Feature Channels: Respiratory Diseases and Disorders

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NIBIB-funded scientists used computers to model the formation of tuberculosis granulomas in the lung -- the non-active (latent) form of infection found in 2 billion individuals worldwide (11 million in the U.S.) that can activate to become a life-threatening infection. Employing a computer model aims to speed analysis of TB’s complex life-cycle and to identify potential new antibiotics, antibiotic targets, and biomarkers that can predict transition to active infection.

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Johns Hopkins researchers report they have figured out a root cause of the lung damage that occurs in up to 10 percent of premature infants who develop necrotizing enterocolitis, a disorder that damages and kills the lining of the intestine.

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The College of American Pathologists (CAP), the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), and the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) announced today the open comment period for the revised evidence-based guideline, “Molecular Testing Guideline for Selection of Lung Cancer Patients for EGFR and ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.”

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What used to take several weeks is now possible in two days: thanks to new molecular-based methods, mycobacterial pathogens that cause pulmonary infections or tuberculosis can now be detected much more quickly. Time-consuming bacteria cultures no longer need to be taken from the patient samples, meaning that a suitable therapy can be started quickly.

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For the first time in human application, Mayo Clinic researchers successfully closed an open wound on the upper chest caused by postoperative complications of lung removal. The protocol and approach were based on an ongoing trial investigating this method to treat anal fistulas in Crohn’s disease.

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Go here for the latest research, experts and features on Zika in the Zika Virus News Source

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Free radicals can reach the endoplasmic reticulum, a cellular organelle that is critical in manufacturing and transporting fats, steroids, hormones and various proteins, and alter its function by oxidizing and damaging its most abundant and crucial to protein folding chaperone, Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI).

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Since the 1980s, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) – in which positive pressure is pushed through the nasal airways to help users breathe while sleeping – has been by far the most widely used treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With more than 18 million people experiencing OSA, a number expected to rise, new results from a Penn case study of a new device implanted in the chest called hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) offers promise for patients with moderate to severe OSA who cannot tolerate CPAP. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania will present data (abstract 0378) on their outcomes with hypoglossal nerve stimulation for the treatment of patients with sleep apnea at SLEEP 2016, the 30th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

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Being able to identify lung cancer “signature” through a simple breath test has emerged as one of the most promising ways to diagnose the disease. Now the test is being used to monitor for disease recurrence.

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Click here to go directly to the Food Science News Source

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A new study led by researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Genetic Disease Screening Program of the California Department of Public Health sheds light on some of those genetic mutations and the impact for those who carry them.

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Stony Brook University researchers believe the key to discovering better treatments for chronic lung diseases sits with the p73 gene. They found that this gene is the master regulator of a cell type that is responsible for constantly cleaning our airways from inhaled pollutants, pathogens and dust.

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A new three-year $1.1 million grant from NASA is helping several organizations fine-tune current red tide forecasts in the Gulf of Mexico with the goal of offering public health managers, coastal residents and visitors a forecast that better reflects coastal conditions on more localized scales.

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The UK Lung cancer screening trial (UKLS) has been successfully completed and demonstrated that patients with a high risk of developing lung cancer can be identified with early stage disease and have up to a 73% chance of surviving for five years or more. The UKLS trial was conducted by experts in the University of Liverpool.

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Bioabsorbable heart valves or blood vessels are designed to harness the body’s innate healing process, enabling the natural restoration of complex body parts as the synthetic graft is absorbed. At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, surgeons from the Bakoulev Center for Cardiovascular Surgery, Moscow report the results of implantation of bioabsorbable vascular grafts placed into five children born with serious cardiovascular anomalies. According to the investigators, this is the first-ever clinical trial of a bioabsorbable cardiovascular device.

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Little is known about mitral valve (MV) surgical outcomes within the largest US federal health system – the Veterans Administration (VA) Health System. At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, data presented from 40 VA cardiac surgery centers reveal that although MV repair rates increased from 48% in 2001 to 63% in 2013, a wide variability exists in repair rates among medical centers. This is especially important because MV repair mortality rates were significantly lower in patients with primary degenerative disease.

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A team of surgeons in Japan has developed a technique to relieve airway obstruction in children. The technique, known as external stenting (ES), expands and stabilizes the airway by suspending its wall to a rigid prosthesis placed around the bronchus or trachea. ES avoids the problem of granulation formation resulting from endolumenal corrective approaches, such as endoscopic stent placement. In a presentation at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, the researchers describe the ES technique in detail as well as report on indications, complications, and long-term outcomes.

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In an ongoing prospective study involving 1,311 patients from five nations, researchers found that untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated with increased risk of a Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Event (MACCE) -- cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), non-fatal stroke, and unplanned revascularization such as heart bypass surgery and angioplasty. The new research, from the Sleep and Stent Study, was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

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Protecting Sea Turtles, Juvenile Sea Stars, Wildfires to Increase in Alaska, and more in the Environment News Source

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During heart surgery, it is sometimes necessary to temporarily stop cardiac activity, a process known as cardioplegia. Specific myocardial protection techniques are necessary for pediatric use. At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, cardiac surgeons present the results of a prospective, randomized trial of pediatric heart surgery patients that shows that the del Nido cardioplegia solution, a new, long-acting agent, offers significant advantages over conventional cardioplegia, including reduced cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times and faster onset of action.

