In February, UNC neurologist Hae Won Shin, MD, and neurosurgeon Eldad Hadar, MD, were the first in the state to implant the NeuroPace RNS System following the medical device’s recent FDA approval. In clinical trials, the NeuroPace system greatly reduced the number of seizures experienced by patients with severe epilepsy.
Innovation, Neurology, Technology, Treatment
Research showed that bleeding events were drastically decreased in animals with hemophilia B. Using a viral vector to swap out faulty genes proved safe and could be used for the more common hemophilia A.
Genetics, Treatment
Device that drives drugs into solid tumors that are poorly vascularized opens the possibility of life-saving surgeries in cancer patients. James Byrne, PhD, a medical student and member of Joseph DeSimone’s lab, led the research by constructing the device and examining its ability to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs effectively to pancreatic cancer tumors, as well as two types of breast cancer tumors.
Cancer, Research, Treatment
UNC researchers find that the bigger the differences in brain activity related to emotion regulation, the more severe the autism. Gabriel Dichter, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and psychology was the paper's senior author.
Autism, Neurology, Treatment
Four-year-old Payton is battling a rare blood disorder called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Since her bone marrow transplant, she isn’t feeling herself — but she’s not fighting alone. Her best friend and CPAL, Lindsay Cannon, is right beside her.
Blood Diseases, Patient Stories, Treatment
Insect stings cause 40 to as many as 100 deaths nationwide each year. A review of current scientific literature related to specific insect-sting hypersensitivity points to epinephrine auto-injectors and immunotherapy as lifesavers in people with a previous sting-induced systemic allergic reaction.
Allergies, Treatment
Researchers from the UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering developed nanoparticles that could deliver cancer therapies in a safer and more effective way.
Cancer, Innovation, Treatment
C.J. Malanga discovered that three specific drugs affect three different kinds of neurotransmitter receptors that all seem to play roles in Fragile X Syndrome.
Autism, Neurology, Treatment
A North Carolina nonprofit organization and a UNC Hospitals volunteer partnered to bring an 8-year-old girl with congenital heart problems to UNC for medical treatment.
Cardiology, Heart and Vascular Health, Patient Stories, Treatment
Silymarin or “milk thistle,” a popular herbal dietary supplement that many people take for liver ailments, works no better than placebo in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.
Chronic Illness, Clinical Trials, Hepatitis C, Hepatology, Nutrition, Treatment, Wellness
The First Year Inventory, a 10-minute questionnaire filled out by parents after a child’s first birthday, shows promise in identifying children who are later diagnosed with autism or other developmental problems.
Autism, Studies, Treatment
A Gastonia woman seeks a new normal as she undergoes treatment for an uncommon and chronic neuromuscular disorder that left the accomplished crafter without interest in or passion for her life-long hobbies.
Chronic Illness, Patient Stories, Treatment
