University of Milan

Cocaine traces found in 17th-century Italy suggest earlier European use than previously thought. Researchers discovered cocaine, hygrine, and benzoylecgonine in brain tissue of two individuals buried in a Milan hospital cemetery. The study indicates coca leaves, known as Erythroxylum coca, were chewed or brewed as tea, arriving in Europe nearly two centuries earlier than believed.

A millifluidic bioreactor enables long-term culture of primary lymphocytes and CD34+ hematopoietic cells, detecting tumorigenic expansion. The Miniaturized Optically Accessible Bioreactor (MOAB) platform, with silk-based framework, supports cell viability for up to three months and detects as few as 100 tumorigenic cells among 100,000 primary cells.

Accurate IHC testing for HER2 in breast cancer is challenging, with HER2-low (IHC 1+ or 2+/ISH–) now recognized. Inconsistent results impact treatment decisions and patient outcomes, prompting calls for regulatory reform to improve IHC quality control.

KalVista Pharmaceuticals presented sebetralstat data at Bradykinin Symposium 2024, showing consistent efficacy and safety profiles across phase 2 and 3 trials, with rapid symptom relief and a safety profile comparable to placebo. Median time to treatment was 9 minutes for all attacks and 8 minutes for laryngeal attacks, with median time to symptom relief at 1.8 hours for all attacks and 1.3 hours for laryngeal attacks. Oral sebetralstat may address challenges of current injectable treatments for HAE.