A pioneering clinical trials program that delivered an experimental treatment directly to the brain offers hope that it may be possible to restore the cells damaged in Parkinson's disease. The study investigated whether boosting the levels of a naturally-occurring growth factor, Glial Cell Line Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF), can regenerate dying dopamine brain cells in patients with Parkinson's and reverse their condition, something no existing treatment can do.

A 3D hydrogel created by researchers in U of T Engineering Professor Molly Shoichet's lab is helping University of Ottawa researchers to quickly screen hundreds of potential drugs for their ability to fight highly invasive cancers. Cell invasion is a critical hallmark of metastatic cancers, such as certain types of lung and brain cancer. Fighting these cancers requires therapies that can both kill cancer cells as well as prevent cell invasion of healthy tissue.

UC San Francisco researchers have created a proof-of-concept method for ensuring the integrity of clinical trials data with blockchain. The system creates an immutable audit trail that makes it easy to spot any tampering with results - such as making the treatment look more effective or diminishing side effects.

A well-known, four-year study found popular arthritis drug Celebrex no more dangerous for the heart than older drugs in its same classification - commonly called NSAIDs. Now, a big-data analysis of patient records at Vanderbilt University has found a link specifically between Celebrex and heart valve calcification.

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have few treatment options. Medications currently available or in development either target only a subset of DMD patients with a particular genetic mutation or cause significant side effects. The investigational drug edasalonexent, an oral NF-κB inhibitor, has the potential to slow the progression of the disease for all patients with DMD.

Salt apparently affects allergic immune reactions. A team working with Prof. Christina Zielinski at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has demonstrated in cell cultures that salt leads to the formation of Th2 cells. These immune cells are active in allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis. The team also detected elevated salt concentrations in the skin of patients.

With their ability to treat a wide a variety of diseases, spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are poised to revolutionize medicine. But before these digitally designed nanostructures can reach their full potential, researchers need to optimize their various components. A Northwestern University team led by nanotechnology pioneer Chad A. Mirkin has developed a direct route to optimize these challenging particles,