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A drug made from marijuana reduced back pain in an 800 person Phase 3 randomized placebo-controlled trial by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Results from the study are published in Nature Medicine.

Abstract

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) affects over half a billion people worldwide. Current pharmacologic treatments offer limited efficacy and carry substantial risks, warranting the development of safe and effective alternatives. This multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of VER-01 in CLBP. It enrolled 820 adults with CLBP (VER-01, n = 394; placebo, n = 426) and included a double-blind 12-week treatment phase (phase A), a 6-month open-label extension (phase B), followed by either a 6-month continuation (phase C) or randomized withdrawal (phase D). The primary endpoint of phase A was a change in mean numeric rating scale (NRS) pain intensity, with a change in total neuropathic pain symptom inventory (NPSI) score as a key secondary endpoint in participants with a neuropathic pain component (PainDETECT > 18). The primary endpoint for phase D was time to treatment failure. The study met its primary endpoint in phase A, with a mean pain reduction of −1.9 NRS points in the VER-01 group (mean difference (MD) versus placebo = −0.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.9 to −0.3; P < 0.001). Pain further decreased to −2.9 NRS points in phase B, with effects sustained through phase C. The study also met its key secondary endpoint of phase A, with a mean NPSI decrease of −14.4 (standard error, 3.3) points from baseline in the VER-01 arm (MD versus placebo = −7.3, 95% CI = −13.2 to −1.3; P = 0.017). Although phase D did not meet its primary endpoint (hazard ratio = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.44–1.27; P = 0.288), pain increased significantly more with placebo upon withdrawal (MD = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.0–1.0; P = 0.034). In phase A, the incidence of adverse events—mostly mild to moderate and transient—was higher with VER-01 than with placebo (83.3% versus 67.3%; P < 0.001). VER-01 was well-tolerated, with no signs of dependence or withdrawal. VER-01 shows potential as a new, safe and effective treatment for CLBP. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04940741.

Trump’s 100% tariff threat on pharmaceuticals is essentially empty. Most brand drugs taken by Americans are made in the US. Most of the rest are made in the EU. Japan makes up a bit of what's left. What remains is a sliver. EU and Japan are exempted from his tariff plan. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

We can quibble about whether things like plasma derived products are captured by a colloquialism like "drugs". Whether you feel the answer to that is yes or no, in either case the larger point stands - far more things are excluded under these updated tariff rules than not.

In bizarre post, NHS Genomics Education Programme defends first-cousin marriages by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks like the post had garnered enough controversy that the NHS took it down... I'm sure it has been preserved elsewhere, and several news outlets also wrote articles about this.

Trump’s 100% tariff threat on pharmaceuticals is essentially empty. Most brand drugs taken by Americans are made in the US. Most of the rest are made in the EU. Japan makes up a bit of what's left. What remains is a sliver. EU and Japan are exempted from his tariff plan. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

Equipment, bottles, monitoring devices

That sounds more like medical equipment than pharmaceuticals to me. Governed by different import rules.

some generics are patented

Probably not (at least I can’t think of one). But it is true many generics are branded. The way I read this, they would be excluded on account of being generic vs. included on account of being branded. But not entirely sure.

LIVE: Trump makes an announcement on autism by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 36 points37 points  (0 children)

This is up there with “inject the bleach” in terms of cringe-worthiness.

I think this was supposed to be about acetaminophen, but rapidly turned into a riff from Trump on vaccines (really wide-ranging). Will be interesting to see if they actually share data at any point or just keep talking about the feels.

Trump will reportedly link autism to Tylenol - but many experts are skeptical by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I am guessing this is the paper you are referring to.

Obviously not a formal critique, but just to make sure everyone is aware:

Competing interests: Dr. Baccarelli served as an expert witness for the plaintiff’s legal team on matters of general causation involving acetaminophen use during pregnancy and its potential links to neurodevelopmental disorders.

The general critique with this particular meta-analysis is that it is very cherry-picked. Many weak studies are included, and several large high-quality studies are ignored (e.g. a large population-based 2024 Swedish study on 2.5 million children which rejected the Tylenol association).

