New treatment boosts muscle function in myasthenia gravis
... The drug, oral EN101antisense, inhibits the production of acetylcholine esterase, which is an important enzyme in the function of the neuromuscular junction, where nerves connect with muscles. Antisense is a synthetic, short segment of DNA that locks onto a...Investigators uncover intriguing clues to why persistent acid reflux sometimes turns into cancer
... In research published in July and August, scientists discovered that people with acid reflux disease, particularly those with a complication of acid reflux called Barretts esophagus, have altered cells in their esophagus containing shortened telomeres, the ending sequences in DNA strands. C...Penn study finds pro-death proteins required to regulate healthy immune function
PHILADELPHIA Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that proteins known to promote cell death are also necessary for the maturation and proliferation of immune cells. Activation of T-cell receptors on the surface of lymphocytes by foreign antigens initiate a calcium-mediated signaling pathway that ends in cell differentiation and growth. The Penn scientists...World's largest respiratory health study launches next phase
The Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS), the worlds largest and longest running...respiratory health research study, is launching a new research phase focussing on the 21,000...brothers and sisters of the original sample.... The TAHS (formerly the Tasmanian Asthma Survey) is a collaboration between the Menzies...Research Institute in Tasmania, University of Melbourne and Monash University...Vicente Fox Center and RAND launch joint program to find policies to combat poverty
... ... Studies conducted by the Fox Center and RAND will be pu...Medical residents unclear about TB guidelines
... ... Just unde...W.M. Keck Foundation announces 2007 class of Distinguished Young Scholars in medical research
Los Angeles, CA, July 30, 2007: The W.M. Keck Foundation, a leading supporter of high-impact medical research, science and engineering, today announced the 2007 class of grant recipients under its Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program.... Robert A. Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said: Now in its ninth year, our Young Scholars program is designed to give the nations...Program announced to improve care in developing areas for patients with blood disorders
... This unique program will cover the management of a full range of blood disorders, from the many forms of anemia (including those associated with malaria, pregnancy, iron deficiency, thalassemia, and sickle cell disease), to d...Cancer on the agenda of the Portuguese EU Council Presidency
... The Round Table on Health Strategies in the European Union (Lisbon, 12-13 July 2007) is one of the most important initiatives launched by the EU Portuguese Presidency within the context of the EU strategy on health policy, focusing on the topic of health and migration. ESMO has been invited by Dr. Joaquim Gouveia, National Coordinator of Oncol...AstraZeneca announces SYMBICORT is now available in the US
... Administered twice daily, SYMBICORT is a combination of two proven asthma medications budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), and formoterol, a rapid and long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA). For many patients, this combination treatment offers improved asthma control as early as day one that i...New survey uncovers how insomnia affects job performance and safety
Minneapolis, MN -- June 15, 2007 -- Alertness Solutions presented results of a new survey this week at the annual SLEEP meeting showing the significant impact our 24/7 culture is having on healthcare professionals job performance and patient safety. The survey of 2,082 nurses found that more than one quarter of nurses (27.23%) suffered from insomnia; 32.10% had difficulty staying asleep, 12.52%...Weill Cornell Medical College announces gifts totaling $400M
... ... The largest of the gifts announced today is $250 million -- believed to be the single largest gift ev...GSK announces launch of largest ever Phase III trial in lung cancer treatment
Chicago - June 5th, 2007 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today announced final results of a Phase II proof-of-concept clinical trial of its investigational MAGE-A3 Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutic (ASCI) in MAGE-A3 positive patients with stage IB or II Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). These data were presented at the 2007 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago,...Implant device effectively maintains heart function for transplant-listed patients
Whether a patient is awaiting a heart transplant or living with chronic heart failure, cardiologists are continuously looking for new therapies that address short-term and/or long-term needs of chronically impaired cardiac patients. Research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 56th Annual Scientific Session reviewed new treatments and interventions, including LVAD implantati...Jefferson researchers uncover genetic signature that predicts colon cancer
(PHILADELPHIA) Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia have uncovered a genetic "signature" that accurately identifies colon cancer--a key, they hope, to better understand how the cancer develops.... Colon cancer may begin when processes that regulate adult stem cells in the colon go awry. A handful of stem cells lie in the bottom of tiny tube-like "crypts" in the epithelium (or...Higher self-awareness of memory complaints predict brain function decline
In one of the first studies of its kind, a UCLA team found that a higher self awareness of memory difficulties may be associated with brain function decline over time, particularly in older adults with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease....... Published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, the study offers a greater understanding of how different types and vary...Northwestern researchers launch Avastin trial for pancreatic tumors
A Phase II clinical trial is under way at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in conjunction with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine to determine if bevacizumab (also referred to as Avastin, an anti-angiogenesis drug that is designed to inhibit the growth of blood vessels in tumors) in combination with abdominal radiation therapy and chemotherapy can reduce localized pancreatic tu...Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging study launched nationwide by National Institutes of Health
