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Category: biotech/medical – Page 42

Hypertension With High-Risk Features in Cryptogenic Stroke: An Exploratory Analysis of the ARCADIA Randomized Clinical Trial

In an exploratory analysis of the ARCADIA randomized clinical trial, hypertension with high‑risk features was associated with modification of antithrombotic treatment effects after cryptogenic stroke. Among patients without high‑risk hypertension features, apixaban was associated with a lower risk of recurrent ischemic stroke or systemic embolism compared with aspirin.

This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial evaluates the association between hypertension with high-risk features and treatment effect.

Microfluidic chip reveals how living glioblastoma slices resist chemotherapy

Combining microchip engineering techniques with cutting-edge gene profiling, scientists at Columbia University have developed a new way to study drug responses in living slices of human brain tumor cells. The system, using a type of chip called a microfluidic device, has already revealed new details about how these aggressive tumors resist chemotherapy drugs and could help researchers develop more effective treatments.

The work grew from earlier efforts to study glioblastoma tumors removed from patients during surgery. “These samples that we’re getting from our colleagues who resect these tumors clinically, they’re alive, and we can actually do experiments directly on those surgical samples,” says Peter Sims, Ph.D., associate professor of systems biology at Columbia and senior author on the new study, which appears in the journal Lab on a Chip.

Long COVID is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease

People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine. The results show that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease is higher even among those who were not hospitalized during the acute infection.

Long COVID has become an increasingly significant health problem worldwide, and a growing number of studies suggest that the condition can lead to secondary cardiovascular diseases. To date, research has mainly focused on people who were hospitalized, while the risks for those who stayed at home or were treated at a GP are less well known. In the current study, the researchers investigated how often major cardiovascular events occur in these individuals compared with those without the diagnosis.

Of the just over 1.2 million people aged between 18 and 65 included in the study, around 9,000 had been diagnosed with long COVID, corresponding to 0.7%. Two-thirds of them were women. People who had previously had cardiovascular disease or been hospitalized for COVID-19 were excluded from this group.

Structural Characterization of Protein–Nucleic Acid Complexes: An Overview of the Recent Innovation in the Analytic Methods

The study of gene expression regulation systems, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and translational processes require in-depth knowledge of the structure and dynamics of protein–DNA and protein–RNA complexes. Furthermore, the discovery of the multiple roles played by different types of RNA, including within extracellular vesicles, has raised new questions about the systems responsible for stabilizing and transporting these RNAs. Over the years, numerous experimental approaches have been developed for the study of complexes between proteins and nucleic acids, both in terms of the type and degree of accuracy of the information they are able to provide. Furthermore, some techniques have proven suitable for monitoring dynamic processes, while others provide very high-resolution data.

This study refutes the hypothesis that coagulation contributes to persistent inflammation in treated HIV

https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.

Ivona Pandrea & team report that adding factor Xa inhibitor (Apixaban) to ART had no discernible effect on the pathogenesis of SIV infection and did not reduce hypercoagulability and inflammation.

1Department of Pathology and.

2Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

3Department of Pathology and.

4Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Continue reading “This study refutes the hypothesis that coagulation contributes to persistent inflammation in treated HIV” | >

Malaria rebound spurs AI-driven hunt for parasite genes linked to deadly cases

Despite decades of efforts to combat it, malaria remains a major global health threat. According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2025 World Malaria Report, about 282 million cases and approximately 610,000 deaths were recorded worldwide in 2024. Recently, there has been a slight rise in the number of cases again. Children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa are particularly affected.

While many millions of lives have been saved since 2000, progress is slowing down. Reasons for this include drug and insecticide resistance, the effects of climate change, and weak health systems. The WHO stresses that increased international efforts and innovative approaches are urgently needed to curb malaria in the long term.

“For over 100 years, the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine has been dedicated to researching and combating malaria,” says Prof. Jürgen May, Chairman of the BNITM Board. “In view of stagnating progress and new challenges, it is clear how important new scientific approaches are. A key factor here is the use of modern data analysis.

The Influence of Arterial Anatomy on Early and Late Outcomes of Carotid Artery Stenting

To identify anatomical risk factors for poor perioperative outcomes in patients treated with carotid artery stenting (CAS). To compare long-term results for patients with favourable and hostile anatomy (HA) for CAS.

Single-centre, retrospective study of patients who underwent CAS from 2004 to 2024 at a public hospital in Latin America. Anatomical data were extracted from preoperative imaging regarding the aorta, the supra-aortic trunks, and the internal carotid arteries (ICA). Short-term outcomes included the primary composite outcome of major stroke and death (S/D); any ischaemic neurological event (AINE); major stroke, any stroke. Multivariate analysis (MA) was performed to identify classifying anatomical factors regarding hostility to CAS. Long-term outcomes, defined as AINE; cumulative survival; major stroke-free survival; and stent primary patency (SPP), were analysed using Kaplan–Meier estimates.

MA associated hostile anatomy with complex ICA, defined as either significant tortuosity or near-occlusion. One hundred and eighty-seven CAS procedures were performed in 172 patients, of which 79 (42.3%) had HA. HA correlated with a higher perioperative incidence of AINE (p = .018), any stroke (p = .029), and S/D (p = .049), but not with major stroke (p = .054). At 5 years, the HA group presented higher cumulative incidence of AINE (p = 0,047) and lower SPP (p = 0,011). There were no differences between groups for cumulative survival and major stroke-free survival.

Bronchial Arterial Chemoembolization Combined with Tislelizumab for Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: An Exploratory, Prospective, Single-Arm, Phase II Trial

To assess the effectiveness and safety of bronchial arterial chemoembolization (BACE) combined with tislelizumab for advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Benefits and Harms of Dementia Screening for Family Members of Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Alzheimer disease and related dementias screening of adults ≥65 years in primary care had no significant benefits or harms on family member quality of life or psychological well-being.

Question How does screening adults aged 65 years and older for dementia in primary care affect their family members’ health-related quality of life, stress, and perceived readiness to provide care?

Findings In this randomized clinical trial that included 1808 patient-family member dyads, there was no significant difference in benefit of screening to family members, measured by physical and mental component summary scores, and no difference in harm, measured by depression and anxiety between the screen and no screen groups over time.

Meaning These findings suggest that screening older adults for dementia in primary care did not improve or worsen their family members’ quality of life or psychological well-being.

The Science of piRNA and Predicting Death With a Blood Test

Researchers have identified specific small non-coding RNA molecules, known as piRNAs, that may serve as potent biomarkers for predicting all-cause mortality. This breakthrough suggests that a single blood test could eventually quantify biological aging and help clinicians identify high-risk patients long before clinical symptoms of age-related decline emerge. More on the research.

A new study analyzed piRNA — first discovered in 2006 — as a strong predictor of short-term survival in older patients. It could one day be a simple blood test.

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