Trial shows hydroxychloroquine does not prevent COVID-19 in health care workers

University of Minnesota Medical School physician researchers studied hydroxychloroquine as a treatment to prevent COVID-19 for those with high-risk for exposure to the virus—health care workers.

Technology shines the light on ovarian cancer treatments

Scientists estimate that nearly 60% of all cancer patients do not respond effectively to chemotherapy treatments. Even worse—many of those same patients experience toxic and sometimes deadly side effects.

Scientists use gene therapy and a novel light-sensing protein to restore vision in mice

A newly developed light-sensing protein called the MCO1 opsin restores vision in blind mice when attached to retina bipolar cells using gene therapy. The National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, provided a Small Business Innovation Research grant to Nanoscope, LLC for development of MCO1. The company is planning a U.S. clinical trial for later this year.

COVID-19 interventions can cut virus infections, severe outcomes, and healthcare needs

Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as voluntary shelter-in-place, quarantines, and other steps taken to control the SARS-CoV-2 virus can reduce the peak number of infections, daily infection rates, cumulative infections, and overall deaths, a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE has found.

Existing heart drugs may help cancer patients respond better to PD(L)1 immunotherapy

Researchers have found that a class of commonly-used heart drugs may also improve patients' responses to anti-cancer immunotherapies called PD(L)1 inhibitors, according to preliminary findings to be presented at the 32th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, which is taking place online.

One mouse at a time: new approach to testing potential drugs for children's cancers

A team of researchers in the US and Australia have developed a way of testing potential drugs for children's cancers so as to take account of the wide genetic diversity of these diseases.

Researchers identify genetic variants linked to toxic side effects from bevacizumab

In the largest study of its kind, researchers have found two common genetic variants that can be used to predict whether or not cancer patients might suffer severe adverse side-effects from the drug bevacizumab.

Analyzing web searches can help experts predict, respond to COVID-19 hot spots

Web-based analytics have demonstrated their value in predicting the spread of infectious disease, and a new study from Mayo Clinic indicates the value of analyzing Google web searches for keywords related to COVID-19.