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UTHealth, PLx Pharma to test phosphatidylcholine-enriched version of indomethacin in PDA model

PLx Pharma Inc, a Houston-based pharmaceutical company developing a medical discovery made at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, has been awarded $565,449 for the first year of a potential two-year $1,118,398 grant to conduct research designed to enhance a treatment for premature babies with a common congenital heart defect.

29 Mar 2012

VasoStitch percutaneous access-and-closure system featured at ACC annual meeting

VasoStitch is developing a percutaneous access-and-closure system for the nonsurgical deployment of large-diameter transcatheter therapeutic devices, such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implants (TAVI) and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) devices. The VasoStitch system is designed to reduce procedural complexity and eliminate the need for an "open" surgical procedure.

29 Mar 2012

Navidea announces data from Lymphoseek Phase 3 study on oral and squamous cell cancers

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, today announced that data from its Phase 3 clinical study investigating 99m-Tc-Tilmanocept in oral and squamous cell cancers (SCC) were presented as a poster presentation at the 65th Annual Cancer Symposium of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) meeting held in Orlando, Florida, March 21-24, 2012.

29 Mar 2012

Accidental ingestion of wire bristles leads to necessity for surgery

Rhode Island Hospital physicians identified six cases of accidental ingestion of wire grill brush bristles that required endoscopic or surgical removal. The paper calls attention to the need for the public and physicians to be aware of this potential danger.

29 Mar 2012

Bariatric surgery may eliminate need for diabetes medication

Diabetes has become an epidemic in the United States, with the number of cases tripling over the last three decades. Most of those cases are Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity and can lead to serious medical issues that range from heart disease to renal failure, blindness, and more.

29 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Why doctors find it hard to tell the truth; The fruits of biomedical research; Cheney's 'taxpayer-subsidized' benefits

Last month, an article in the journal Health Affairs made headlines in the news media - "Physicians Are Not Always Open or Honest with Patients." A vast majority of the nearly 2,000 doctors surveyed agreed that physicians should be fully open and honest in all their communications with patients. ... I suspect that the dishonesty that is being uncovered in a study such as this - and frankly, I was amazed that the number of less-than-truthful instances was so low - reveals more about the diagnosis of being human than anything else. ... I couldn't bring myself to tell this young mother that she was going to die."

29 Mar 2012

Tips to help ensure best plastic surgery results

Believe it or not, you play just as big a role in the overall success of your cosmetic surgery as your surgeon. Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gregory A. Buford recently published a comprehensive list of tips to help ensure the best results, no matter what procedure you're preparing for.

29 Mar 2012

Sientra closes $65M Series C financing

Sientra, a privately-held medical device company focused on the aesthetic and plastic surgery markets, announced today that it closed on its $65 million Series C financing led by Abingworth and with participation by Clarus Ventures, OrbiMed Advisors and all other insiders.

29 Mar 2012

Stem Cells reports results of Neuralstem ALS Phase I trial

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that safety results from the first 12 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) to receive its stem cells were reported online in the peer-reviewed publication, Stem Cells, on March 13th.

29 Mar 2012

Paramedics are probably right when they suspect strokes

If a paramedic suspects a patient is having a stroke, the paramedic is probably right, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.

29 Mar 2012

Scientists explore number of strategies to prevent anesthesia-induced injury in infants

Recent clinical studies have shown that general anesthesia can be harmful to infants, presenting a dilemma for both doctors and parents. But new research at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center may point the way to treatment options that protect very young children against the adverse effects of anesthesia.

29 Mar 2012

Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy performed at Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Surgeons at Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) recently performed the hospital's first-ever single-port laparoscopic appendectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for removing an infected appendix, which reduces scarring and healing time because it requires only one incision, Gustavo Valdespino, VPH president and CEO, announced today.

29 Mar 2012

Luna to extend development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical

Luna Innovations Incorporated announced today that it will be extending its development work through 2012 under its development and supply agreement with Intuitive Surgical, Inc., as they work towards the integration of Luna's shape and position sensing technology into Intuitive's medical robotic products.

29 Mar 2012

Chromosomal abnormality in children with ependymoma linked with poorer chance of survival

A chromosomal abnormality in children with a deadly form of brain cancer is linked with a poorer chance of survival, clinician scientists at The University of Nottingham have discovered.

29 Mar 2012

37 year old man living behind a mask gets a new face

A team of U.S. doctors have carried out what they say is the most extensive face transplant ever performed. The operation at the University of Maryland gave Richard Norris 37, a new face, including jaw, teeth and tongue.

28 Mar 2012

New biography on intuitive genius of CT

This new biography sheds light on a Nobel Laureate who changed the world as a result of his breakthrough in medical imaging CT scans in 1972. Godfrey Hounsfield: Intuitive Genius of CT explores his life through stories and recollections of his colleagues, family and friends.

28 Mar 2012

Imatinib improves RFS, overall survival in GIST patients after surgery

Among patients with a high risk of recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor following surgery for its removal, patients who received imatinib (a drug to treat certain cancers) for 3 years instead of 1 had improved recurrence-free survival and overall survival, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Study: Some breast cancer tumours may not respond to taxane chemotherapy

Some breast cancer tumours may be resistant to a common chemotherapy treatment, suggests recent medical research at the University of Alberta.

28 Mar 2012

As court brings health overhaul into focus, politicians pounce

Rick Santorum picks up his criticism of Mitt Romney's efforts in Massachusetts, which set up mandatory health coverage, but the former governor continues to assail the federal plan.

28 Mar 2012

Heart bypass surgery appears to carry higher long-term survival rate

Patients with coronary heart disease and their doctors have long been challenged by the decision of whether to pursue bypass surgery or opt for the less-invasive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, which includes stenting and balloon angioplasty). New evidence reveals bypass surgery appears to carry a higher long-term survival rate, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session.

28 Mar 2012