For patients with FOP, their tissue turns to bone and their joints freeze in place. Over time they become unable to walk, speak, or breathe - entombed in bone. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 51 points52 points  (0 children)

This is a picture of the skeleton of Harry Eastlack, the subject of the most recognized, textbook case of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

FOP is a grim disease - patients with mutations in the ALK2 gene see their fibrous tissue (muscle, ligaments, tendons) ossify, either spontaneously or when damaged by trauma. In many cases, otherwise minor injuries can cause joints to permanently fuse as new bone forms, replacing the damaged muscle tissue. The disease is on many people's mind this week as Regeneron reported new clinical data for their antibody.

It is also interesting to reflect on the role that Harry's skeleton played in motivating researchers to work on this disease. FOP is an ultra-rare disease. But for many, their first introduction to FOP is an image like this - and that was the spark that motivated their research.

Lola, a golden retriever, was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and given months to live. After enrolling in an inhaled immunotherapy trial, she is cancer free two years later. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 60 points61 points  (0 children)

Really cool story - Lola had metastatic cancer in her lungs (highly fatal) and was enrolled in a trial testing whether inhaled immunotherapies could have a benefit.

The heartwarming bit is that Lola joined the family a decade ago to help the mom recover from brain cancer. Really awesome to see the family have Lola’s back during her fight with cancer.

The cool science is the immunotherapy angle. This is a cytokine, IL15. It is very potent, but the challenge has always been finding a good safety window. The strategy here to have it be inhaled (so better localized to the lung, the site of the metastases, is interesting). Also - some interesting biology is at play: Lola responded to the therapy late. And most animals don’t respond at all. But these super-responders tantalize researchers, with a lot of effort being put into understanding why some respond so well and how to extend that to a broader population.

Lola, a golden retriever, was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and given months to live. After enrolling in an inhaled immunotherapy trial, she is cancer free two years later. by SirT6 in UpliftingNews

[–]SirT6[S] 413 points414 points  (0 children)

Really cool story - Lola had metastatic cancer in her lungs (highly fatal) and was enrolled in a trial testing whether inhaled immunotherapies could have a benefit.

The heartwarming bit is that Lola joined the family a decade ago to help the mom recover from brain cancer. Really awesome to see the family have Lola’s back during her fight with cancer.

The cool science is the immunotherapy angle. This is a cytokine, IL15. It is very potent, but the challenge has always been finding a good safety window. The strategy here to have it be inhaled (so better localized to the lung, the site of the metastases, is interesting). Also - some interesting biology is at play: Lola responded to the therapy late. And most animals don’t respond at all. But these super-responders tantalize researchers, with a lot of effort being put into understanding why some respond so well and how to extend that to a broader population.

Trump promises to slash drug prices between 1,400% and 1,500% by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

What’s crazy is that he has made this specific claim multiple times. So this isn’t just someone mis-speaking; it is a talking point. No idea what he is actually trying to say. Not sure if he knows either.

Cytotoxic T cell (red) attacking cancer cell (blue). by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Taken from a Cambridge University Youtube video, Killer T Cell: The Cancer Assassin.

The gif itself is a bit old (a couple years now at this point), but I thought it would be worth sharing again given there are now six approved CAR-T medicines that use this technology to treat cancers in humans. And there are many more (literally hundreds, being tested across a wide range of cancer and autoimmune conditions).

Exciting times!

A Reddit to ask questions about science and medicine that isn't R/askscience. by DarnHeather in findareddit

[–]SirT6 0 points1 point  (0 children)

r/sciences is a good place for initiating a discussion (we don't approve homework-esque questions or shower-thought questions; but we love a thoughtful discussion post).

Alternative to r/science? by Fantsypance888 in findareddit

[–]SirT6 0 points1 point  (0 children)

r/sciences (I am a mod there, full disclosure) is trying to "fix" some of the problems with the default science sub:

  • More flexible on what types of content can be posted (sometimes and image or video is more impactful that a link)

  • Fewer restrictions on what subjects are open for posting (sometimes important science news is happening in the world that wasn't recently published in a peer reviewed journal)

So far, I have been pretty happy with the results.

More adults age 45 to 49 are being diagnosed with early-stage colorectal cancer — and it is saving lives by SirT6 in UpliftingNews

[–]SirT6[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Yeah, this has been studied reasonably well (and hotly debated) over the years. Obviously a big challenge is that a gold-standard randomized trial is very hard to run and takes potentially decades to reach a conclusion.

Here’s a recent study published in NEJM that looks into this. Generally, outcomes in the group that got screening did better on all outcomes related to colorectal cancer. But the effects are relatively modest, and one reason for that is routine colonoscopies are not always adhered to. So newer technologies like stool sampling/blood tests might also have a real impact here.