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New research has found that a process initiated in white blood cells known as neutrophils may lead to worse outcomes for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The discovery may help identify patients at higher risk for COPD progression, who might also show little benefit from standard treatments. The study was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

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Nearly half (48%) of patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma in The Epidemiology and Natural History of Asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens follow-up study (TENOR II) still had very poorly controlled (VPC) symptoms after more than a decade of treatment, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference. The risk of persistent VPC asthma was associated with specific demographic and clinical factors.

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Motivational interviewing, a goal-oriented, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change used in health coaching, is a feasible intervention that may reduce short-term readmissions for COPD patients. The study, which was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference, is the first available randomized study to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

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A rare, severe form of pulmonary hypertension, which up until now, has only been classified as a human lung disease, has also been discovered in dogs according to a Michigan State University study.

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Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have discovered a new molecule which has the potential to prolong the life of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF).

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When It Comes to Spring Allergies, Oak Pollen More Potent Than Pine; Food Allergies of Low-Income Kids Are Poorly Managed; Flowers Not to Blame for Allergies, and More in the Allergies Channel

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According to new research led by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) pulmonologist and critical care physician Mary B. Rice, MD, MPH, improved air quality in U.S. cities since the 1990s may not be enough to ensure normal lung function in children. The findings were recently published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, a journal of the American Thoracic Society.

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Doctors and scientists at the University of Southampton have used advanced 3D X-ray imaging technology to give new insight into the way an aggressive form of lung disease develops in the body.

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Scientists have identified a biological pathway that potentially explains why current asthma therapies don’t work well in many cases—and might be targeted to help those patients.

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Lung ultrasound has been shown to be highly effective and safe for diagnosing pneumonia in children.

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Researchers have found antibodies to the newly discovered influenza D virus in pigs, cattle, horses, goats and sheep, but not poultry. South Dakota State University doctoral student Chithra Sreenivasan has proven that the guinea pig can be used as an animal model and is developing a way to study the virus in living cells—trachea and lung epithelial cells from swine and cattle.

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Firefighters who responded in the first two days of the World Trade Center disaster and those who worked at the site for six months or longer are more likely to need sinus surgery than firefighters whose exposure to the site’s caustic dust was less intense or shorter term, according to new research published in the American Thoracic Society journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

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Xbox Kinects could be used in the future to assess the health of patients with conditions such as cystic fibrosis. Normally found in the hands of gamers rather than medics the Microsoft sensors could be used to assess the respiratory function of patients.

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A rescue inhaler can be a lifesaver during an asthma or COPD flareup, but using a rescue inhaler is complicated and misuse is common, putting patients’ lives at risk. An education strategy, called teach-to-goal, may help patients use their inhalers properly during these critical times, according to research published online ahead of print in the American Thoracic Society journal Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

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The State of Cancer Care in America: 2016 report, to be released on March 15 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), chronicles the current realities of the cancer care delivery system in the United States and examines trends in the oncology workforce and practice environment that are affecting patient care and access.

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The LEAP-ON study, an extension of the landmark LEAP Study that showed peanut consumption reduced the rate of peanut allergy, followed LEAP children for a year of peanut avoidance and found only 4.8% of the peanut consumers were allergic, compared to 18.6% of the peanut avoiders, a significant difference demonstrating that peanut allergy prevention persists.

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The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and LifeMap Solutions, a company developing innovative digital health solutions, announce international expansion of the free Asthma Health app to the United Kingdom and Ireland

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Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have created a novel model for studying a lung disorder of newborn babies.

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The 1,000 people in New Mexico fighting lung cancer may soon be able to breathe easier. The first of more than 10 new lung cancer clinical trials has just opened under the direction of Yanis Boumber, MD. The phase 3 clinical trial, called “Neptune,” opened January 28. It compares a combination of two immune drugs with standard chemotherapy.

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Most clinical studies have shown that renal denervation—a procedure that disrupts the nerves in the kidneys and prevents them from relaying signals—can treat drug-resistant hypertension, although a number have shown the procedure to be ineffective. A new study in American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology supports that renal denervation can treat hypertension and suggests that failures may be due to incomplete procedure. This research is highlighted as one of this month’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society’s APSselect program.

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A new UCLA-Stanford study has pinpointed two tiny clusters of neurons in the brain stem that are responsible for transforming normal breaths into sighs. The discovery may one day allow physicians to treat patients with breathing disorders.

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Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian have found that using corticosteroids in mothers at risk for late preterm delivery reduced the incidence of severe respiratory complications in their babies.

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Expiratory central airway collapse may have a stronger connection to underlying lung disease than previously believed. CT scans may make it a valuable biomarker for impending or worsening lung disease.

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An analysis of 145 different electronic-cigarette flavoring products reveals that many e-cigarette users may be exposed to a potentially harmful chemical, benzaldehyde. The highest concentrations were detected in vapor from cherry-flavored products.