Hope that a cancer drug can stop FOP, one of the rarest diseases in the world
STOPFOP are trialling the cancer drug saracatinib, which has shown promise in stopping muscle and tissue from turning to bone in FOP patients
The ACVR1 gene. Image by By Pleiotrope (public domain via Wikipedia )
Fibrodyplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare and devastating disease in which muscles, tendons and ligaments slowly turn to bone. People with FOP gradually get ‘locked in’ their bodies, making it difficult to move and breathe. It’s caused by a mutation in a single gene, called ACVR1, which encodes for the protein kinase ALK2. The mutation causes ALK2 to become overactive, causing muscles and connective tissues to turn into bone. There is no drug to treat this disease.
The U.S. new cases 7-day rolling average are 16.8 % LOWER than the 7-day rolling average one week ago. U.S. hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are now 2.8 %
LOWER than the rolling average one week ago. U.S. deaths due to coronavirus are now 3.3 %
LOWER than the rolling average one week ago. Today s posts include:
U.S. Coronavirus New Cases are 141,999 [likely understated due to the MLK holiday]
U.S. Coronavirus hospitalizations are at an elevated 123,848
U.S. Coronavirus deaths are 1,403 [likely understated due to the MLK holiday]
U.S. Coronavirus immunizations have been administered to 3.7 % of the population [not updated since 15 January]
Germany Extends Existing Lockdown Until February
Germany will extend its ongoing COVID-19lockdown measures until Feb. 14 amid fears of a new virus variant and continued attempts to bring infection rates down. The existing lockdown was supposed to expire at the end of this month.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the country’s state leaders on Jan. 19, deciding to keep most “nonessential” businesses and schools closed.
Merkel told reporters after the meeting that Germany may consider closing its borders to neighboring countries that don’t take action to stop transmission of the CCP virus. The country shares borders with nine European nations.
Cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, sometimes known as VOC 202012/01, have been reported in most of continental Europe, as well as in the US, Australia, India, China and Saudi Arabia.