Latest Medical News from Russia

For blood cancers that don't respond well to standard treatments, oncologists and hematologists are turning to the personalized CAR-T approach (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy). This treatment creates modified T-cells from a patient's own cells that can destroy tumor cells. This overview from Marus Media provides the current status of the technology and its availability for medical tourists.

Pembrolizumab manufactured by Biocad has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of melanoma, according to the results of a clinical trial conducted in Cuba. An objective response was achieved in 34% of patients, with complete tumor disappearance observed in 10,6% of study participants.

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) discovered that in patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are not receiving treatment, the risk of developing Parkinson's disease increases by 92% with follow-up of six or more years. Scientists attribute this to oxygen deprivation of the brain that accumulates year after year.

Specialists at the Meshalkin National Medical Research Center have for the first time in Russia applied their own branched prosthesis for aortic reconstruction. The so-called "frozen elephant trunk" prosthesis has been used worldwide for approximately 20 years, but the country previously had no domestic developments. Use of the prosthesis allows performing aortic dissection surgery in one procedure without resorting to repeat intervention.

Moscow public hospitals have launched a digital patient treatment monitoring system in inpatient facilities. Every patient admitted for treatment now receives a bracelet with a QR code, through which doctors and nurses can access treatment information from the electronic medical record. This approach to inpatient management is widely used in leading clinics worldwide.

Approximately one-third of patients with severe forms of depression do not respond to pharmacological or psychotherapeutic treatment, even when multiple methods are used simultaneously. For such cases, scientists are seeking alternative promising therapies, including deep brain stimulation (DBS), a neurosurgical method in which electrodes are implanted in specific brain areas to deliver electrical impulses.

The Russian Ministry of Health has issued permission for the clinical use of two domestic anticancer vaccines. These are the mRNA vaccine "Neooncovac" for melanoma therapy from the National Medical Research Center of Radiology and the peptide vaccine "Oncopept" for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer from the Federal Medical-Biological Agency. The authorization marks the beginning of drug trials among patients at federal clinics of the Ministry of Health and FMBA, as well as volunteers.

Sechenov University has developed and successfully implemented a novel technique for repairing damaged ear drums, using biomedical material created from the patient's own cells. According to Russian physicians, this innovative approach restores hearing more quickly than conventional surgical methods.

When discussing the harms of smoking, lung cancer and vascular diseases are usually mentioned, but chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rarely discussed. Yet COPD affects up to 50% of smokers and is the third leading cause of death worldwide. The disease is incurable and can significantly reduce quality of life. On World COPD Day, Marus Media explores the disease, how to reduce risks, and what to do if a doctor has already made this diagnosis.

American researchers have found that 58% of people who discontinued GLP-1 receptor agonists partially or completely return to their previous body weight within one year. Patients with the most pronounced therapeutic effect experience more significant weight regain.