April Naples Health 2019

Looking Ahead What’s new and promising

est and most common type of brain tumor. Even when treated with sur- gery, radiation and chemotherapy, glioblastoma has a high rate of return with an average survival of less than two years. Researchers found that the vaccine caused no neurological symp- toms or behavioral abnormalities while significantly reducing tumor growth and prolonging survival. —mBio

S BLOOD TEST CAN PREDICT PREMATURE BIRTH Stanford researchers have devel- oped a blood test that not only can give a reliable estimate of a baby’s due date but also can predict if the baby will arrive prematurely. The test, shown to be about 75 to 80 percent accurate, works by measuring RNA fragments in a pregnant woman’s blood. About 15 million infants are born prematurely each year worldwide, and premature birth is the largest cause of infant mortality in the U.S. and the larg- est contributor to death before age 5 among children worldwide. The test is as reliable as ultrasound and much less expensive. —Science

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH ADAPTS ZIKA VACCINE TO FIGHT BRAIN CANCER Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have successfully harnessed a Zika virus vaccine to target and kill the brain cancer known as glioblastoma. The altered Zika vaccine, when tested in mice, effectively destroyed the cancerous brain cells while leaving the healthy brain cells alone. When a pregnant woman is infected with the Zika virus, the virus can cause microcephaly, a condition in which the fetal brain doesn’t fully develop. In contrast, glioblastoma dangerously multiplies brain cells into cancerous tumors. Glioblastoma is the deadli-

ZAPPING NERVES MAY HELP COPD PATIENTS BREATHE Findings from a Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe show promise in the treatment of chronic obstructive pul- monary disease. In a new COPD treat- ment called targeted lung denervation (TLD), doctors disrupt nerves lying on the outside of the patients’ airways. According to researchers, the treat- ment reduced problematic symptoms by more than 50 percent compared to patients who got a sham treatment. COPD, a disease often linked to smok- ing, is a progressive deterioration of lung function that involves a combi- nation of bronchitis and emphysema symptoms. COPD is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., and while treatments can ease symptoms, no cure exists for the disease. —University Medical Center Groningen

Premature birth is the largest cause of infant mortality in the U.S. and the largest contributor to death before age 5 among children worldwide.

40 NAPLES HEALTH APRIL - JUNE 2019

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