"New Alternatives to Epinephrine Injections are Almost Here" by Lukas Klin
Anaphylaxis is a very severe allergic reaction that can occur from a wide range of allergies, such as various foods, drugs, and even insect stings. When someone is experiencing this type of reaction, their airway begins to swell and close up, which reduces their ability to breathe and poses a major threat to their health. Currently, the only effective treatment for anaphylaxis is an epinephrine injection, which typically comes via a 22 gauge needle device called an EpiPen. However, there are multiple issues with auto-injector devices like this, and a demand for alternatives is upon us.
Epinephrine injectors are very common to be prescribed by a doctor, as anyone with severe allergies to something will need one in case of an allergic reaction. However, while it may be important to the health of its owner, these EpiPen’s are not frequently carried around, or used at all for that matter. In a study of 1,200 families where the children required EpiPen’s, over half of the families felt that they would be too scared to use the device on their child. This is very understandable, as children would certainly be scared of the large needle going into their leg, and parents may have a hard time injecting the medicine for them. Additionally, even when someone carries their injector with them, that does not mean the epinephrine will be properly delivered to them. A past research study showed that when people who require EpiPen’s attempt to use them, 84% of the users failed to administer the device correctly. When this is all taken into consideration, it becomes apparent that EpiPen’s are not an effective way of treating anaphylaxis, and that new options must be available soon.
There are several companies currently working on manufacturing needle-free epinephrine alternatives. ABC Pharmaceuticals, a company based out of San Diego, is in development of a nasal spray epinephrine device, and Aquestive Therapeutics from Warren, New Jersey is working on a product similar to breath strips, where the drug dissolves on the tongue. Both of these products would be incredible breakthroughs in medical technology, as it would make both carrying and administration of epinephrine much easier for the patient. Additionally, it would help many individuals overcome the fear of the EpiPen needle, which is one of the main reasons that EpiPen’s aren’t often used when someone is in anaphylaxis.
Source:
https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20220425/needle-free-epinephrine-options-are-on-the-horizon
Anaphylaxis is a very severe allergic reaction that can occur from a wide range of allergies, such as various foods, drugs, and even insect stings. When someone is experiencing this type of reaction, their airway begins to swell and close up, which reduces their ability to breathe and poses a major threat to their health. Currently, the only effective treatment for anaphylaxis is an epinephrine injection, which typically comes via a 22 gauge needle device called an EpiPen. However, there are multiple issues with auto-injector devices like this, and a demand for alternatives is upon us.
Epinephrine injectors are very common to be prescribed by a doctor, as anyone with severe allergies to something will need one in case of an allergic reaction. However, while it may be important to the health of its owner, these EpiPen’s are not frequently carried around, or used at all for that matter. In a study of 1,200 families where the children required EpiPen’s, over half of the families felt that they would be too scared to use the device on their child. This is very understandable, as children would certainly be scared of the large needle going into their leg, and parents may have a hard time injecting the medicine for them. Additionally, even when someone carries their injector with them, that does not mean the epinephrine will be properly delivered to them. A past research study showed that when people who require EpiPen’s attempt to use them, 84% of the users failed to administer the device correctly. When this is all taken into consideration, it becomes apparent that EpiPen’s are not an effective way of treating anaphylaxis, and that new options must be available soon.
There are several companies currently working on manufacturing needle-free epinephrine alternatives. ABC Pharmaceuticals, a company based out of San Diego, is in development of a nasal spray epinephrine device, and Aquestive Therapeutics from Warren, New Jersey is working on a product similar to breath strips, where the drug dissolves on the tongue. Both of these products would be incredible breakthroughs in medical technology, as it would make both carrying and administration of epinephrine much easier for the patient. Additionally, it would help many individuals overcome the fear of the EpiPen needle, which is one of the main reasons that EpiPen’s aren’t often used when someone is in anaphylaxis.
Source:
https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20220425/needle-free-epinephrine-options-are-on-the-horizon
“New Innovation in MRI Techniques Makes Cancerous Tissue Easier to See” Katherine Getman
Developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo, a new innovation for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), creates “images in which cancerous tissues appear to light up compared to healthy tissue, making it easier to see” (Science Daily). Cancerous tissue has very irregularly packed cells compared to orderly healthy tissue, which creates differences in the way water molecules travel through the cells of cancerous tissue versus healthy tissue. Knowing this, researchers developed a new method of MRI that combines synthetic and native MRI signals at difference gradient pulses, strengths and timings to highlight the differences in tissues being observed. This new process is called synthetic correlated diffusion imaging.
