Single dose of gene therapy could augment or replace frequent enzyme infusions DURHAM, N.C. January 26, 2017 – After decades investigating a rare, life-threatening condition that cripples the muscles, Duke Health researchers have developed a gene therapy they hope could enhance or even replace the only FDA-approved treatment currently available to patients. The gene therapy, […]
DURHAM, N.C. January 25, 2017 — Following national searches, Duke University School of Medicine has named two new department chairs. Matthew D. Barber, M.D., will become chair of Duke Obstetrics and Gynecology effective May 1, and Moira Rynn, M.D., will chair the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences starting July 1. Barber is a nationally-recognized […]
Duke’s liver transplant patients move off the waiting list to transplant more than 2.5 times faster than the national average DURHAM, N.C. January 17, 2017 – Duke University Hospital has the nation’s best outcomes for adult liver transplants from deceased donors, according to data from 2016. Duke’s transplant center, which in 1984 became the first […]
Adding UV light to standard cleaning cut transmission of 4 resistant bacteria by 30 percent DURHAM, N.C. January 16, 2017 — A new tool — a type of ultraviolet light called UVC — could aid hospitals in the ongoing battle to keep drug-resistant bacteria from lingering in patient rooms and causing new infections. Some hospitals […]
Findings provide insight for how mutations in one gene can give rise to two different conditions DURHAM, N.C. January 11, 2017 – Absence of the nose, or arhinia, appears to be caused in part by the same gene that contributes to a rare form of muscular dystrophy, according to a new study appearing in Nature […]
New NIH initiative aims to gain insights for disease prevention DURHAM, N.C. January 10, 2017 – Two Duke Health research teams will participate in a new, $170 million national initiative to delve into the intricacies of how exercise improves health and prevents disease. Combined, funding for the two projects the Duke teams will be involved […]
Studies in mice and human cell lines indicate other gene-based diseases might benefit DURHAM, N.C. December 30, 2016 – Duke Health researchers have identified a drug-like small molecule that, in animal experiments, appears to be an effective treatment for a genetic disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome. Prader-Willi syndrome is characterized by poor feeding, growth and weak […]
Preclinical studies show drugs shut down two key survival strategies in cancer cells DURHAM, N.C. December 15, 2016 – Breast cancer cells that carry a certain gene mutation can be induced to die using a combination of an existing targeted therapy along with an investigational molecule tested by Duke Cancer Institute researchers. When used together […]
High cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking drive heart disease DURHAM, N.C. December 9, 2016 – The incidence of angina, heart attacks and coronary deaths dropped 20 percent in the U.S. between 1983 and 2011, according to a study by Duke Clinical Research Institute investigators. But that good news is tempered by an additional finding […]
Survey shows patients also know little about blood thinners and other treatments DURHAM, N.C. December 9, 2016 – Although most patients newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation say they understand their heart condition, nearly a third of them misidentified a major risk factor for the condition, according to data being presented Nov. 14 at the American […]