Reframe Daily: Brain shunt trial, heart drug gain, early gene fix, plus 2 ways to lower blood sugar

Reframe Daily—curated by Christin Chong (neuroscience PhD, Buddhist chaplain, healthtech strategy consultant)—delivers optimistic and credible healthtech updates you won’t find in most popular news outlets, from sources scientists and healthcare providers read and trust.

Today in one sentence: A brain shunt surgery clearly helped people with normal-pressure hydrocephalus; the heart drug mavacamten improved symptoms in adults with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; a one-time gene therapy showed early gains in children with Canavan disease; and two mouse studies lowered blood sugar and fats by blocking a fat transporter and by using a new RNA target.

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Good news: This trial shows that putting a shunt in people with normal-pressure hydrocephalus helped their walking and thinking more than not getting the shunt.

A Randomized Trial of Shunting for Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus

Market readiness: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 (standard surgery already used in US hospitals; this RCT strengthens evidence and can guide care now). 

Good news: A heart drug for thickened heart muscle helped people without the usual blockage feel better and function better in a randomized trial.

Mavacamten in Adults with Nonobstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Market readiness: 🙂🙂🙂🙂 (drug is FDA-approved for obstructive HCM; this study supports a new use that could reach clinics after regulatory review). 

Good news: A one-time gene therapy aimed at brain cells showed early safety and signs it may help kids with Canavan disease.

Oligodendrocyte-targeted AAV gene therapy for Canavan disease

Market readiness: 🙂🙂 (first-in-human phase 1/2; promising but still early and limited to trials).

Good news: Blocking a fat-transport protein improved blood sugar control in preclinical tests, pointing to a new way to treat metabolic disease.

Fatty acid transport protein-2 inhibition enhances glucose homeostasis

Market readiness: 🙂 (animal-level research; concept-stage for humans). 

Good news: A newly found RNA ‘motif’ lowered blood sugar and blood fats in obese mice, suggesting a fresh target for metabolic health.

The functionally conserved human lncRNA motif GULF lowers glucose and lipid levels in obese mice

Market readiness: 🙂 (preclinical; far from clinics but opens a clear path for follow-up).

Thank you for taking the time to take care of yourself and your loved ones.