metabolic changes in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's. Serial scans also assess disease progression and therapeutic interventions.
Researchers found that heterozygous children with the delta 32 mutation experienced slower disease progression and delayed onset of severe immunodeficiency. This discovery provides important arguments for the beneficial effect of delta 32 heterozygosity on HIV disease progression in children.
Researchers found that certain patterns of immune responses to HIV during primary infection are highly predictive of an individual's subsequent rate of disease progression. The study suggests that the immunologic factors at work during this early period, as much or more than virologic factors, determine the outcome of HIV disease.