The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) -- a project developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- is seeking 800 older adults to participate in a study aimed at identifying biological markers of memory decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Ultimately, scientists hope that brain and biological changes can be detected before memory decline and other symptoms appear, allowi...ELBW infants appear to be reaching functional outcomes as young adults similar to NBW infants
The majority of extremely low-birth-weight infants appear to be attaining similar levels of education, employment and independence as young adults, compared with normal birth-weight infants, according to a study in the February 8 issue of JAMA.... ...Despite the recent dramatic improvements in survival, extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW, weighing less than 2.2 lbs.) and very low-birth-weight (VLBW...PLoS announces open access journal for all clinical trials, positive or negative
San Francisco, USA, October 18, 2005 - The Public Library of Science (PLoS) today announces PLoS Clinical Trials, an innovative new journal devoted to peer-reviewing and publishing reports of randomized clinical trials in all areas of healthcare ( ). ... ...The journal differs from other medical journals in one crucial respect. It will publish all trials that are ethically and scientifically so...World first medical treatment announced by researchers
... ... This is the first time research into a condition known as idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis has investigated...Journal Sleep: Longer CPAP use at night can normalize one's daytime functioning
... The study, conducted by Terri E. Weaver, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, focused on 149 patients with severe OSA at seven sleep centers in the United States and Canada. Before treatment and again after three months of CPAP, the participants completed a day of testing that included measures of daytime sleepiness and...New mothers often not asked about depression, UNC survey finds
... Of the 228 physicians responding to the survey who said they had seen women for postpartum visits in the previous three months, 79 percent said they were unlikely to formally screen the patients for depression. An estimated 13 percent of new mothers are affected by postpartum depression. The study will be published June 6, 2007 in the North Carolina Medical Journal...Human stem cell treatment restores motor function in paralyzed rats
... We demonstrated that when damage has occurred due to a loss of blood flow to the spines neural cells, by grafting human neural stem cells directly into the...New perspective on brain function now possible
... Glutamate is one of the most common neurotransmitters in the human brain and is involved in virtually all brain functions. But even though researchers' PET cameras can produce images of other important neurotransmission systems, such as the dopamine and serotonin systems, until now it has not been possible...Efficacy and safety of Aripiprazole as adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder
In adults with major depressive disorder, adding aripiprazole to antidepressant therapy (ADT) resulted in significant improvement in the primary endpoint, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Total Score. In this six-week, randomized, placebo-controlled study presented here at the 160th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYS...Erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms
ANAHEIM, Ca. (May 22, 2007) -- Early research has explored a possible connection between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) and has also suggested that LUTS associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be improved with phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors drugs commonly prescribed for certain types of ED. The inhibition of PDE isoenzymes relaxes the smoot...Erectile dysfunction -- the canary in the mineshaft?
ANAHEIM, Ca. (May 21, 2007) -- New research into urologic conditions such as erectile dysfunction indicate that these disorders could be associated with or precursors to more serious conditions, and suggest a need for practitioners to view these diseases in the greater context of total health as opposed to isolated disorders. A special session highlighting the association on urologic diseases...Cure for hepatitis C announced by VCU researcher
... Mitchell Shiffman, M.D., professor in the VCU School of Medicine, and chief of hepatology and medical director of the Liver Transplant Program at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, is one of the lead investigators in the study, which was presented at the 38th annual Digestive Disease Week conferenc...Drug treatment slows decline in lung function in COPD patients, TORCH study finds
ATS 2007, SAN FRANCISCO -- Treatment with a commonly used drug slows the decline in lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to results from the TORCH (TOwards a Revolution in COPD Health) study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 International Conference, on Tuesday, May 22.... The study of 6,112 patients from 42 countries found that th...Animal study leading to new treatments for hemorrhagic shock and uncontrolled abdominal hemorrhage
... HBOC...Elsevier launches the Clinics on ScienceDirect
... The addition of these titles to ScienceDirect increases the number of health sc...ACE inhibitors help preserve kidney function in IgA nephropathy
... ... In the European cooperative...Elsevier launches Molecular Oncology
... Prof. Julio E.Celis, Scientific Director of the Institute of Cancer Biology at the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen, wil...Dealing deadly cancers a knockout punch
... ... Recent studies also indicate that Reolysin works synergistically with standard...Elsevier announces launch of Brain Stimulation
... ) will cover all aspects of this rapidly evolving field, from the most basic molecular research, to innovati...Stress of deployment increases risk of child abuse, neglect in military families, UNC study shows
... The study, published in the May 15, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology, was designed by UNC School of Public Health researchers to measure the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on military and non-military families. The researchers chose to study Texas because of the large milit...Stanford researchers identify immune dysfunction in melanoma patients
... In a small study, the scientists found that the immune cells in a majority of people with this deadly skin cancer fail to respond properly to a molecule called interferon, which normally activates the immune system. Without the ability to respond to interferon, the cells are less able to fend off the cancer, acco...TWAS, illycaff announce Trieste Science Prize winners 2007
... ... Luis Rafael H...Study puts us one step closer to understanding the function of sleep
... ... The brain function in question,...