News &amp; Updates

Haematologists from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) have reported initial success with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, treating the first patient in Hong Kong in May 2020 in a global lymphoma trial and another leukaemia patient in October 2020 in a real-world clinical practice setting.

CAR T-cell therapy makes it to the clinic in Hong Kong

Brief CBT effective for reducing insomnia in at-risk adolescents

Results of the world’s first randomized controlled study of a 4-week brief insomnia prevention programme for at-risk adolescents show a 71 percent reduction in the risk of developing insomnia, investigators from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have reported.

Brief CBT effective for reducing insomnia in at-risk adolescents

Neurologic involvement common among children and adolescents with COVID-19

A case series of 1,695 children and adolescents hospitalized for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) finds neurological involvement in 22 percent of patients.

Neurologic involvement common among children and adolescents with COVID-19

Prpf19 a potential new target in hereditary ataxia model

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have unveiled the involvement of an E3 ligase pre-mRNA processing factor 19 (Prpf19) in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) pathogenesis and found its interacting partner, exocyst complex component 7 (Exoc7), to have an opposite modulating effect on disease protein ataxin-3 (ATXN3).

Prpf19 a potential new target in hereditary ataxia model

PPI prophylaxis may protect against post-PVI mediastinal complications

Prophylaxis with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) can potentially avert mediastinal lesions associated with pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) among atrial fibrillation patients with pre-existing reflux oesophagitis, a recent study has shown.

PPI prophylaxis may protect against post-PVI mediastinal complications

COVID-19 after-effects evident 3 months after hospital discharge

Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 may experience after-effects of the condition 3 months post-discharge, according to a study from The Netherlands.

COVID-19 after-effects evident 3 months after hospital discharge

Sidewalks may curb dementia risk in urban areas

Living in neighbourhoods with liberal sidewalk coverage contributes to a lower incidence of dementia in urban areas, a study from Japan has found.

Sidewalks may curb dementia risk in urban areas

N-803 shows promise for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC carcinoma in situ

Intravesical administration of the IL-15RαFc* superagonist N-803 with BCG** demonstrated a strong efficacy and an excellent safety and tolerability profile in patients with BCG-unresponsive high-grade NMIBC*** carcinoma in situ, according to an interim analysis presented at ASCO GU 2021.

N-803 shows promise for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC carcinoma in situ

Severe mitroaortic valve dysfunction prevalent in systemic sclerosis

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are more likely to experience moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) and aortic stenosis (AS) than age-matched non-SSc controls with similar cardiovascular (CV) comorbidities, results of a case-control study have shown.

Severe mitroaortic valve dysfunction prevalent in systemic sclerosis

Novel tool predicts progression to severe disease, death in COVID-19 patients

Researchers have recently developed an interactive tool that quickly and accurately provides the probability of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patient’s progression to severe illness or death based on readily available clinical information.

Novel tool predicts progression to severe disease, death in COVID-19 patients