Three months after her breakthrough surgery at NYU Langone Health, Towana Looney, the longest-living recipient of a genetically engineered pig kidney, is headed back home to Alabama. “I feel blessed,” said the 53-year-old grandmother. “I’m so grateful to be alive and thankful to have received this incredible gift. It couldn’t have happened without God and … Read more
This study is led by Dr. Haisheng Zhou (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, China) and Dr. Guoling Zhou (Center for Computational Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA). They have identified a crucial protein, G protein-coupled receptor 107 (GPR107), that plays a protective role in the kidneys of individuals with diabetic nephropathy … Read more
A physician-scientist at the University of Oklahoma is part of an international effort seeking new options for patients with head and neck cancer who cannot receive the standard chemotherapy drug cisplatin. Because cisplatin can damage the kidneys and cochlea, patients who have kidney problems or hearing loss are usually not candidates to take the drug. … Read more
Five regions in the U.S. have been selected to implement a new preventive health initiative to improve care for people with a cluster of chronic conditions known as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome. Through the initiative the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all, aims to increase awareness and screening … Read more
Sotagliflozin, a drug recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes and kidney disease with additional cardiovascular risk factors, can significantly reduce heart attack and stroke among these patients, according to results from an international clinical trial led by a Mount Sinai researcher. Sotagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT) inhibitor. … Read more
A new study published in JSCAI has revealed a lower risk of cardiovascular events for patients with Type 1 diabetes (often called juvenile diabetes) compared to those with Type 2 diabetes. The research highlights the differences between the two types of diabetes and provides new insights that could influence future treatment approaches. The study’s findings suggest … Read more
A global study on prostate and testicular cancers reveals rising prevalence and incidence but declining mortality, highlighting the need for targeted healthcare strategies. Study: Global burden and risk factors of male cancers from 1990 to 2021, with forecasts to 2040. Image Credit: Julien Tromeur / Shutterstock Prostate and testicular cancers are growing concerns for men’s health worldwide. … Read more
A mispositioned menstrual cup can block urine flow, leading to kidney swelling, as seen in a recent BMJ Case Reports case. A woman experienced pain and blood in her urine due to ureter obstruction from her menstrual cup. Her symptoms resolved after discontinuing its use. Though rare, similar cases have been reported. Doctors stress the … Read more
Patients with advanced kidney cancer who received an experimental vaccine after their tumours were removed were still cancer-free years later in a small early-stage trial, researchers reported in Nature. New vaccine wipes out kidney cancer recurrence: Is this the future of oncology?(Shutterstock) These were patients “where you know the risk of the cancer coming back … Read more
A groundbreaking clinical trial shows how a personalized cancer vaccine primes the immune system to target kidney cancer, preventing recurrence and offering new hope for patients with high-risk disease. Study: A neoantigen vaccine generates antitumour immunity in renal cell carcinoma. Image Credit: crystal light / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature, researchers demonstrated … Read more