BioMedWire Stocks Archives - Page 6 of 68

FridayMar 28, 2025 10:00 am

Report Shows the Growth of Medicare Advantage Plans is Decelerating

A recently published report indicates that the rate at which Medicare Advantage plans are growing is slowing down. The report was authored by HealthScape Advisors, a consulting company, together with Chartis, a healthcare advisory company. The report says the Medicare Advantage (MA) market is experiencing a correction following the explosive growth the segment experienced over the past four years. Data shows that people enrolled in MA plans increased by 3.9% (1.3 million enrollees) last year. This is in contrast to the 7% rate of growth registered in 2023, which was also a reduction from the growth rate of 9.4% recorded…

ThursdayMar 27, 2025 10:00 am

Firefighters Have an Increased Chance of Having Gene Mutations Associated with Brain Cancer, Study Says

New research shows that firefighters diagnosed with gliomas tend to have a particular set of genetic mutations that aren’t so common in individuals engaged in other occupations. In the past, those specific gene mutations had been linked to haloalkane exposure. Haloalkanes are chemicals often used in fire extinguishers and fire retardants. This study is the first one ever to confirm that haloalkane exposure is a possible risk factor heralding the development of gliomas. Gliomas have proven to be difficult to treat. The study lead, Prof. Elizabeth Claus, based at Yale School of Public Health, explains that their study is the…

TuesdayMar 25, 2025 10:00 am

New Study Finds Possible Explanation for Higher Parkinson’s Prevalence in Men

Scientists have for long been baffled as to why men have a higher likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease when compared to women. A new study suggests a possible reason why this higher risk exists, and the culprit is a usually harmless protein within the brain. PINK1, or PTEN-induced kinase 1, is a protein that is involved in regulating the energy use of brain cells. Under normal circumstances, this protein isn’t a threat. However, as this new study found, the immune system in some people with Parkinson’s disease mistakes these proteins to be threats and attacks brain cells found to be…

FridayMar 21, 2025 10:00 am

New Study Shows ‘Viral Mimicry’ Could Transform Glioblastoma Treatment

Glioblastoma continues to be one of the most challenging cancers to treat as it resists even the latest innovations in immunotherapy. Now, a new study conducted by a team at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami suggests that, when a specific protein is suppressed, an antiviral immune response increases the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors. This discovery not only opens the door to a novel way to treat glioblastoma but also suggests that the protein in question, ZNF638, could be a valuable biomarker as treatment teams customize immunotherapy for specific patients. The research findings appeared in…

ThursdayMar 20, 2025 10:00 am

Study Shows Bioengineered Materials Can Treat Oral Mucositis

New research that appeared in the journal Oncotarget has opened the door to a new way to approach the treatment of oral ulcers induced by chemotherapy. This debilitating and painful side effect of cancer treatment lowers the quality of life of patients undergoing chemotherapy, but oral mucositis remains an unmet medical need. The study was conducted by a joint team from the Center for Research in Physics in Brazil and others from Rio de Janeiro Federal University. The lead author was Ana Chor. They sought to examine how effective an electrospun poly membrane (PLGA) was in accelerating tissue regeneration in…

TuesdayMar 18, 2025 10:00 am

The Clock is Ticking if You Wish to Reconsider Your Medicare Advantage Plan

The open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage (MA) is on until the end of March. If you have been thinking about changing your medical plan, time is running out and you need to act fast. However, your decision shouldn’t be a rushed one as many considerations need to be weighed before you make any decisions. For starters, why would anyone think of changing their MA plan at this time? Many people have their preferred doctors or medical specialists and when those professionals are no longer in the preferred network of their plan provider, it is understandable to switch plans and…

FridayMar 14, 2025 10:00 am

The Brain’s ‘Cleanup Crew’ Could Hold the Key to Alzheimer’s Treatment, Study Shows

A new study conducted by a team at Northwestern University suggests that the brain’s immune cells can be enhanced so that they remove amyloid beta plaques more effectively. Amyloid beta plaques are the toxic proteins that form sticky clumps leading to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. This new discovery could trigger a revolution in the thinking behind current AD treatments and future varieties may benefit from the insights obtained from this study. Efforts have been undertaken to develop AD vaccines, but patients have serious immune responses to these drugs which can cause potentially life-threatening inflammation in the brain.…

ThursdayMar 13, 2025 10:00 am

Why it is Crucial to Prepare Healthcare Data for Use in AI Models

The rate at which AI is being integrated in healthcare is accelerating. However, data quality is often lacking, and this reduces the effectiveness of many AI solutions tailored to the healthcare industry. Given that healthcare data is often siloed, the vast majority of this data is unstructured. This can pose challenges in the use of this data for AI models since the insights extracted could be biased or have other defects. Data needs to be consistent in the way it is presented, its quality must be high and the formats need to be standardized. Otherwise, the data could be misinterpreted…

TuesdayMar 11, 2025 10:00 am

Study Finds Experimental Drug Prolongs the Survival of Glioblastoma Patients

A recent study whose findings appeared in the Nature Communications journal has shown that a new experimental drug can increase the survival time of patients who have been diagnosed with glioblastoma. This brain cancer is the most prevalent brain cancer in adults. The experimental drug, dubbed 186RNL (Rhenium Obisbemeda), was developed at UT Health San Diego. The trial established that this drug candidate, at the very least, doubled the progression-free and survival duration of study participants in comparison to the known progression-free or survival rates of patients afflicted by this brain tumor. It also didn’t have any side effects that…

FridayMar 07, 2025 10:00 am

Bacterial Imbalances Have a Link to Multiple Sclerosis, Study Finds

Approximately a million Americans suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS), and globally, more than 2.8 million individuals have this condition. Several factors are thought to play a role in the development of this autoimmune condition, such as genetics, environmental factors, infectious disease, diet, and gut health. A new study has shown that imbalances in certain types of gut bacteria not only strongly indicate the likelihood of this illness developing but could also be a pointer to the severity of the disease in affected individuals. The researchers discovered that the ratio of two specific bacteria in the gut was a strong predictor…