Health News

Lab-Based Tests Using Biomarkers To Identify And Treat Schizophrenia

Date: Jul-14-2012
In the current online issue of PLoS ONE, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say they have identified a set of laboratory-based biomarkers that can be useful for understanding brain-based abnormalities in schizophrenia. The measurements, known as endophenotypes, could ultimately be a boon to clinicians who sometimes struggle to recognize and treat the complex and confounding mental disorder...

Scientists First To See Trafficking Of Immune Cells In Beating Heart

Date: Jul-14-2012
Blood flow to the heart often is interrupted during a heart attack or cardiac surgery. But when blood flow resumes, the heart may still falter. That's because collateral damage can occur as blood re-enters the heart, potentially slowing recovery and causing future cardiac troubles. Researchers investigating this type of secondary heart damage have been stymied by the inability to see in real time how restoring blood flow leads to inflammation that can cause further injury. Now, working in mice, surgeons and scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St...

Molecule Discovered That May Prevent Atherosclerosis

Date: Jul-14-2012
Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that a naturally occurring molecule may play a role in preventing plaque buildup inside arteries, possibly leading to new plaque-fighting drugs and improved screening of patients at risk of developing atherosclerosis. Sometimes called hardening or clogging of the arteries, atherosclerosis is the buildup of cholesterol, fatty cells, and inflammatory deposits on the inner walls of the arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart...

Clinical Development Leaders Forum

Date: Jul-14-2012
Rethinking the clinical development pathway to add value to your pipeline whilst maximising efficiency and shortening clinical timelines http://www.clinicaldevelopmentleadersforum.com/ Conference Dates: 15th- 17th October 2012 Venue: Vienna, Austria NextLevel Pharma's "Clinical Development Leaders Forum" will bring together regulators, experienced investigators and study personnel as well as clinical trial experts from pharma and CROs. We will examine in detail, the key regulatory, clinical, outsourcing and environmental factors which impact clinical trials...

What Is Atherosclerosis? What Causes Atherosclerosis?

Date: Jul-14-2012
Atherosclerosis (or arteriosclerotic vascular disease) is a condition where the arteries become narrowed and hardened due to an excessive build up of plaque around the artery wall. The disease disrupts the flow of blood around the body, posing serious cardiovascular complications. Arteries contain what is called an endothelium, a thin layer of cells that keeps the artery smooth and allows blood to flow easily. Atherosclerosis starts when the endothelium becomes damaged, allowing LDL cholesterol to accumulate in the artery wall...

A 'Clearer' Way To Treat Huntington's Disease

Date: Jul-14-2012
In a paper published in the online issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified two key regulatory proteins critical to clearing away misfolded proteins that accumulate and cause the progressive, deadly neurodegeneration of Huntington's disease (HD). The findings explain a fundamental aspect of how HD wreaks havoc within cells and provides "clear, therapeutic opportunities," said principal investigator Albert R...

Smoking Results In Lower Immune System Responses After Transplants

Date: Jul-13-2012
According to a study published in Liver Transplantation, liver transplant recipients who continue to smoke or have smoked in the past are more likely to acquire viral hepatitis reinfection after the procedure. Each year, more than 5 million people in the world die due to tobacco use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and this figure is expected to increased to more than 8 million by the year 2030. Earlier studies reveal that almost 34% of individuals who undergo liver transplantation are either current or former smokers...

Breakthrough Device To Treat Neurological Disorders

Date: Jul-13-2012
Operating theaters may be using pioneering exploring technology in form of an ultraviolet camera in the future. The system, developed by neurosurgeons and researchers from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute could, if it works, give surgeons a real-time view of changes that are invisible to the naked eye when focused on brain tissue that are not even visible with magnification of current medical imaging technologies...

Nut Allergy Linked To Breast Milk

Date: Jul-13-2012
Researchers from the Australian National University have discovered that children who only receive breast milk during the first six months have a higher risk of developing a nut allergy. The study has been published in the online issue of International Journal of Pediatrics. Researchers from the ANU's College of Medicine, Biology and Environment's Medical School, and the ACT Health Directorate examined the association between breastfeeding and nut allergies by surveying parents whose children started primary school in the area, using the ACT Kindergarten Health Check Questionnaire...

Treating Diabetes With New Social Network

Date: Jul-13-2012
Sanitas Inc. in La Jolla has developed a new social media network called Wellaho to treat individuals suffering from type I and II diabetes. Now, researchers at the UC San Diego School of Medicine are conducting a trial of the interactive online system, designed to help diabetics manager their care outside the hospital, in order to determine whether it can enhance patient-physician interactions as well as the patients overall health and wellbeing. Jason Bronner, M.D...