Once-Rare Fungal Diseases Are Killing Millions in an Unprepared World
When most people think of dangerous infections, they picture bacteria or viruses. But for infectious disease specialists like Peter Chin-Hong, one of the most insidious threats lurking in hospitals and clinics today is fungal.
Chin-Hong's case list is long: a healthy 29-year-old marathon runner from California's Central Valley whose heart lining was invaded by Coccidioides, a soil-dwelling fungus; a lung transplant recipient coughing up mold nodules — fungal growths scattered throughout his lungs — after stopping antifungal medication; and a 45-year-old woman with poorly controlled diabetes, infected by a black fungus that destroyed part of her face and spread to her brain. Despite multiple surgeries and treatment, she died in the hospital.
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31-05-2025
- Yahoo
All Charges Dismissed Against Dr. Kingsley R. Chin and His Companies as DOJ Case Concludes
After a multi-year DOJ investigation, all criminal charges against Dr. Kingsley R. Chin and his medical device company, SpineFrontier, have been dismissed, allowing him to focus on transforming spine care and improving patient outcomes. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- All criminal charges have been dismissed against Dr. Kingsley R. Chin and his medical device companies, bringing an end to a multi-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The case began in 2016 after three former employees, acting as whistleblowers under the False Claims Act, triggered a civil inquiry into Dr. Chin and SpineFrontier , the company he founded and led as CEO since 2006. That civil matter was fully resolved in November 2023. In 2021, the DOJ initiated a separate criminal investigation. In early 2025, charges against SpineFrontier were formally dismissed. By May 2025, the DOJ moved to dismiss all remaining charges against Dr. Chin. "All of the charges in the Indictment and Superseding Indictment against Dr. Chin have been or are going to be dismissed, as the case resolved for a lesser charge," stated Dr. Chin's legal counsel in a recent interview. Dr. Chin is a Harvard-trained professor and board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon and a graduate of Harvard Business School. He is widely recognized for pioneering Less Exposure Spine Surgery (LESS™), a philosophy that advances outpatient spine care and empowers physician-led medical innovation. With this legal chapter now coming to a close, Dr. Chin remains focused on transforming spine care and improving patient outcomes through continued innovation and leadership in the medical technology field. About SpineFrontier in 2006, SpineFrontier was built on a foundation of collaboration and innovation. Along with its strategic advisory board of spine surgeons, the company developed a portfolio of Less Exposure Spine Surgery (LESS) technologies designed to improve patient outcomes and simplify procedures for outpatient spine surgery. About KIC in 2013 as the venture arm of Kingsley Investment Company (KIC) LLC, KIC Ventures focuses exclusively on advancing outpatient spine surgery through its Less Exposure Spine Surgery (LESS™) philosophy. With a portfolio of innovative spine technologies and a commitment to empowering physicians, KIC Ventures has become the world's largest private equity firm with a majority-owned portfolio of differentiated spine companies focused on outpatient spine solutions. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE KIC Ventures Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Yahoo
UW Health aids FDA approval of Alzheimer's blood test
MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – Officials with the US Food and Drug Administration say they have cleared the first-ever blood test that will help in diagnosing cases of Alzheimer's disease. Those at UW Health state that this could not have happened without their help, as the work being done at the UW schools of Medicine and Public Health in Madison has been at the forefront of biomarker research. Brown County courts request aid to address felony case backlog This kind of research allows those already with cognitive impairment to get a blood test as a way to test for Alzheimer's instead of needing a PET scan of the brain or a spinal tap. We have been at the forefront of biosomething research, those are tasks looking at the protein of Alzheimer's disease, and we've been doing this for years. And that's because our research participants have been willing to do lumbar punctures for the past two decades. And we've had the technology to really look for these proteins Nate Chin, UW Health Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Medical Director Chin adds that UW Health is looking to make these blood tests available for cognitively healthy people as well, before eventually pairing it with future preventive Alzheimer's treatments. No other information is available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
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Wisconsin plays part in FDA-approved Alzheimer's blood testing
The Brief The FDA recently approved the first-ever blood test to help confirm Alzheimer's disease. Plasma samples that the FDA analyzed came from a pair of UW Health studies. The FDA only cleared this test for people ages 55 and older who are already showing signs of cognitive decline. MILWAUKEE - Doctors describe current tests for Alzheimer's disease as invasive and expensive. Now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared a new one: a blood test that looks to change that. What we know Before last week, those living with cognitive decline had two options: a spinal tap or a PET scan on the brain. There's a cheaper, low-barrier third option, thanks in a large part to willing Wisconsinites. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android It was the talk of the night at a Wednesday event for the Wisconsin Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. This group walks every year to end the disease. Dionne Ojeda joined a few years ago after her mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Her dad's mother also died from it. It's why she signed up for a UW Health study, the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP), to get tested. "We don't know yet if it's hereditary — so I wanted to know," Ojeda said. "Oh, I just wanted to jump up and down. It's amazing." On Wednesday, the health provider shared that roughly 40% of the plasma samples that the FDA analyzed to clear this new blood test for Alzheimer's came from a pair of UW Health studies. What they're saying Dr. Nathaniel Chin is the medical director for both studies. He notes the blood test was 92% accurate when compared to the spinal tap. For samples with the Alzheimer's-related proteins, the accuracy jumped to 97% for negative samples. Chin said this will allow earlier testing, which leads to other benefits. "It's really because of the great Wisconsin participants that we now have something, that's pretty revolutionary," Chin said. "So, just earlier care, so people can make lifestyle interventions — that would be exercising, sleep, diet, social engagement." Though it's unclear if her data was used, Ojeda said she's excited for the results this test could bring down the road. "I am so elated, because I don't like doing things where I feel like it's not making a difference," she said. "We actually made a difference." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News The FDA only cleared this test for people ages 55 and older who are already showing signs of cognitive decline. What you can do We talked about accuracy numbers, but the cost is impressive too. A PET scan can run up to $6,000 without insurance; it's around $1,000 with insurance and co-pay. The spinal tap is around $1,000, too. Chin estimates this blood test will be in the $100-200 range. The Source The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News with information from UW Health.
