Here is your latest research news for June, 2022. Stay up to date on monthly research updates with us! Sanguine is currently recruiting for 51 research studies. Check out the latest Sanguine studies here.
Inhaled COVID-19 Vaccine: In a Phase 1 clinical trial, researchers are evaluating the efficacy of an inhaled COVID-19 vaccine that targets multiple proteins. Researchers hope that this type of vaccine will help reduce production costs and help increase vaccine accessibility throughout the world.
Walgreens: Walgreens has launched a new clinical trials business in which it hopes increase patient diversity in clinical research. Walgreens will be opening clinical trial sites in Austin, Los Angeles, and San Fransisco.
Tumor Gone: In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, all 12 patients of a rectal cancer clinical trial responded well to the investigational treatment- checkpoint inhibitors- and showed no evidence of tumors by the end of the trial. Researchers still need to evaluate the cancer’s absence and emphasize that the study must be replicated with a larger cohort.
Sickle Cell Disease Research News Updates
Gene-Editing Sickle Cell Therapy: In a Phase 3 clinical trial, exagamglogene autotemcel (exa-cel), an experimental gene-editing cell therapy, increased fetal hemoglobin levels and prevented VOCs in 31 patients. The treatment is being developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics. Findings show that exa-cel may be an effective treatment for severe sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.
Voxelotor for SCD Treatment: A recent study shows that voxelotor continues to be an effective treatment for sickle cell disease. The study also found that voxelotor and hydroxyurea seemed to have a complementary effect in that patients taking both treatments experienced more robust hematologic improvements.
Lupus Research News Updates
Lupus Drug: The lupus drug, deucravacitinib, will now be moving into Phase 3 of clinical trial. So far the drug has been safe and effective in research participants and those receiving the oral treatment have shown a decrease in disease activity compared to those receiving the placebo.
Males with cSLE: Research shows that males with childhood onset Lupus SLE (cSLE) experience early and severe kidney involvement and high rates of kidney disease relapse. Over half of adults and children with lupus develop lupus nephritis. These findings highlight the importance of early detection and preventative measures. More research is needed to better understand this small but specific subpopulation.
Autoimmune Disease Research News Updates
Autoantibodies: In a study published by Arizona State University, researchers explored autoantibodies; autoantibodies play a major role in the onset of autoimmune conditions. Researchers observed that autoantibodies are also found in as many as 40% of healthy individuals that are tested, but don’t appear to lead to disease. This finding suggests that autoantibodies may not be an effective diagnostic tool for autoimmune disease. However, better understating of these autoantibodies will ultimately help researchers develop better treatments.
Schizophrenia and Autoantibodies: Researchers have identified a specific autoantibody in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a disease that affects an individual’s perception of reality. Researchers isolated the autoantibody and injected it into mice brains and found that the treated mice, despite only having the autoantibody for a short period of time, displayed schizophrenia-like changes and behaviors. This finding is a new development in scientists’ understanding of the onset of schizophrenia.
By: Neelem Sheikh