Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, which would seem to make it an unlikely source for an immunotherapy target. But it is where researchers from Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH and the University of Pennsylvania have found a target that was expressed on stromal cells in a number of different solid tumors, but very rare in normal tissues.
Owkin Inc. has secured CE marking for two first-in-class artificial intelligence (AI)-based diagnostics, marking a move from research use only and towards the mainstream for AI in enabling faster and more efficient analysis of digital pathology slides.
International research project Multicentre Epilepsy Lesion Detection (MELD), led by University College London, has developed artificial intelligence software that can identify minute brain anomalies that lead to epilepsy seizures. These anomalies, known as focal cortical dysplasia, can often be treated with surgery but are difficult to visualize on an MRI.
Medical science has been experimenting with smart devices for several years to determine whether these products can detect circulatory system diseases, and a study presented at the 2022 meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC 2022) seems to strongly suggest that the answer is a resounding yes. The eBRAVE-AF study of more than 5,500 enrollees of middle age or older demonstrated the ability of a smartphone camera and a downloadable app to at beat conventional screening for atrial fibrillation (AF), a finding that could save lives and boost the prospects of device makers in the digital health space.
A research team from Lille University Hospital in France has recently demonstrated that dual-energy computed tomography lung perfusion can provide valuable additional information for standard CT scans by visualizing perfusion changes in systemic sclerosis patients with normal or minimally infiltrated lung parenchyma. This clinical research team published their findings this summer in European Radiology.
German regulators have unveiled their initial report covering the prescription and deployment of reimbursable health apps. The survey was carried out by Hamburg-based health insurance fund Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) in conjunction with Bielefeld University in North Rhine-Westphalia and health care economics analysis research bureau Vandage GmbH, also based in Bielefeld.
A team of researchers from France has started subjecting e-health applications marketed in France to a new scoring tool. This involves rapidly assessing the relevance and potential of software solutions in the medical sector. The results of their study have been published this summer in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR).
Investors in Cathvision ApS are backing the company with an additional $7.2 million to accelerate U.S. commercialization of its electrophysiology (EP) recording system, Ecgenius. The ECG support technology is designed to detect cardiac electrograms with minimal baseline noise so electrophysiologists can accurately interpret complex arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF). In May, the U.S. FDA granted the Copenhagen-based company 510(k) clearance for the system.
The link between the use of antipsychotic medications and the risk of sudden cardiac arrest may not have yet earned universal recognition among cardiologists, but the U.K. National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has seen enough to believe the hypothesis has some merit. The agency recently proposed that the Kardiamobile 6L device by Alivecor Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., be covered for patients taking antipsychotic medications, a policy which if adopted would reflect what NICE sees as an unmet need for a population at grave risk.