Rice's CNST awards Smalley/Curl funds for innovation
...They aim to develop bright, biocompatible contrast agents that can "light up" cells that are expressing specific molecular markers indicative of early precancerous changes. With the seed money from the Smalley/Curl Fund for Innovation, Drezek and Hafner will evaluate targeted nanorods as molecular probes fo...Migraine-sparked vision loss may increase stroke risk in women; Migraine
...hey should discuss the risk/benefit ratio of these agents with their doctors, Giles said. Giles emphasized that migraine sufferers who experience new neurological symptoms, including transient loss of vision, should be evaluated by a doctor to exclude other causes such as transient ischemic attack (TIA). ...Substance protects resilient staph bacteria
...ermidis is one of several hard-to-treat infectious agents that can be transmitted to patients in hospitals via contaminated medical implants. The new report concludes that the substance--known as poly-gamma-DL-glutamic acid, or PGA--must be present for S. epidermidis to survive on medical implants. S. epide...American Thoracic Society Journal news tips for February 2005 (first issue)
...ho were admitted with septic shock were weaned off agents to increase their blood pressure (vasopressors) by Days 3 and 5; no other patient developed sepsis-related complications. Although mortality for patients admitted to an intensive care unit for severe community-acquired pneumonia is high (22 to 54 pe...Lottery funding to aid research into superbugs
... identify and develop more effective antimicrobial agents and vaccine strategies to treat lung infections. Professor Govan, who will work with colleagues at the Universities of Edinburgh, Liverpool, Belfast and Cardiff and the Health Protection Agency in London, said: "The prompt and appropriate use of anti...Animal study shows link between nicotine and atrial flutter
...ions somewhat like an intravenous tube, delivering agents (in this case, nicotine) through a semi-permeable membrane. The study included four groups. Those with only an MI and surgery experienced no flutter. Similarly, those that underwent surgery and received nicotine, but had no MI, also did not experienc...Low-dose aspirin and stomach ulcer medications better for heart patients with GI complications
...ed with the propensity to increase bleeding, these agents may convert small, silent ulcers into large ulcers that bleed profoundly." Consequently, Dr. Cryer recommends that patients at high-risk for gastrointestinal complications who require blood clot-preventing therapy should consume the lowest effective ...Rice student wins award for revolutionary MRI research
...ts to create a revolutionary new class of contrast agents that could, for the first time, allow magnetic res...S. undergo MRIs annually, and doctors use contrast agents in almost of quarter of those procedures. Contrast agents increase the sensitivity of the scans, mak...New theory chalenges current view of how brain stores long-term memory
...theses can lead to the development of new chemical agents that would successfully target the chemical reactions necessary "We would assert that there is enough substance both in the concerns raised and in the post-translational modification/positive feedback model proposed to energize the search for yet mo...Conference to examine effects of dietary supplements in patients taking blood thinning medications
...may interact with aspirin, and other anti-platelet agents such as clopidogrel, ticlopidine, and dipyridamole. Dietary supplements include herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals, other botanical products, fibers, amino acids, proteins, organ tissues, and metabolites for digestion. Known interactions with prescr...The sustained benefits of very early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with anti-TNF-alpha therapy
...rly and experiencing long-lasting gains. Biologic agents that target tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha a protein known for provoking inflammation have been successfully used to curtail the activity of rheumatoid arthritis among other chronic inflammatory conditions. Recently, a team of researchers in th...Antibiotics protect nerves in mice by turning on genes
... as beta-lactam antibiotics, were among protective agents identified by a National Institutes of Health-funded project to screen 1,040 Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for new uses. The newfound ability of these antibiotics to activate glutamate transporters and to protect nerves, and the drugs' ...Study determines commonly used contrast agent safe for 'universal use' in CT
...me unresolved questions about intravenous contrast agents and to have a benchmark study regarding the safety of the agent in a large group of patients," said Koenraad J. Mortel, MD, lead author of the paper. "We believe this study provides insight into the safety of this specific contrast agent in a large g...Residual tumor cells are a barrier to targeted cancer therapeutics
...y targeted therapies will need to be combined with agents that target secondary pathways of tumor escape in order to achieve lasting cures....Jefferson virologists coax HIV out of hiding
.... "We may have to combine IL-2 with IL-7 and other agents to get to the reservoirs of virus."...Anti-psychotic drugs may be associated with increased risk of diabetes in schizophrenia patients
... Patients treated with the atypical anti-psychotic agents clozapine and olanzapine may be at an increased ri...e. "Recently, the newer 'atypical' antipsychotic agents have been linked to several forms of morbidity, including obesity; hyperlipidemia; type 2 diabetes m...Special JAMA commentary on lessons learned from troubles with COX-2 inhibitors
... Until then, we urge caution in prescribing these agents to patients at risk for cardiovascular morbidity.' Unfortunately, no such trials were ever initiated and the official warnings for the coxib drugs took years to materialize." "Importantly, providing more authority to the FDA (Food and Drug Admini...New guidelines for treating pediatric migraine released
... make recommendations concerning use of preventive agents such as cyproheptadine, amitriptyline, divalproex sodium, topiramate, or levetiracetam. The guideline panel found conflicting outcomes regarding the use of propranalol or trazodone for prevention of migraine, and made no recommendations for its use. ...Small band of nurses plays key role keeping germ threats at bay
...represent a veritable murderers' row of infectious agents whose death toll runs in the millions. Between them and us stand a few small groups of nurses at select institutions around the country, including the University of Rochester Medical Center, who protect the population from such scourges. The Univer...Timing appears essential to combining antiangiogenesis and radiation therapy
...hoped for, subsequent trials showed that combining agents that suppress blood-vessel growth with therapies that destroy cancer cells can improve patient survival. In the December issue of Cancer Cell, researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describe how timing may be crucial to successful...