Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs

CIDRAP: HEPA Purifiers Not Tied To Less Viral Exposure In Elementary Classrooms, Analysis Finds 
A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial of 200 US elementary-school classrooms concludes that portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers were linked with a modest reduction in respiratory virus diversity but not less viral exposure. (Van Beusekom, 10/13)

MedPage Today: In Brain Stim For Depression, Early Heart Rate Changes May Signal Response
Early heart rate changes after starting intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) for major depressive disorder (MDD) could help serve as a predictor of treatment response, a quadruple-blind crossover trial indicated. (Monaco, 10/14)

Fox News: Taking Vitamin D2 Supplements Can Lower Vitamin D3 In Body, Research Shows
Vitamin D is known to be essential to many aspects of human health — but a new study suggests that taking a certain form of it can have a negative effect. The more potent and longer-lasting form, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is produced naturally when the body is exposed to sunlight and is also found in animal products, while vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) comes from plant or fungal sources, per the National Institutes of Health. (Rudy, 10/13)

MedPage Today: Radiation-Free Approach Promising For Some Locally Advanced Lung Cancers 
In a small phase II trial, radiation-free treatment with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and platinum-based chemotherapy alone proved promising for patients with unresectable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and high PD-L1 expression. (Bassett, 10/13)

MedPage Today: Double-Action Lupus Drug Looks Good In Phase III Trial 
A novel drug for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) first developed in China, and approved there since 2021, did well enough in a new placebo-controlled phase III trial that approval in Western countries seems possible. (Gever, 10/15)