The success of transcatheter aortic valve replacement has generated optimism that the much larger pool of mitral regurgitation patients can be similarly served. While big strategics bet on replacement, however, other companies are betting on repair, developing less invasive devices inspired by an array of established mitral valve surgical repair techniques.

Amid the success of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), strategic acquisitions of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) companies and the success of mitral valve repair device MitraClip, a group of companies are developing a number of minimally invasive options to repair mitral valves. Whether minimally invasive repair, replacement, or some combination will emerge as the best option for patients with mitral regurgitation remains unclear, and insiders say this road will be rockier than it was for TAVR.

The device industry is playing a pivotal role in the evolution toward a more personalized approach to breast cancer management, with ongoing advances in minimally invasive treatment systems, tumor characterization and breast imaging technologies adding to the momentum. In the years ahead, as the breast cancer toolbox expands, the watchword will be “choice,” with physicians and patients offered more treatment options, targeted to their specific needs and desires, than ever before.

Researchers have shown that a new class of small molecule can inhibit assembly of the protein alpha-synuclein into toxic clumps, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. Their work supports other ongoing investigations suggesting that the compound may be useful as a neuroprotective agent for treating a range of diseases characterized by the clumping of amyloid proteins, including Alzheimer’s disease, various types of amyloidosis, and prion disease.