This study was done on about 200 patients with prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in developed countries. Especially with prostate cancer, early detection is critical for treatment, making this study and new development very useful, as the cancer can be much more easily detected. Currently, there is no universal accepted method for screening and diagnosing prostate cancer via imaging (Nature News).
One of the largest problems with current methods is the inability to delineate surrounding tissue, specifically in transrectal ultrasounds (TRUS) that are most commonly used in prostate cancer detection. Prostate cancer detected by TRUS has a “low sensitivity and specificity” (Nature News), promoting researchers to develop a better method for cancer detection. Delineation is the act of portraying and describing something accurately and precisely, which is very important in tumor modeling, allowing doctors to be know the specific size and shape of the tumor and can better treat it. Creating a better method of imaging only helps doctors in their treatment wether it be surgical removal, where better planning can be put in place, or chemotherapy, where more specific radiation can be used. Whatever method of treatment is used, knowing more specifics on the cancer only helps doctors and patients, giving them a better treatment and recovery.
Synthetic correlated diffusion imaging is based on a new MRI technique called correlated diffusion imaging, which was also introduced for prostate cancer diagnosis. However, studies regarding correlated diffusion imaging only test about 20 patients, causing them to significantly lack in size and diversity. Researchers at University of Waterloo, improved on past studies and researched about 200 patients, making it the largest study of its kind and successfully creating synthetic correlated diffusion imaging.
Looking into the future, this research shows promising for diagnosing other types of cancer and studies are already being established for great cancer screening, detection and treatment planning. “This could be a game-changer for many kinds of cancer imaging and clinical decision support” (Science Daily)
Sources:
Wong, A., Gunraj, H., Sivan, V., & Haider, M. A. (2022, March 1). Synthetic correlated diffusion imaging hyperintensity delineates clinically significant prostate cancer. Nature News. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.nature.com/articles/ s41598-022-06872-7
MRI innovation makes cancerous tissue light up and easier to see | Waterloo News. (2022). Retrieved 25 March 2022, from
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/mri-innovation-makes-cancerous-tissue-light and-easier-see
(2022). Retrieved 25 March 2022, from
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220321091914.htm
Developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo, a new innovation for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), creates “images in which cancerous tissues appear to light up compared to healthy tissue, making it easier to see” (Science Daily). Cancerous tissue has very irregularly packed cells compared to orderly healthy tissue, which creates differences in the way water molecules travel through the cells of cancerous tissue versus healthy tissue. Knowing this, researchers developed a new method of MRI that combines synthetic and native MRI signals at difference gradient pulses, strengths and timings to highlight the differences in tissues being observed. This new process is called synthetic correlated diffusion imaging.
This study was done on about 200 patients with prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men worldwide and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men in developed countries. Especially with prostate cancer, early detection is critical for treatment, making this study and new development very useful, as the cancer can be much more easily detected. Currently, there is no universal accepted method for screening and diagnosing prostate cancer via imaging (Nature News).
One of the largest problems with current methods is the inability to delineate surrounding tissue, specifically in transrectal ultrasounds (TRUS) that are most commonly used in prostate cancer detection. Prostate cancer detected by TRUS has a “low sensitivity and specificity” (Nature News), promoting researchers to develop a better method for cancer detection. Delineation is the act of portraying and describing something accurately and precisely, which is very important in tumor modeling, allowing doctors to be know the specific size and shape of the tumor and can better treat it. Creating a better method of imaging only helps doctors in their treatment wether it be surgical removal, where better planning can be put in place, or chemotherapy, where more specific radiation can be used. Whatever method of treatment is used, knowing more specifics on the cancer only helps doctors and patients, giving them a better treatment and recovery.
Synthetic correlated diffusion imaging is based on a new MRI technique called correlated diffusion imaging, which was also introduced for prostate cancer diagnosis. However, studies regarding correlated diffusion imaging only test about 20 patients, causing them to significantly lack in size and diversity. Researchers at University of Waterloo, improved on past studies and researched about 200 patients, making it the largest study of its kind and successfully creating synthetic correlated diffusion imaging.
