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Animal experiments show old antidepressant may reverse heart failure

A team of Johns Hopkins and other researchers have found in animal experiments that an antidepressant developed over 40 years ago can blunt and even reverse the muscle enlargement and weakened pumping function associated with heart failure.

6 Jan 2010

New research may yield more effective treatment for childhood leukemia

A team of Israeli scientists at the Sheba Medical Center's Research Center for Leukemia and Childhood Malignancies has discovered a method for developing a more effective and less perilous treatment for those suffering from childhood leukemia, the most common cancer in children.

6 Jan 2010

Medicare begins to reimburse for HIV screening

The Hartford Courant reports that "testing for the virus among those 65 and older lags far behind testing of other Americans, and experts say they worry that HIV cases in older adults go undiagnosed — some because of the stigma that the disease still carries, some because patients might dismiss the symptoms of the virus as signs of other conditions more frequently associated with aging and some because doctors can be hesitant to talk to older patients about sex or link their symptoms with HIV."

6 Jan 2010

Biotime ships six ACTCellerate progenitor cell lines to Millipore

BioTime, Inc. announced today that it has initiated shipments of stem cell research products to its worldwide distributor, Millipore Corporation, according to the terms of the co-marketing agreement between the two companies that was announced on July 9, 2009. BioTime has shipped inventory of six ACTCellerate™ progenitor cell lines to Millipore and plans to begin shipments of additional cell lines and ESpan™ cell growth media in the next several weeks.

6 Jan 2010

States that receive federal funds are more likely to implement obesity-prevention programs

States that received funding from two obesity prevention programs founded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention implemented more than twice as many obesity-prevention policy initiatives as states that did not receive funding, according to a study by researchers from RTI International.

6 Jan 2010

Preclinical data of Geron's telomerase inhibitor drug published

Geron Corporation today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating that its telomerase inhibitor drug, imetelstat (GRN163L), inhibited telomerase activity and reduced tumor size in xenograft models of glioblastoma, and inhibited the activity of glioblastoma stem cells in culture.

6 Jan 2010

Ford transfers health care liabilities union trust

Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal: "Ford Motor Co. said Monday it completed the transfer of its union retiree health-care liabilities to the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust as part of a court-approved settlement agreement." The transfer "removed a substantial health care liability from the Detroit auto maker's balance sheet and significantly reduced its health care expenses."

6 Jan 2010

Health bills include proposals for new physician payment system

The health care overhaul bills on Capitol Hill do not upend traditional 'fee for service' payment for doctors, but they do include financial incentives for doctors to cut medical costs and improve patient care. Both the House and Senate bills include provisions to encourage the creation of accountable care organizations, or ACOs, as a way to test their viability.

6 Jan 2010

Cancer Research UK and CRT to undertake phase I clinical trial of DI-B4

CANCER RESEARCH UK and Cancer Research Technology (CRT), the charity's development and commercialisation arm, are to undertake a phase I clinical trial of an investigational monoclonal antibody1 drug from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, called DI-B4 - it is announced today (Monday).

6 Jan 2010

Most of world's 13m preterm births occur in Africa, Asia

The "vast majority" of the world's 13 million preterm births each year occur in developing countries where the babies' "chances of survivals are low," according to an article published Monday in the January issue of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Reuters reports.

6 Jan 2010

Rural Americans often struggle to access care

Access to care remains a major burden for Americans in rural areas, according to recent media reports. The Texas Tribune reports: "Across much of rural Texas, emergency or trauma care is simply nonexistent, or limited to one ambulance and a part-time EMS crew. ... Roughly half of the state is covered by the trauma centers in El Paso and Lubbock. In remote counties in West Texas, South Texas and the Panhandle, residents are often more than an hour from any trauma care at all."

6 Jan 2010

Findings reveals 'limpet-like' proteins can play a key role in DNA repair

UK scientists have found that a crafty family of 'limpet-like' proteins can play a crucial role in repairing DNA damage - according to two research papers published in Nature today (Wednesday). These findings could pave the way to the design of new anti-cancer drugs which target this process.

6 Jan 2010

Enrollment in Boston Scientific's MAPS clinical trial completed

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced that it has completed enrollment in its MAPS(TM) clinical trial, which is studying the coiling of intracranial aneurysms.

6 Jan 2010

For pregnant African tourist, U.S. health care system comes through

Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post, reports about Jeanne d'Arc Kayembe, an African tourist who came to Washington in May 2007 on what was meant to be a month-long respite from an abusive boyfriend and a chance to visit relatives before going home. But sharp pains signaled trouble with her pregnancy and she eventually delivered her son here.

6 Jan 2010

Clinton foundation releases donor list

Former president Bill Clinton on Friday released a list of the donors who have given money to his foundation "under an agreement with President Obama to prevent the appearance of conflicts with Hillary Rodham Clinton's role as secretary of state," the Washington Post reports.

6 Jan 2010

State lawmakers vow to fight variations in health overhaul's costs for Medicaid expansions

Newspapers report on the controversy about variations in individual state costs for a Medicaid expansion in health care overhaul legislation.

6 Jan 2010

ACE launches "Get Fit" Web site for consumers

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America's leading authority on fitness and one of the largest fitness certification, education and training organizations in the world, today announced the launch of a new online resource for consumers.

6 Jan 2010

Perturbing DISC1 gene could help researchers treat mental illness, says study

Scientists have long eyed mutations in a gene known as DISC1 as a possible contributor to schizophrenia and mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder. Now, new research led by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that perturbing this gene during prenatal periods, postnatal periods or both may have different effects in mice, leading to separate types of brain alterations and behaviors with resemblance to schizophrenia or mood disorders.

6 Jan 2010

C-SPAN asks Democrats to open health reform conference negotiations

C-SPAN has asked congressional Democrats to open to the public the conference negotiations on reconciling the two health care reform bills, Politico reports.

6 Jan 2010

Congress likely to skip formal conference committee negotiations regarding health reform

"The House and Senate aren't officially back in session until later this month, but action is already well under way on merging their health-care bills," The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire blog reports.

6 Jan 2010