Nothing has accelerated the need for more medical advancement than the COVID-19 crisis. In what feels like a blink of an eye, our entire world has been upended, and even some physically healthy people found themselves on their knees due to this virus. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we never know when nature will strike back and cause diseases that humanity won’t know what to do with. Medical and pharmaceutical research remains a top priority and should be supported by governments and corporations worldwide.
Kinase assays
A biochemical kinase assay is a process of measuring the activity of the kinase in our body. For the uninitiated, the kinase is an enzyme that helps the movement of a phosphate from ATP to another molecule in our body. It can help supervise and regulate many processes in our bodies. In a nutshell, kinase assays work to determine if specific drugs are working and how they affect kinase activity.
Target-specific in vitro kinase assays can accurately measure and monitor enzyme activity, which means that they canhelp hospitals and physicians provide the most accurate treatment and medication course. With this method and resource available,the medical world has far-reaching positive effects for continuous drug discovery and development.
New medications for migraines
Studies show that 12 percent of U.S. adults suffer from chronic migraines. What makes this specific pain or discomfort all the more frustrating is that not all cases have specific root causes that patients can address. More often than not, migraines are, and patients are left to contend with chronic headaches that they don’t know how to deal with or manage. They are often forced to make do with medications for other illnesses likehigh blood pressure and other anti-seizure and antidepressant drugs. The result is that these non-specific medications provide mixed efficacy.
Thankfully,a new class of treatment or drug was discovered. This new class was found to have the capacity to block calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-a molecule that shoots up during a migraine and causes extreme pain and inflammation. As of 2020, this new drug was already being prescribed for people with migraines, which is a breakthrough for long-term migraine treatment.
Universal treatment for Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infection that should be taken seriously, especially since it can cause serious long-term health effects like liver failure, liver cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. There are currently no vaccines for this specific virus, and it also has a history of causing adverse effects whenever it’s treated with drugs and medications. These said treatments were also only effective for a few people based on genotype.
This is why the discovery of a universal treatment plan is a literal godsend and life-saver.Another medical breakthrough in the past few years isthe recently-approved drug combination as a universal treatment for hepatitis c, which includesthree new therapies. This landmark is an encouraging sign that we are getting closer to eliminating serious long-term effects from the infection, if not eradicating it.
An update for cystic fibrosis treatment
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a potentially life-threatening hereditary disease that attacks the lungs and the digestive system. It’s when the body produces an overwhelming amount of mucus that clogs the pancreas and the lungs. It has been a thorn in the flesh for more than 70,000 people in the world.
However, hope is being restored as a new combination therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded efficacy for patients suffering from the most common type of CF gene mutation. And the best part is that 9 out of 10 people who have this disease harbored this particular mutation, which means that this drug combination will be more efficient in treating most CF patients.
Alzheimer detection
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most devastating illnesses any person and their family could battle. Simultaneously, because it has so much to do with a person’s memories and dementia, early detection is crucial to slow down its effects. This is whyit’s an incredible feat that researchers discovered a sample blood test that can accurate diagnose Alzheimer’s in patients. While the test is still in its early stages, the medical world agrees it could be a game-changer in providing people with more time to spend with the people they love, even as their memories fade away.
2020 was a year of incredible loss, but the medical world also gained a lot. As long as governments and industries place a premium on medical research, we might have a fighting chance against any disease that can come our way.