Ian Myles, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
In this clinical trial, the first of its kind, physicians explore whether directly applying a ‘good’ strain of bacteria to the skin can heal eczema
There are currently no effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, which causes may elders to live their last years without recognizing their loved ones, and unable to care for themselves.
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All multiple sclerosis sufferers have stem cells with the potential to heal them, but scientists are only just figuring out how to kick them into action.
Health Canada is proposing a new system to fast-track urgent drugs for children, the elderly and those with serious or life-threatening conditions. This would rely on decisions made by regulators in other jurisdictions.
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How a technology born from finance – the blockchain – can help the pharmaceutical industry to carry out clinical trials that protect patients.
The experimental technique of ‘deep brain stimulation’ has improved the lives of patients with treatment-resistant depression, despite the ‘failure’ of a large clinical trial.
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For some patients, drilling a hole in the skull and inserting an electrode into the ‘sadness centre’ of the brain offers relief from debilitating and otherwise treatment-resistant depression.
We need to ensure cancer research addresses what matters most.
Even if they are not treated, only about three per cent of men will die of prostate cancer over their lifetime, most in their 70s or 80s.
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A family physician and public health researcher explains why he isn’t getting a prostate cancer test in Movember or at any time in the near future.
Dr. Karen Lindfors, a professor of radiology and chief of breast imaging at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, examines the mammogram of a patient.
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Only around 10% of new drugs in development make it onto the market. A drug needs to go through animal trials, and then four phases of human trials to be deemed suitable for use in patients.
Randomisation is the only commonly accepted method of ensuring an unbiased estimate of the treatment effect.
The Conversation/Wes Mountain
A randomised controlled trial is the best way to compare a new treatment with the standard treatment. And randomising trial participants is a core feature of the experiment.
It’s hard to test therapies for rare cancers because there are too few people to study.
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Virtually every medical therapy in use today owes its existence to animal experiments. But we can’t assume what works in animals will in humans. And sometimes, the mismatch can be dangerous.
Done well, translational science can save lives.
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Systematic reviews are rarely applied to basic research. A new study shows how they could separate good data from bad, saving millions in research dollars and speeding life-saving treatments.
In many cases, the most appropriate treatment for a health condition isn’t a drug. It could be a recommendation for a dietary change, a specific exercise, or even a phone app.
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney