Medical Bulletin 11/March/2023

Here are the top medical news for the day:

Heart inflammation after COVID vaccine examined in new study

Billions of people worldwide have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Some instances of myocarditis (non-ischemic inflammation of the heart muscle) have been reported following administration of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Myocarditis can affect the heart’s rhythm and ability to pump blood and may leave behind lasting damage in the form of scarring of the heart muscle.

Researchers found evidence of heart muscle inflammation in a small number of patients with acute myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination, but not in patients without acute myocarditis, according to a study published in Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Reference:

Myocardial Inflammation on FDG PET/MRI and Clinical Outcomes in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Participants after COVID-19 Vaccination,Radiology Cardiothoracic Imaging.

Alzheimer’s treatment by transporting antibodies across the blood–brain barrier

AD is a common neurodegenerative disease that causes dementia. It is characterized by the accumulation of a protein called amyloid β (Aβ) in the brain, and a number of different toxic forms of Aβ have been identified that impair brain function, notably Aβ oligomers (AβOs).

Sometimes the best things in life come by chance, when we happen to be in the right place at the right time. Now, researchers from Japan have found a way to ensure that new medications are delivered to the right place in the body and at the right timepoint in disease progression, so that they have the best effect.

In a study published recently in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, researchers led by Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have revealed that a novel delivery system delivers treatment to where it is needed most in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Reference:

“Peripheral administration of nanomicelle‑encapsulated anti‑Aβ oligomer fragment antibody reduces various toxic Aβ species in the brain,” was published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology at DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-01772-y.

Nirogacestat improves outcomes for people with sarcoma, shows phase 3 clinical trial

Unlike most soft tissue sarcomas, desmoid tumors don’t spread to distant parts of the body. But these tumors can grow quite large and lead to disfigurement, disability, and debilitating pain. In rare cases, they invade vital organs, resulting in severe complications and even death.

When Dana Avellino, now 36, first noticed a lump near her groin in the summer of 2018, she thought it was related to her recent cesarean section. Her younger daughter was only 2 months old at the time. When a biopsy revealed that the lump was a sarcoma, a type of tumor that affects the body’s soft tissues, her doctors recommended that she go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), known worldwide for expertise in treating sarcomas.

Reference:

Dr. Gounder et al,Nirogacestat, a γ-Secretase Inhibitor for Desmoid Tumors,New England Journal of Medicine,doi 10.1056/NEJMoa2210140

Potential hemophilia treatment trial

Hemophilia A is a rare bleeding disorder caused by a mutation in the gene encoding factor VIII, effectively stopping clotting activity. The condition causes repetitive bleeding into joints beginning in early childhood and can be life-threatening. Severe hemophilia A is when a person’s factor VIII level is less than one per cent of normal.

A global study involving McMaster University researchers has trialled a potential new treatment that could be a game-changer for people living with hemophilia A, a life-threatening genetic blood disorder.

Reference:

Von Drygalski, A., Chowdary, P., Kulkarni, R., Susen, S., Konkle, B. A., Oldenburg, J., Matino, D., Klamroth, R., Weyand, A. C., Jimenez-Yuste, V., Nogami, K., Poloskey, S., Winding, B., Willemze, A., & Knobe, K. (2023). Efanesoctocog Alfa Prophylaxis for Patients with Severe Hemophilia A. The New England Journal of Medicine,DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2209226.