First Patients Receive Groundbreaking Autologous Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson's Disease in Phase 1 Trial
• Mass General Brigham launches pioneering Phase 1 trial using patients' own reprogrammed stem cells to replace damaged dopamine neurons in Parkinson's disease, with three of six participants treated successfully.
• The innovative treatment converts patients' blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are then transformed into dopamine neurons, eliminating the need for immunosuppression.
• The FDA-approved trial, based on three decades of research at McLean Hospital, will monitor patients for 12 months to assess safety and potential improvements in Parkinson's symptoms.
Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion Shows Promise in Elderly AML Consolidation Therapy
• A phase 2 study reveals that umbilical cord blood (UCB) infusion, combined with chemotherapy, improves overall survival (OS) in elderly AML patients.
• The consolidation therapy includes decitabine and cytarabine, followed by UCB infusion, demonstrating manageable adverse events and encouraging remission rates.
• Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis suggests UCB infusion modulates the immune microenvironment, potentially enhancing anti-leukemic effects.
• These findings support UCB infusion as a feasible adjuvant strategy for elderly AML patients ineligible for allo-HSCT, warranting further investigation.
Intensive Blood Pressure Control Shows Cardiovascular Benefits in Type 2 Diabetes
• The BPROAD trial demonstrated that a systolic blood pressure target of less than 120 mm Hg reduces cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes.
• Compared to a target under 140 mm Hg, the tighter control resulted in a 21% relative reduction in stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure events, and cardiovascular death.
• Stroke was a major driver of the primary endpoint difference, with a 21% reduction in fatal or nonfatal stroke observed in the intensive treatment group.
• Experts suggest these findings may support unifying blood pressure guidelines to recommend a more intensive target for diabetic patients at higher cardiovascular risk.
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