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Latest Medical News from Doctor TV

Pfizer says third shot of vaccine boosts COVID protection

New data show that protection from both doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine decreases slightly over time, but that a third dose significantly boosts levels of antibodies against several variants of the virus, including the highly contagious Delta variant that's now dominant in the United States. [...]

Highly potent, stable nanobodies stop SARS-CoV-2

Göttingen researchers have developed mini-antibodies that efficiently block the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and its dangerous new variants. These so-called nanobodies bind and neutralize the virus up to 1,000 times better than previously developed mini-antibodies. In addition, the scientists optimized their mini-antibodies for stability and resistance to extreme heat. This unique combination makes them promising agents to treat COVID-19. Since nanobodies can be produced at low costs in large quantities, they could meet the global demand for COVID-19 therapeutics. The new nanobodies are currently in preparation for clinical trials. [...]

Which voices led medical misinformation in the early stages of COVID?

In the early and thus far most devastating stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists were at a near loss on how to treat the deadly disease. The public was desperate for information. Consequently, two antimalarial drugs—chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine—were the subject of a Twitter storm in the marketplace of ideas known as social media. The medication was lauded as a potential cure: There was run on the medication, creating a shortage for those who used it for other medical indications, such as lupus. One person died and another was hospitalized after taking chloroquine as a prophylactic. [...]

Studies uncover details of 'exhausted' immune cells in patients with chronic infections

Chronic viral infections and cancer can cause "killer" T cells in the immune system to take on a state of dysfunction or exhaustion whereby they can no longer react to infectious invaders or abnormal cells like normal "memory" T cells. Two new studies led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in Nature Immunology provide insights into T cell exhaustion, which could lead to potential strategies to overcome it. [...]

EXPLAINER: Why masks are again advised for everyone indoors

Wait, we're supposed to wear masks again? Even if we are vaccinated? [...]

Ease access to opioid addiction medication, new research suggests

With overdose deaths surging during the COVID-19 pandemic, new findings from researchers at Oregon Health & Science University suggest easing access to a key medication to treat addiction. [...]

Drug that slows progression of ALS may provide the same benefit for people with Alzheimer's disease

Riluzole, a drug that has been used for more than 20 years to slow the progression of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, was shown in a pilot phase 2 study to slow brain metabolic decline and have a positive effect on cognitive performance versus placebo in people with mild Alzheimer's disease. The study was pre-published in a recent online issue of the journal Brain. The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) provided funding and expertise to study investigators, helping to bring this research into phase 2 clinical testing. [...]

NY to require state employees to get vaccines, or get tested

New York will require state employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by Labor Day or undergo weekly tests for COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. [...]

Researchers identify a cellular defect common to familial and sporadic forms of ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive and fatal degenerative disease affecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. "Sporadic" or non-inherited ALS, accounts for roughly 90% percent of cases, and 10% of cases are due to known genetic mutations. By studying lab-grown neurons derived from skin or blood cells from 10 normal controls, eight with an ALS causing mutation, and 17 with non-inherited ALS, researchers have found a possible starting point for the dysfunction that causes the disease. The study, which was published in Science Translational Medicine, was funded in… [...]

New tool predicts sudden death in inflammatory heart disease

Johns Hopkins University scientists have developed a new tool for predicting which patients suffering from a complex inflammatory heart disease are at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Published in Science Advances, their method is the first to combine models of patients' hearts built from multiple images with the power of machine learning. [...]