Clinvax Clinical Trials Solutions

02/28/2020

High doses of vitamin C found to enhance immunotherapy in combating cancer

A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in Italy has found that giving cancerous mice high doses of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) enhanced immunotherapy, resulting in slowed or stopped tumor growth. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers describe their studies of vitamin C and how it might be used to treat cancer patients.

As far back as the 1970s, medical researchers suspected that giving cancer patients high doses of vitamin C might help to reduce tumor growth—but subsequent studies failed to find any benefits, and researchers lost interest. In recent years, interest in using vitamin C to treat cancer patients has rebounded after studies found that the earlier researchers had been giving vitamin C to patients orally. The gut does not absorb high amounts of vitamin C, which meant the earlier patients had not received concentrations in high enough doses to have an impact. In this new effort, the researchers injected vitamin C directly into the veins of test mice as part of an immunotherapy regimen, and then monitored tumor growth.

The researchers found that adding high doses of vitamin C without immunotherapy resulted in delayed tumor growth in test mice.

They also found that vitamin C boosted the effectiveness of PD-1 and CTLA-4 checkpoint antibodies. And they found that in some cases, adding vitamin C to the immunotherapy regimen resulted in some breast cancer tumors disappearing completely.

The researchers note that the major hurdle standing in the way of using vitamin C to treat human cancer patients is the possibility of side effects. They note that they gave the test mice the amount of vitamin C in a single orange every day for several days. Translating that to humans would mean giving the equivalent of 2000 oranges every day for a period of time.

02/27/2020

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Affective disorders affect 20% of the world population and are a significant factor in increasing the mortality rate. People who depend on are almost three times more likely to experience depressive disorders than the general population. Whereas, people who experience depressive conditions are two times more likely to use cannabis than the general population. The correlation remains the same for people with bipolar depression. According to a report by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, there is evidence that shows the use of cannabis increases the risk of developing depressive disorders, increases suicidal thoughts and behavior. It can also increase the symptoms of mania and hypomania in people with bipolar disorder.

We are looking for people who have bipolar disorder and , and are interested in participating in a clinical trial. Contact us on +1-909-423-0367 to find out more. Or fill out the form at cmbclinicaltrials.com/contact-us to participate in a clinical trial. We offer free mental health treatment and compensate you for your travel expenses.

02/26/2020

The global spread of the new coronavirus: Where is it?

The new coronavirus that emerged in central China at the end of last year has now killed more than 2,400 people and spread around the world.

Outside mainland China there have been 26 deaths and more than 1,500 infections reported, with cases concentrated in South Korea and the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined off Japan.

Here is a roundup of the areas where cases of COVID-19, the virus's official designation, have been confirmed:

CHINA: As of Sunday some 77,000 people had been infected and 2,442 had died
ASIA-PACIFIC
South Korea: 602 people have been infected by the virus and six people have died.
Japan: more than 130 people have been infected and four have died. Number of infections is now at 630.
Singapore: 89
Thailand: 35
Malaysia: 22
Taiwan: 26, including one death
Australia: 22
Vietnam: 16
Philippines: 3, including one death
India: 3
Nepal: 1
Sri Lanka: 1
Cambodia: 1
NORTH AMERICA
United States: 35
Canada: 9
EUROPE
Italy: 149, three deaths.
Germany: 16
France: 12, including one death
Britain: 13
Russia: 5
Spain: 2
Finland: 1
Sweden: 1
Belgium: 1
MIDDLE EAST
Iran: 43, 8 deaths
United Arab Emirates: 13
Israel: 1
Lebanon: 1
AFRICA
Egypt: 1

SOURCE: MEDICAL EXPRESS

02/25/2020

02/24/2020

Drug cocktail holds promise for spinal injuries

The early-stage research in rats, by a group of scientists led by Imperial College London, revealed two existing medications can boost the body's own repair machinery, by triggering the release of stem cells from the bone marrow.

The scientists published their research in the journal npj Regenerative Medicine.

The team say the two drugs (currently used for bone marrow transplants and bladder control) could be used for different types of bone fractures, including to the spine, hip and leg, to aid healing after surgery or fractures.

