November 2020 - Page 5 of 6 - BioMedWire (BMW)

ThursdayNov 05, 2020 1:00 pm

Research Discovery Suggests Fitness Trackers Could Identify COVID-19 Infections

In a study published last week in “Nature Medicine,” a group of researchers from the Scripps Research Translational Institute discovered that wearable fitness devices may improve public health efforts to control the coronavirus. The data analyzed was collected in the DETECT study, which was launched on March 25. The smartphone app gathers activity tracker and smartwatch data from consenting participants. It also collects the participants’ self-reported symptoms as well as diagnostic test results. Any adult living in the United States can participate in the study; all you have to do is download the MyDataHelps app. The team noted that devices…

ThursdayNov 05, 2020 11:30 am

How to Prepare for Future Pandemics

More than a century ago, the Spanish flu pandemic spread across the globe, claiming the lives of an estimated 50 million people. Unlike today, there were no mechanical ventilators, diagnostic tests or anti-inflammatory medications apart from aspirin. The first vaccines of the diseases weren’t even available until 1936, almost two decades after the destruction of the Spanish flu. According to forecasts by the Imperial College London, approximately 1.3 million people will succumb to the coronavirus this year. Many factors have reduced the mortality rates of the disease, including advanced technology and better execution of social-distancing measures. In the United States…

WednesdayNov 04, 2020 3:07 pm

Brain Scientific Inc. (BRSF) Is ‘One to Watch’

Brain Scientific is a commercial-stage health care company aiming to modernize the brain diagnostics market by employing cutting edge technologies to bridge the widening gap in access to neurological care The company’s current offerings are the NeuroCap(TM) and NeuroEEG(TM) – two FDA-cleared devices delivered by wholly owned subsidiary MemoryMD Inc. The company’s intellectual property portfolio includes three patents in the U.S., China and Europe Brain Scientific is developing new products, including disposable EEG headsets for pediatric patients, long-term monitoring solutions and artificial intelligence options for monitoring and recording brain activity The company was selected as a finalist at the 2020…

WednesdayNov 04, 2020 1:30 pm

New Sensors Help Monitor Bone Health Around Dental Implants

In a study published in the “IEEE Sensors Journal” on Sept. 25, 2020, scientists developed a sensor that can be integrated in dental implants to monitor bone growth. This avoids the need for multiple X-rays of the jaw. Presently, dentists use X-rays to observe jaw health after a patient gets a dental implant. Dental X-rays require low doses of radiation, and we all know that undergoing too many X-rays isn’t good for human health. This new sensor, on the other hand, not only passively monitors bone growth but also reduces the frequency with which patients neet X-rays after receiving dental…

WednesdayNov 04, 2020 12:00 pm

How AI Can, Cannot Help in Search for Coronavirus Vaccine

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the development of coronavirus vaccines, which started barely three months after the virus was first identified in China, has revolutionized the way vaccines are developed. According to the World Health Organization, in September 34 different vaccines were being tested in humans and an additional 145 vaccine candidates had tests being conducted in the lab or on animals. These are surprising numbers, especially considering that it takes years, sometimes decades, to develop a vaccine. Up until the COVID-19 outbreak, the mumps vaccine was the fastest-produced vaccine with a four-year record of development, from sample…

TuesdayNov 03, 2020 12:00 pm

Lab-Grown Miniature Lungs Mimic Real Lungs in All Ways, Researchers Find

A group of researchers has grown a lung-model in the lab that mimics the alveoli, which are fragile lung air sacs where lung damage as well as the COVID-19 infection occurs. This advancement has allowed Duke University researchers to observe the fight between lung cells and the SARS-CoV-2 cells at great molecular scale. The SARS-CoV-2 virus harms the alveoli. This leads to acute respiratory distress and pneumonia, which is the main cause of death in coronavirus patients. Researchers have been hindered in coronavirus studies due to the absence of experimental models that imitate human lung tissues. However, the team, led…

TuesdayNov 03, 2020 10:00 am

Researchers Can Predict Whether Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Will Respond to Treatment

A new study conducted by researchers at the Queen Mary University of London has produced innovative biomarkers that can be used to predict patient responsiveness to DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs). Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disorder that can affect not only one’s joints but also blood vessels, heart, lungs, eyes and skin. The disease causes painful swelling that results in joint deformity and bone erosion. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are usually treated using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. This is despite the fact that almost 50% of rheumatoid arthritis patients are unresponsive to DMARD treatment. Up until now, no method was available…

MondayNov 02, 2020 12:00 pm

Korean Researchers Develop Artificial Coating to Avert Bone Inflammation

Due to population aging, bone disease is becoming increasingly widespread. This trend has led to an increase in the use of orthopedic and dental implants to treat the condition. We can trace the history of implants all the way back to 1 AD, when wrought iron was fashioned into dental implants in ancient Rome. Despite the long history, various challenges are still linked to implant procedures, including inflammation or a loose implant stemming from slow fusing to the bone tissue. To help mitigate these problems, an attempt has been made to coat implant materials with artificial bone, which has the…

MondayNov 02, 2020 11:33 am

VistaGen Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTGN) Preclinical Study Data Show Drug Combo’s Innovative Potential in Fight Against Major Depressive Disorder

Study results have exciting therapeutic potential across wide range of CNS indications. VTGN focused on developing new generation of medications to treat anxiety, depression and more. Company committed to finding treatment to help estimated 264 million people around the world who suffer from depression. Noting that 17.3 million adults in the United States have had at least one major depressive episode and some 264 million people around the world suffer from depression, VistaGen Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VTGN) is committed to finding effective treatments for depression that reach beyond the current standard of care, which includes oral antidepressants and oral atypical antipsychotics.…

MondayNov 02, 2020 11:04 am

CNS Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CNSP) Announces Completion of Drug Manufacturing for Brain Cancer Trial

Houston-based CNS Pharmaceuticals is preparing to launch Phase 2 clinical testing of a novel brain cancer-fighting drug candidate called Berubicin early next year The biopharmaceutical company recently announced that a U.S.-based company contracted to make Berubicin has completed its production process and an Italian company working on a dual track in Europe is expected to finish by the end of the year Berubicin has shown promise in combatting Glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer commonly regarded as incurable. One participant in Berubicin’s Phase 1 trial remains cancer-free 14 years after the trial CNS Pharmaceuticals, with its sublicensee partner…