Tag Archives:treatment
The aptamer BC007: for the treatment of “functional autoantibody diseases”. First developed for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Autoimmunity is accepted as the origin or amplifier of various diseases. In the mid-1970s, a new class of “so-called” functional autoantibodies that bind to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR-AABs) was identified for downstream pathologies. The related “functional autoantibody diseases”
Chagas disease a neglected ills without treatment
Chagas disease (CD) is transmitted by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, and was discovered in 1909 by the Brazilian medical doctor named Carlos Chagas. Until today, CD remains a serious public health problem, with more than 7 million
Magnetic stimulation to target auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe chronic mental disorder characterized by a range of symptoms, potentially including delusions, confused thinking, and hallucinations. One of the best-known symptoms is auditory verbal hallucination (AVH), also known as “hearing voices”, which
How to optimize pneumonia treatment for the elderly
Can you tell the age of this patient with pneumonia by looking at her chest X-ray (Fig. 1)? Neither can the germ infecting her. And yet there are unique aspects of treatment to know if the patient
How much alcohol is in ketamine`s antidepressant response?
The rapid and robust antidepressant action following a single intravenous sub-narcotic ketamine infusion (usually 0.5 mg/kg over 40 minutes) in the treatment of resistant major depression is unique and encouraging, albeit short-lasting (up to 7 days). Increasing
New therapy for the treatment of childhood bone cancer
Cancer in children and young adults is rare, with survival rates being very high, mainly depending on the treatment. The biggest proportion of this diagnosis will be on leukaemia and brain tumours, with just about 3% of
Methadone and quality of life: high, low or adjusted doses?
The usefulness of methadone in treating opiate addiction is unquestionable. It is a simple, clean and cheap treatment without any significant side effects. In recent decades, many institutions have written guides and have formulated recommendations advising the
Gum disease matters!
Periodontal diseases are abnormal processes affecting the gum, mostly gingivits and periodontitis. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gum, and periodontitis occurs when this inflammation progresses deeper into the gum affecting tooth support. Teeth are anchored to
The importance of clinical endpoints in lymphoma
Lymphomas, or neoplasms of the lymphoid system, include a broad array of cancers. The least aggressive, often called indolent, lymphomas (the most frequent of which is follicular lymphoma, FL) are characterized by their incurability. At the same
What do or should we value in the treatment for psychotic individuals?
Even with the biological approach adopted by mainstream psychiatry, it seems necessary to revitalize interest in the use of psychotherapy in the treatment of psychosis. Supporting this idea, there are compelling reasons. One of the most important
Uncomplicated type B acute aortic dissection: endovascular repair or best medical treatment?
Patients with uncomplicated type B acute aortic dissection (type B-AAD) are commonly treated with conservative therapy (best medical treatment [BMT]) although the long-term outcome of medical therapy alone is suboptimal, with a reported 30% to 50% mortality
Family, cholesterol and the genes from the ground up or why screening matters
In 1913, the “cholesterol theory” of atherogenesis was proposed. In the 1930s a genetic disorder, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), which is associated with elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high risk of heart attack at an
Women less likely than men to stick to cardiac rehab programs
心disease remains the leading cause of death in North America and it occurs more in women than in men. After a sudden heart event, women are more likely than men to die, more likely to have
How realistic is the potential global spread of Zika virus and should we all be worried?
Unless you have taken a holiday on Mars for the whole of this year no doubt by now you will have heard of Zika. This is the virus that has emerged in the last 18 months to
Treatment of sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis is an uncommon, poorly understood disorder that most often affects the chest. Its cause is unknown. While the outcome is, in general, favorable, a small number develop scarring of the lungs (fibrosis), which, if extensive, will
Discovering how treatments for emphysema might lead to infections
Smoking related lung diseases include emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smokers are also at increased risk of pneumonia – bacterial infections of the lung. Together COPD and pneumonia are ranked as the 3rd and 4th
Stroke mimics: Why we need to consider changing the protocol for stroke treatment
Stroke-like symptoms are not always what they seem. Certain disorders can mimic stroke symptoms, leading to the misdiagnosis of ischemic stroke in up to 19% of patients. Mistaking these stroke mimics with an actual stroke can have disastrous
A surgical treatment for high blood pressure
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 million Americans are diagnosed with high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension in the medical field. The majority of these individuals are not experiencing any symptoms
Vaccine research on Africa’s cattle-killing East Coast fever: A short (somewhat potted but handsomely illustrated) history
Tremendous research progress has been made over the last ten years to better control the deadly African disease of cattle known as East Coast fever. This disease is caused by a single-celled organism, Theileria parva, which is carried
