Staying #Up2Date 🚨

1: Promising Monoclonal Antibody for Lupus Nephritis 

A phase-3 trial evaluated obinutuzumab combined with standard therapy in adults with active lupus nephritis. At 76 weeks, 46.4% of patients receiving the antibody achieved complete renal response, compared to 33.1% with standard treatment alone — supporting its use in this population.

2: Planting Potential: Dopamine Cell Transplant in Parkinson’s Disease

This phase-1 trial assessed the safety of stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s. After bilateral transplantation of dopaminergic progenitor cells into patients’ brains, there were no serious adverse effects or graft overgrowth on MRI. The cells survived and produced dopamine — a promising sign for further trials — and eventual clinical use.

3: Cholecystitis in Adults with Comorbidities - To Operate or Not to Operate?

A cohort study of 32K older adults with multimorbidity and cholecystitis compared surgical and nonoperative care. Cholecystectomy was associated with similar mortality but lower 90-day readmissions, fewer ED revisits, and reduced costs — suggesting it should be strongly considered in this complex population.

A Fatal Gift 🎁

How a life-saving organ transplant turned deadly

What happened: A patient has died of rabies after undergoing an organ transplant in Michigan.

Why it’s interesting: The organ donor was exposed to a wild animal in Idaho five weeks before their death and didn’t seek medical attention. They later died without any rabies symptoms, so public health officials were never notified about the off chance that the donor might’ve had the disease.

The donor provided a kidney and corneal grafts to three different patients, one of whom died from rabies last December. Since the discovery, all of the corneal tissue recipients are doing well, and have received a post-exposure prophylaxis shot to prevent rabies.

Rabies is a disease that’s almost always fatal, and as soon as a person starts to develop symptoms, it’s passed the point of no return. According to the CDC, fewer than 20 cases of humans surviving after clinical rabies have been diagnosed. In the US, about 60,000 people receive medical care for rabies each year, and about 10 of them succumb to their injuries.

But: Researchers said they aren’t sure how the patient contracted rabies from the donor, as person-to-person transmission of the illness is extremely rare. The hospital where the transplant took place said they’ve investigated the case and found that all practices and standard safety protocols were followed. They haven’t provided any additional information out of respect for the grieving family.

Bottom line: You might still be scratching your head trying to figure out how this story is possible, but one thing is for sure: getting your furry friend vaccinated for rabies could not only save their life, but yours too.

Hot Off The Press

1: 🇺🇸 The NIH just rolled out new rules — echoing Trump-era policies — cutting off grant funding to institutions with DEI programs or ties to Israeli boycotts. Effective April 21, recipients must certify they do not promote “discriminatory equity ideology” or limit commercial relations with Israeli companies — or risk cancelled grants and clawbacks. The message is clear: choose your values, or keep your funding — not both.

2: 🔥 Speaking of cuts, Trump has laid off almost all the federal workers who investigate firefighter deaths. Most employees have until the end of June to clear out their desks, while others have been given a much shorter notice. The layoffs were so unexpected that the lab animals were left without staff and had to be euthanized. A VP who represents agency employees said the cuts are an attack on American workers.

3: 💉 Novavax, a company that’s been working on a protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, is on track for full FDA approval. The drug was initially supposed to be approved on April 1st, but was paused due to concerns that RFK Jr. might step in as he’s made antivaccine comments in the past. If approved, Novavax’s shot will be on the market indefinitely.

4: 🤖 Humanoid robots are making strides — literally. In Beijing, 21 robots participated in a half-marathon, with varying degrees of success. Meanwhile, tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, Meta, Tesla, and Google are heavily investing in humanoid robotics. China has poured $10 billion into building out mass production and supply chains for core robot components over the past 3 years.

Notable Numbers 🔢

4: the number of US states that are trying to prevent folks who use food stamps from buying candy and soda by submitting a waiver to the United States Department of Agriculture. West Virginia, Arkansas, Idaho and Indiana are among the states trying to “Make America Healthy Again.”

4.1 million: how many kids under 5 got measles in 2021 — a spike researchers link to pandemic-era drops in vaccine coverage. A new global analysis shows steady progress from 1990 to 2019, but then a sharp reversal: MCV1 coverage fell in 75 countries, including a 42% drop in Montenegro. Deaths, DALYs, and incidence surged in places like Somalia and Mali.

$1.1 billion: the amount of NIH grant funding revoked under the new DEI and Israel boycott rules, according to a federal lawsuit filed by researchers and the ACLU. The cuts have halted studies on LGBTQ health, vaccine hesitancy, and minority health outcomes.

Picks

😂Laugh: at this meme about atherosclerosis. ↓

🤑Save: Looking for an early Mother’s Day gift for that special woman in your life? Walmart’s got you covered with gifts up to 30% off.

👂Listen: to this episode of the Funny Medicine Podcast discussing the secrets of biohacking.

Relax

First Question: Bony condition (fractures, genu varum, beadlike costochondral junctions) resulting from vitamin D deficiency

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