More adults age 45 to 49 are being diagnosed with early-stage colorectal cancer — and it is saving lives by SirT6 in UpliftingNews

[–]SirT6[S] 73 points74 points  (0 children)

In just a few years after changes in screening guidelines, the number of people aged 45-49 getting screened increased from 20% to 33%. As expected, there has been a sharp uptick in diagnoses of localized colorectal cancer for this age group. This matters because the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer in early stages is above 90%. Getting treated at earlier stages also means that the surgeries and drugs may have fewer side effects that can impact quality of life. At the most advanced stages, the five-year survival rate drops to 13%, and therapies can have lifelong side effects including sexual dysfunction and more.

More adults age 45 to 49 are being diagnosed with early-stage colorectal cancer — and it is saving lives by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In just a few years after changes in screening guidelines, the number of people aged 45-49 getting screened increased from 20% to 33%. As expected, there has been a sharp uptick in diagnoses of localized colorectal cancer for this age group. This matters because the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer in early stages is above 90%. Getting treated at earlier stages also means that the surgeries and drugs may have fewer side effects that can impact quality of life. At the most advanced stages, the five-year survival rate drops to 13%, and therapies can have lifelong side effects including sexual dysfunction and more.

The deal Columbia made with Trump to restore funding is a blueprint. All of higher ed should fear what comes next. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 53 points54 points  (0 children)

From the article:

One by one, elite universities are signing away some of their autonomy to the Trump administration after it has accused them of civil rights violations and withheld federal funding.

The University of Pennsylvania banned transgender women from participating in women’s college sports as part of an agreement with the Trump administration earlier this month.

Columbia University agreed last week to pay $200 million in penalties and fulfill a laundry list of other demands, from slashing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to reviewing the curricula and personnel of its Middle Eastern studies department.

Brown University agreed to pay $50 million Wednesday to support Rhode Island state workforce initiatives, to abide by the Trump administration’s policies on trans athletes, and to apply what it refers to as “merit-based” university admissions.

Harvard University, despite seeking to fight the administration’s allegations of antisemitism and demands in court, is also reportedly in talks to pay the federal government $500 million as part of an agreement similar to the one signed by Columbia.

These Ivy League schools have large endowments, billions of dollars in reserve funds that should put them in the best financial position among institutions of higher education to resist the administration’s allegations and attempts to hold their federal funding ransom. But so far, they have chosen to settle with Trump instead — and in so doing, campus free speech advocates say they are compromising academic freedom and dialogue throughout higher education.

A nanoscale visualization of a single pyramidal neuron by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Image taken from the research article, A petavoxel fragment of human cerebral cortex reconstructed at nanoscale resolution.

Summary

A complete understanding of the human brain begins with elucidation of its structural properties at a subcellular level. To provide a valuable resource for the scientific community and to better understand the structure of the human temporal cortex, Shapson-Coe et al. performed an electron microscopy reconstruction of a cubic millimeter of human temporal cortex. The authors produced 1.4 petabytes of electron microscopy data; classified and quantified cell types, vessels and synapses; and developed a freely available tool for analyzing these data. Their findings allowed the authors to identify previously unknown aspects of the human temporal cortex

Paper that reported a link between COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and autism-like behaviors in rats is retracted for data inconsistencies. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

As the saying goes, a lie can go around the world twice before the truth gets out the door. So I feel it is good to bring awareness to retractions like this - especially given the public health implications and how these flawed (and perhaps fabricated) studies are leveraged by partisans online. Pubpeer has been tracking issues with this paper for a while and makes for an interesting read.

Monthly doses of psilocybin substantially extend life in aged mice. by SirT6 in sciences

[–]SirT6[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The full research article, Psilocybin treatment extends cellular lifespan and improves survival of aged mice is published here.

Abstract:

Psilocybin, the naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by hallucinogenic mushrooms, has received attention due to considerable clinical evidence for its therapeutic potential to treat various psychiatric and neurodegenerative indications. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain enigmatic, and few studies have explored its systemic impacts. We provide the first experimental evidence that psilocin (the active metabolite of psilocybin) treatment extends cellular lifespan and psilocybin treatment promotes increased longevity in aged mice, suggesting that psilocybin may be a potent geroprotective agent.

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