Looking into the future, this research shows promising for diagnosing other types of cancer and studies are already being established for great cancer screening, detection and treatment planning. “This could be a game-changer for many kinds of cancer imaging and clinical decision support” (Science Daily)
Sources:
Wong, A., Gunraj, H., Sivan, V., & Haider, M. A. (2022, March 1). Synthetic correlated diffusion imaging hyperintensity delineates clinically significant prostate cancer. Nature News. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.nature.com/articles/ s41598-022-06872-7
MRI innovation makes cancerous tissue light up and easier to see | Waterloo News. (2022). Retrieved 25 March 2022, from
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/mri-innovation-makes-cancerous-tissue-light and-easier-see
(2022). Retrieved 25 March 2022, from
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220321091914.htm
"The Impact of Covid-19 on Chronic Illnesses" By Lukas Klin
For the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on people all across the world, resulting in more than 80 million positive cases and over 950,000 deaths in just the United States alone. Since its outbreak, the scientific community has focused almost all of their attention on studying the Coronavirus, researching and experimenting with new vaccines and drugs to help prevent and cure this deadly virus. However, one consequence of this pandemic that has not been mentioned is the effect that Covid-19 has had on the treatment and diagnosis of other chronic illnesses that inflict millions of people worldwide.
Due to its highly infectious nature, Covid-19 has resulted in more Americans staying at home, socially distancing themselves from others in the hopes of preventing the contraction of this virus. While staying at home is the best way to avoid Covid-19, it also has its negatives associated with it. The National Cancer Institution reported that in the months following the beginning of the pandemic, the amount of people being diagnosed with cancer was reduced by almost 50% when compared to before the pandemic. Unfortunately, this is not because we are improving our prevention of cancer, but because a lot more people are afraid to leave their house, especially to go to a place where there is an abundance of Covid-infected patients, like a hospital or doctor’s office. Because of this mass fear, there are less people getting screened for cancer, resulting in less diagnoses being made early. The best way to treat cancer is by catching it as early as possible, meaning that there will be a lot of new cancer diagnoses being made when it may be too late for treatment to be an option.
Another disease that Covid has had a drastic effect on is diabetes. Scientists have learned that since the Coronavirus outbreak in 2020, both the number of cases of diabetes and diabetes-related deaths have risen in the United States, leading them to believe there was a correlation between the two diseases. At first, scientists thought that since Covid had caused an increase in hospitalizations, this was contributing to more people being diagnosed with diabetes. However, recent research from the journal Cell Metabolism has shown that Covid-19 can infect beta cells in the pancreas, which reduces the body's ability to produce insulin, the main hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar in the body. A lack of insulin can lead to the development of diabetes, suggesting that the coronavirus itself may be responsible for the increase in the number of cases of diabetes.
Source:
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-03-10/how-the-covid-pandemic-has-im pacted-chronic-disease
For the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on people all across the world, resulting in more than 80 million positive cases and over 950,000 deaths in just the United States alone. Since its outbreak, the scientific community has focused almost all of their attention on studying the Coronavirus, researching and experimenting with new vaccines and drugs to help prevent and cure this deadly virus. However, one consequence of this pandemic that has not been mentioned is the effect that Covid-19 has had on the treatment and diagnosis of other chronic illnesses that inflict millions of people worldwide.
Due to its highly infectious nature, Covid-19 has resulted in more Americans staying at home, socially distancing themselves from others in the hopes of preventing the contraction of this virus. While staying at home is the best way to avoid Covid-19, it also has its negatives associated with it. The National Cancer Institution reported that in the months following the beginning of the pandemic, the amount of people being diagnosed with cancer was reduced by almost 50% when compared to before the pandemic. Unfortunately, this is not because we are improving our prevention of cancer, but because a lot more people are afraid to leave their house, especially to go to a place where there is an abundance of Covid-infected patients, like a hospital or doctor’s office. Because of this mass fear, there are less people getting screened for cancer, resulting in less diagnoses being made early. The best way to treat cancer is by catching it as early as possible, meaning that there will be a lot of new cancer diagnoses being made when it may be too late for treatment to be an option.
Another disease that Covid has had a drastic effect on is diabetes. Scientists have learned that since the Coronavirus outbreak in 2020, both the number of cases of diabetes and diabetes-related deaths have risen in the United States, leading them to believe there was a correlation between the two diseases. At first, scientists thought that since Covid had caused an increase in hospitalizations, this was contributing to more people being diagnosed with diabetes. However, recent research from the journal Cell Metabolism has shown that Covid-19 can infect beta cells in the pancreas, which reduces the body's ability to produce insulin, the main hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar in the body. A lack of insulin can lead to the development of diabetes, suggesting that the coronavirus itself may be responsible for the increase in the number of cases of diabetes.
Source:
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-03-10/how-the-covid-pandemic-has-im pacted-chronic-disease