UCLA’s heart tissue regeneration drug gets FDA clearance; your kids sleep less than you think; Americans know plasma saves lives, but most don’t donate – Morning Medical Update

UCLA’s heart tissue regeneration drug gets FDA clearance

A UCLA-developed drug that promotes heart tissue regeneration is heading into human trials after receiving FDA clearance. The monoclonal antibody, AD-NP1, targets a protein called ENPP1 that disrupts cellular energy production and impedes tissue repair following injury. In animal studies, blocking ENPP1 boosted heart function and reduced scarring after myocardial infarction. The work, led by UCLA cardiologist Arjun Deb, M.D., was funded entirely by federal and state grants — without private investment — and represents a rare example of bench-to-bedside drug development within a university lab.

Kids sleep less than parents think

Parents may be overestimating their children’s sleep by more than an hour a night, according to new research from Brown University published in Frontiers in Pediatrics. Tracking 102 elementary school children with wrist-worn monitors, researchers found that while 83% of parents believed their child was getting enough rest, only 14% met national sleep guidelines. On average, kids slept 8 hours and 20 minutes per night — well below the recommended 9 to 12 hours — with Latino children sleeping even less than their non-Latino peers. Senior author Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, Ph.D., said parents often miss long sleep-onset times and frequent nighttime awakenings.

Americans know plasma saves lives — most have never donated

International Plasma Awareness Week is underway (Oct. 6–10), and a new survey from the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA) highlights a striking gap between awareness and action. While 72% of Americans agree that plasma-derived medicines save lives, eight in ten have never donated. Nearly half say they lack understanding of the donation process, and many believe blood donation has greater impact. Plasma, however, is essential for treating immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders and severe burns. Unlike blood components, it cannot be manufactured synthetically.