Magdalena Kegel,  —

Magdalena is a writer with a passion for bridging the gap between the people performing research, and those who want or need to understand it. She writes about medical science and drug discovery. She holds an MS in Pharmaceutical Bioscience and a PhD — spanning the fields of psychiatry, immunology, and neuropharmacology — from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Articles by Magdalena Kegel

Key Pulmonary Hypertension Risk Factors Identified in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Chinese researchers identified a number of risk factors for the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients under maintenance peritoneal dialysis — and demonstrated that the highest risks were associated with the proportion of arteriovenous fistula, C-reactive protein levels (a measure of inflammation), and ejection fraction measured in the dialysis patients. Researchers with …

PAH Drug Sildenafil Seen to Work Well with Ambrisentan as Combo Therapy

A recent Japanese study suggested that it might be more advantageous to combine sildenafil with ambrisentan than with bosentan as a therapy for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Researchers found that bosentan reduced the concentration of sildenafil in the plasma when the drugs were taken together, while sildenafil combined with ambrisentan…

PAH Oral Prostacyclin Analog Drugs, Like Treprostinil, Are Improving But Have Way to Go

Prostacyclin analogs have substantially improved pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment, but the use of these drugs is hampered by the difficulties and risks of treating patients with continuous intravenous infusions. A new overview highlighted the development of oral prostacyclins, focusing on the drug treprostinil (Orenitram). The overview was published under the…

Newly Diagnosed PAH Patients at Risk of More Rapid Disease Progression

People newly diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are at greater risk of disease progression than PAH patients sick for more than six months, a finding that highlights the importance of early treatment, researchers reported. Their study, “Incident and prevalent cohorts with pulmonary arterial hypertension: insight from SERAPHIN“, was published in the…

Gene’s Absence Found to Induce PAH in Mouse Study

A study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham showed that the immune receptor TLR4 is important for regulating the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Mice lacking the gene for TLR4 spontaneously developed PAH, indicating a protective role for the immune factor. Chronic hypoxia — low levels of oxygen —…

PAH Drug May Not Be of Added Benefit to Infants After Heart Surgery

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a common condition in infants undergoing surgery for congenital heart defects, and it is a main contributor to morbidity and death following surgery. For this reason, the drug iloprost is often given these infants after surgery, as it is known to induce blood vessel relaxation and decrease…

PAH Patients Treated with Sildenafil Show Lower Oxidative Stress Levels

Targeting the nitric oxide deficiency resulting from pulmonary arterial hypertension through drugs such as sildenafil is a cornerstone of PAH treatment. A new study showed that sildenafil decreased the signs of oxidative stress by reducing hydroxynonenal (HNE) in patients, but was unable to lower elevated levels of free fatty acids in the blood. The results suggested…

Rare Lung Cell Found to Trigger Immune System Response to Environment

A study reported that certain cells in the lungs act as sensors, linking the pulmonary and central nervous systems to regulate immune responses in reaction to environmental stimuli. The study, published in the journal Science, is entitled “Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells function as airway sensors to control lung immune response.” The…


A Conversation With Rare Disease Advocates