Health News

Penn study results for first 59 leukemia patients who received cell therapy

Date: Dec-10-2013
Three and a half years after beginning a clinical trial which demonstrated the first successful and sustained use of genetically engineered T cells to fight leukemia, a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announced the latest results of studies involving both adults and children with advanced blood cancers that have failed to respond to standard therapies.

Scientists recommend testing for Pearson syndrome in patients with congenital anemia

Date: Dec-10-2013
Some babies diagnosed with and treated for a bone marrow failure disorder, called Diamond Blackfan Anemia, may actually be affected by a very rare anemia syndrome that has a different disease course and treatment, say scientists from Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.Genetic analysis of DNA from 175 patients believed to have Diamond Blackfan Anemia, identified eight that showed hallmarks of Pearson Marrow Pancreas syndrome, according to research presented at the 55th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Promising early results in international gene therapy trial for 'bubble boy' disease

Date: Dec-10-2013
8 of 9 children treated doing well, according to data presented to American Society of HematologyHematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), once considered an effective yet risky alternative to drug therapy for blood cancer, has become more accessible and successful in a wide range of patients as a result of major advances in transplant strategies and technologies. Several studies representing these advances were presented during the 55th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans.

Access to transplants for MDS should not be limited by age

Date: Dec-10-2013
Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who were as old as 74 fared as well with stem cell transplantation as did patients in the 60-to-65 age range, according to a study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology."This is good evidence that age alone should not limit who should get a transplant for MDS," said Gregory Abel, MD, MPH, a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber.

Racial differences in head and neck cancers may be explained by genetic mutations and molecular alterations

Date: Dec-10-2013
A team of scientists at Johns Hopkins and in Texas has identified a handful of genetic mutations in black Americans, in addition to some chemical alterations affecting gene activity, which may help explain why the death rate among African-Americans from the most common form of head and neck cancer continues to hover some 18 percent higher above the death rate of whites with the same cancer.

Real world estimates of out-of-pocket costs for infertility treatment

Date: Dec-10-2013
Although the demand for infertility treatment is rising, the high cost may deter some couples from seeking care. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco assessed direct out-of-pocket costs for couples undergoing fertility treatment. Those using medication only had the lowest out-of-pocket expenses at $912, while those using in vitro fertilization (IVF) had the highest at $19,234. The results, published in The Journal of Urology®, will help inform couples who seek infertility care and the physicians who counsel them.

The link between erectile dysfunction and heart disease

Date: Dec-10-2013
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is caused by the inability of the artery that supplies blood to the penis to expand and contract properly. The study of this mechanism has led to a new understanding of the important link between ED and the development of coronary artery disease, and to new strategies for prevention and treatment, as described in Journal of Men's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Journal of Men's Health website.

63 percent of violent crime convictions in Sweden perpetrated by just one percent of the population

Date: Dec-10-2013
The majority of all violent crime in Sweden is committed by a small number of people. They are almost all male (92%) who, early in life, develop violent criminality, substance abuse problems, often diagnosed with personality disorders and commit a large number non-violent crimes. These are the findings of researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy who have examined 2.5 million people in the Swedish criminal and population registers.

How tumour cells solve the problems linked to the replication of their unstable DNA

Date: Dec-10-2013
Genomes must be replicated in two copies during cell division. This process occurs at structures called 'replication forks', which are equipped with enzymes and move along the separated DNA strands. In tumour cells, the replication forks are frequently damaged, giving rise to breaks in the double-stranded DNA. An international study led by Thanos Halazonetis, Professor at the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), has revealed how cancer cells repair the damaged replication forks in order to complete their division.

Improved prevention and therapy urgently needed for acute kidney injury

Date: Dec-10-2013
Acute kidney injury, a condition that is common but often asymptomatic, may be more deadly than a heart attack, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN). The findings suggest that follow-up and surveillance may be critical to protect the health of individuals who develop this form of kidney damage.Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an abrupt decline in kidney function that often arises after major surgeries or severe infections.