Health News

Could cola substance treat muscular dystrophy?

Date: Aug-05-2013
Researchers have discovered that a trace substance found in caramelized sugar and cola improves regeneration in mice suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Scientists from the Reyes and Ruohola Baker laboratories at the University of Washington discovered that when the sugar substance, a small molecule called 2-acetyl-4(5)-tetrahydroxybutyl imidazole (THI), was injected into mice suffering from the muscular disease, muscle regeneration was improved...

New treatment strategy for breast cancer spread to brain

Date: Aug-05-2013
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) have successfully combined cellular therapy and gene therapy in a mouse model system to develop a viable treatment strategy for breast cancer that has metastasized, or spread, to the patient's brain. The laboratory study was led by Carol Kruse, professor of neurosurgery and member of JCCC and the UCLA Brain Research Institute. The study was published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research on August 1, 2013...

Medical Devices Project & Portfolio Management Toolbox, 5th and 6th November 2013, Frankfurt

Date: Aug-05-2013
Due to the new game and rules on the market, for the medical device companies it is necessary to develop an effective portfolio management processes. Market uncertainty, increasing pricing pressure and rigorous regulatory changes are the leading business concerns for the global medical devices industry in 2013. Companies need to select product ideas with the greatest commercial potential, and thereby ensure maximizing of their return on investments...

PET/CT bests gold standard bone marrow biopsy for diagnosis and prognosis of lymphoma patients

Date: Aug-05-2013
A more precise method for determining bone marrow involvement in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) - a key factor in tailoring patient management plans - has been identified by researchers in a study published in the August issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Imaging with 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), when compared to bone marrow biopsy, was more sensitive, showed a higher negative predictive value and was more accurate, changing treatment for 42 percent of patients with bone marrow involvement...

Inflammatory on and off switch identified for allergic asthma and COPD

Date: Aug-05-2013
Japanese researchers have made a new step toward understanding why - and how to stop - runaway inflammation for both chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) and allergic asthma. In a new report appearing in the August 2013 issue of The FASEB Journal scientists show that two receptors of an inflammatory molecule, called "leukotriene B4," play opposing roles in turning inflammation on and off for allergic asthma and COPD. The first receptor, called "BLT1," promotes inflammation, while the second receptor, called "BLT2," has a potential to weaken inflammation during an allergic reaction...

New evidence that evolution doesn't favor the selfish

Date: Aug-05-2013
Two Michigan State University evolutionary biologists offer new evidence that evolution doesn't favor the selfish, disproving a theory popularized in 2012. "We found evolution will punish you if you're selfish and mean," said lead author Christoph Adami, MSU professor of microbiology and molecular genetics. "For a short time and against a specific set of opponents, some selfish organisms may come out ahead. But selfishness isn't evolutionarily sustainable...

Small protein plays big role in asthma severity

Date: Aug-05-2013
A new culprit has been identified that likely plays a big role in the severity of asthma - a small protein chemokine called CCL26. These findings were published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology and represent the first demonstration that CCL26 is a potent regulator of the migration of asthmatic eosinophils, commonly observed in asthmatic airways. Results from this discovery may lead to new drug targets for the treatment of asthma...

Depletion of FoxM1 in prostate epithelial cells inhibits tumor cell proliferation - possible new approach to prostate cancer treatment

Date: Aug-05-2013
A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry identifies a new therapeutic approach to treat prostate cancer. Conducted at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, the research shows that expression of the FoxM1 protein is essential for prostate cancer to develop in mouse models. The study appears in the journal's Aug. 2 edition. The study also shows that depletion of FoxM1 in prostate epithelial cells inhibits tumor cell proliferation, the process by which new blood vessels are formed, and metastasis - the spread of cancer to other organs of the body...

Junior doctor changeover likely to drive August reduction in quality and safety of patient care

Date: Aug-05-2013
New research suggests that failure by junior doctors in their annual changeover period to identify deteriorating patients and poor prioritisation skills are likely to drive a reduction in the quality and safety of patient care. On Wednesday 7 August thousands of newly qualified doctors will take up their first hospital jobs and junior doctors will become a grade more senior. This period is associated with worse clinical outcomes than the rest of the year...

Modeling of congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia using iPS cell technology

Date: Aug-05-2013
A research group led by researcher Shinji Hirata and Professor Koji Eto at CiRA has conducted a study in which iPS cells generated from a patient with congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT) were induced to differentiate into blood cells in vitro and then used to undertake a detailed study of the differences between these and cells from healthy subjects...