Latest News
New Cell Therapy Trial Launches for Patients with Severe COVID-19
Camillo Ricordi, M.D.
An international team of scientists led by Camillo Ricordi, M.D., director of the Diabetes Research Institute and Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was granted immediate FDA authorization for a 24-patient clinical trial to test the safety and exploratory efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells to block the life-threatening lung inflammation that accompanies severe cases of COVID-19.
“There is no time to waste,” said Dr. Ricordi, the principal investigator, who is the Stacy Joy Goodman Professor of Surgery. “Patients who die from COVID-19 have a median time of just 10 days between first symptoms and death. In severe cases oxygen levels in the bloodstream drop, and the inability to breathe pushes patients toward their end very quickly; any intervention that might prevent that trajectory would be highly desirable.”
More News
Miller School Makes Exceptions for Medical School Applicants During an Exceptional Time
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has relaxed some requirements for college seniors applying to medical school, including acceptance of pass/fail grades for current classes.
Miller School Researchers Alert Otolaryngologists about High COVID-19 Transmission Risk
A harsh reality has emerged as COVID-19 has spread around the globe. Several thousand doctors, nurses and others caring for COVID-19 patients are dying from the virus. To alert providers in otolaryngology, one of the hardest-hit medical specialties, about the high risk of transmission and how to avoid it, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers studied data from China.
Cutting-Edge Research Finds Targets for New Glaucoma Treatments
Glaucoma increases intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eyes, eventually damaging the optic nerve and often leading to irreversible blindness. Eyedrop and pill medications can reduce IOP by limiting eye water production or increasing its outflow, but the root causes for most glaucomas are unknown, and there are no cures.
Miller School Launches U-TRACE Initiative to Address COVID-19 Public Health Crisis
To help the University of Miami community address the health crisis related to the novel coronavirus, the Miller School of Medicine has launched a multidisciplinary initiative called U-TRACE for UM Tracking, Resources, and Assessment of COVID-19 Epidemiology.
UHealth Mobile Clinic Brings COVID-19 Testing to South Dade Government Center
A UHealth Pediatric Mobile Clinic with advanced telehealth features is now offering COVID-19 testing for adults at the South Dade Government Center in Cutler Bay.