When a person has a disease or an injury, the bone marrow (the spongy tissue within bone) mobilises different types of stem cells to help repair and regenerate tissue.

02/24/2020

Recent study finds that most young women are unhappy and stressed about their s*x lives

Half of young Australian women experience s*xually-related personal distress, with one in five women having at least one female s*xual dysfunction (FSD), new research by Monash University shows.

A study conducted by the Women's Health Research Program at Monash University has reported, for the first time, an overall picture of the s*xual wellbeing of women between the ages of 18 and 39.

The findings have been published today (Monday 24 February 2020) in the international journal, Fertility and Sterility.

Results showed 50.2 per cent of young women experienced some form of s*xually-related personal distress.

This relates to the degree of feeling guilty, embarrassed, stressed or unhappy about their s*x lives.

A concerning 29.6 per cent of women experienced s*xually-related personal distress without dysfunction, and 20.6 per cent had at least one FSD.

The most common FSD was low s*xual self-image, which caused distress for 11 per cent of study participants. Arousal, desire, or**sm and responsiveness dysfunction affected 9 per cent, 8 per cent, 7.9 per cent and 3.4 per cent of the study cohort respectively.

Sexual self-image dysfunction was associated with being overweight, obese, living together with partner, not married, married and breastfeeding.

*x

02/23/2020

02/22/2020

Researchers say extended antidepressant use creates physical dependence

Patients who have taken antidepressants for years should consider coming off the medication. However, researchers say they will likely face difficult and even dangerous withdrawal symptoms due to a physical dependence.

The best process is to follow a tapering schedule while consulting with a physician, according to research in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Stopping medication outright is almost never advisable.

"I understand that many people feel safe in that their depression or anxiety is continuously managed by medication.

However, these are mind-altering drugs and were never intended as a permanent solution," says Mireille Rizkalla, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Integration at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, and lead author on this research.

"Once the patient's depression or anxiety has been resolved, the physician should guide them toward discontinuation, while providing non pharmacologic treatments to help them maintain their mental health."

02/21/2020

02/21/2020

The fat around your arteries may actually keep them healthy

A Michigan State University researcher is adding new evidence to the argument that the fat around our arteries may play an important role in keeping those blood vessels healthy.

The finding could affect how researchers test for treatments related to plaque buildup in our arteries, or atherosclerosis, an issue that can often lead to a heart attack, which is currently a leading cause of death in the United States.

The fat, known as perivascular adipose tissue, or PVAT, helps arteries do what scientists call "stress relax," or let go of muscular tension while under constant strain. This is similar to the bladder, which expands to accommodate more liquid while at the same time keeping it from spilling out.

02/20/2020

02/20/2020

Ancient medicines and procedures still used today

Some primeval medical treatments are still used today—including some that haven’t fundamentally changed much since their ancient introduction.

These are everyday remedies that you probably encounter all the time without being fully aware of their longstanding history.

Aspirin

Way back in Ancient Greece, Hippocrates may have told his patients: “Take two pieces of willow bark and call me in the morning.” And he was right to do so. The bark of the willow tree contains one of the oldest medicinal remedies in human history. In its modern form, we call it aspirin.

Today, aspirin is perhaps the most commonly used drug in the world. It’s the focus of 700 to 1,000 clinical studies each year, with applications beyond its traditional uses as an analgesic and antipyretic. It’s now prescribed to prevent secondary heart attacks and strokes, and has shown promise for reducing the risk of certain types of cancer.

Sutures

The history of suturing may go back tens of thousands of years, when primitive man (or woman) invented the eyed needle. But, the first account on record of a surgical suture was around 3000 BC in Ancient Egypt. Accordingly, the oldest known suture is in an Egyptian mummy dating from 1100 BC.

Cataract surgery

If you think that the eyes were too valuable and fragile for the Ancients to cut into, you’d be wrong. In the 6th century BC, good ol’ Sushruta of India documented the standard cataract surgical procedure called couching.

Morphine

Morphine—the active ingredient in opium—is still obtained from harvesting the poppy plant (Papaver somniferum) through a method that has remained fundamentally unchanged for more than 8,000 years.