Research Insights

The Research Insights section focuses on the latest breakthroughs in medicine and science, as well as the laboratory works around the world. Research insights directly from these labs add tremendous value to our readers.

Methods for Specifying the Target Difference in a Randomised Controlled Trial: The Difference ELicitation in TriAls (DELTA) Systematic Review

Abstract Background Randomised controlled trials RCTs are widely accepted as the preferred study design for evaluating healthcare interventions When the sample size is determined a target difference is typically specified that the RCT is designed to detect This provides reassurance that the study w

Recent Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Increase the Risk of Developing Common Late-Onset Human Diseases

Mitochondrial DNA mtDNA is highly polymorphic at the population level and specific mtDNA variants affect mitochondrial function With emerging evidence that mitochondrial mechanisms are central to common

Adverse Effects and Regimen Switch among Patients on Antiretroviral Treatment in a Resource Limited Setting in Ethiopia

Abstract Background Highly active antiretroviral therapy is the cornerstone of management of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection Antiretroviral therapy can prolong survival of patients however this drugs are associated with adverse effects that can affect patient adherence and if severe may require regimen change The aim of the stu...

Statistical Designs for Assessing Interchangeability of Biosimilar Products

The increasing expiration of patents for various innovator biopharmaceutical and biotech products has prompted a growing interest among companies in obtaining regulatory approval for biosimilar products

RNAi Therapeutic Platforms for Lung Diseases

Yu Fujita Fumitaka Takeshita Kazuyoshi Kuwano and Takahiro Ochiya Division of Molecular and Cellular Medicine National Cancer Center Research Institute Tokyo Japan Division of Respiratory Diseases Department of Internal Medicine Jikei University School of Medicine Tokyo Japan

Publication of Clinical Trials Supporting Successful New Drug Applications: A Literature Analysis

Department of Clinical Pharmacy University of California San Francisco San Francisco California United States of America Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of California San Francisco San Francisco California United States of America Division of General Internal Medicine University of California San Francisco San Francisco C...

Functions of paracrine PDGF signaling in the proangiogenic tumor stroma revealed by pharmacological targeting

Important support functions including promotion of tumor growth angiogenesis and invasion have been attributed to the different cell types populating the tumor stroma ie endothelial cells cancerassociated fibroblasts

Boosting BCG with Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Ankara Expressing Antigen 85A: Different Boosting Intervals and Implications for Efficacy Trials

Ansar A Pathan Clare R Sander Helen A Fletcher Ian Poulton Nicola C Alder Natalie E R Beveridge Kathryn T WhelanAdrian V S Hill Helen McShane Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine University of Oxford Churchill Hospita

Factors Associated with Findings of Published Trials of Drug-Drug Comparisons: Why Some Statins Appear More Efficacious than Others

Published pharmaceutical industrysponsored trials are more likely than nonindustrysponsored trials to report results and conclusions that favor drug over placebo Little is known about potential biases in drugdrug comparisons

Optimizing the Dose of Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccines to Reduce the Infection Attack Rate

Steven Riley Joseph T Wu Gabriel M Leung Background The recent spread of avian influenza in wild birds and poultry may be a precursor to the emergence of a like human pandemic Therefore stockpiles of human prepandemic vaccine targeted at avian strains are being consider