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Mitochondrial dysfunction observed in children with full syndrome autism

Preliminary research has found that children with autism are more likely to have impaired mitochondrial function (structures within cells responsible for energy production) and mitochondrial DNA abnormalities than typically developing children, according to a study in the December 1 issue of JAMA.

1 Dec 2010

Intellikine and MMRC commence INK128 Phase I trial in multiple myeloma

Intellikine, a leader in the development of small molecule drugs targeting the PI3K/mTOR pathway, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) today announced the initiation of a phase I trial of INK128, a novel, orally-available small molecule kinase inhibitor of the TORC1 and TORC2 complexes, in patients with multiple myeloma.

30 Nov 2010

Study: Mature blood cells communicate with parent stem cells

A new study by researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, has shown that mature blood cells can communicate with, and influence the behaviour of, their stem cell 'parents'.

30 Nov 2010

Dendritic cell vaccine induces immune responses in patients

A new process for creating a personalized vaccine may become a crucial tool in helping patients with colorectal cancer develop an immune response against their own tumors. This dendritic cell (DC) vaccine, developed at Dartmouth and described in a research paper published this week in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, was used after surgical resection of metastatic tumors to try to prevent the growth of additional metastases.

25 Nov 2010

Centenary Institute launches new BD LSR-9 Flow Cytometer with nine lasers for studies of rare cells

A world-first research system to be launched today at the Centenary Institute will give medical researchers in Australia a new weapon in the fight against cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The new BD LSR-9 Flow Cytometer with its nine lasers will be the first user-operated flow cytometer with unprecedented ability to detect and analyse rare cells.

24 Nov 2010

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy reduces pain and improves function in knee osteoarthritis patients

The first American study that positions Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) as a viable means in managing knee osteoarthritis, appeared today in the December issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (AJPMR). The study, authored by Dr. Steven Sampson of the Orthohealing Center in Los Angeles, details the account of 14 patients with primary and secondary knee osteoarthritis receiving three platelet-rich plasma injections in the affected knee at 4-week intervals with one year follow up.

20 Nov 2010

Research suggests new therapeutic approach to prevent transplant rejection

UCLA researchers have pinpointed the culprit behind chronic rejection of heart, lung and kidney transplants. Published in the Nov. 23 edition of Science Signaling, their findings suggest new therapeutic approaches for preventing transplant rejection and sabotaging cancer growth.

19 Nov 2010

Medicare committee recommends expensive drug for some prostate-cancer patients

A new treatment for prostate cancer called Provenge won a vote of confidence from a Medicare coverage advisory committee Wednesday, suggesting the federal program is likely to pay for the $93,000-per-patient medicine.

19 Nov 2010

Spleen cells may do more harm than good at site of spinal cord injury

The spleen, an organ that helps the body fight infections, might also be a source of the cells that end up doing more harm than good at the site of a spinal cord injury, new research suggests.

18 Nov 2010

Statins activate bacterial-killing properties of white blood cells

Widely prescribed for their cholesterol-lowering properties, recent clinical research indicates that statins can produce a second, significant health benefit: lowering the risk of severe bacterial infections such as pneumonia and sepsis.

18 Nov 2010

Scientists investigate new class of drugs for treating kidney failure

Scientists are learning more about how protein gets in the urine when the kidneys begin to fail and how a new drug blocks it.

17 Nov 2010

Scientists determine ways to stop damage, promote neuronal growth in spinal cord injury

If researchers could determine how to send signals to cells responding to a spinal cord injury, they might be able to stop one type of cell from doing additional damage at the injury site and instead, coax it into helping nerve cells grow.

17 Nov 2010

Pharmigene receives patent for methods to detect genetic alleles in SJS and TENS

Pharmigene, a leader in advancing personalized medicine and reducing severe adverse reactions to drugs through genetic-based diagnostic solutions, announced it has been granted patents in the United States, Europe, Australia, Singapore and Taiwan. The patents cover methods to detect the presence of key genetic alleles in individual patients being considered for treatment with drugs that have been linked to the development of adverse drug reactions including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

17 Nov 2010

Research suggests targeting spleen may promote healing of spinal cord injury

The spleen, an organ that helps the body fight infections, might also be a source of the cells that end up doing more harm than good at the site of a spinal cord injury, new research suggests.

16 Nov 2010

FDA approves Halaven therapy for metastatic late-stage breast cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Halaven (eribulin mesylate) to treat patients with metastatic breast cancer who have received at least two prior chemotherapy regimens for late-stage disease.

16 Nov 2010

Study finds arsenic improves survival rate in APL patients

Arsenic, a toxic compound with a reputation as a good tool for committing homicide, has a significant positive effect on the survival of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), when administered after standard initial treatment, according to a new, multi-center study led by a researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

12 Nov 2010

HemaCAM computer-assisted blood cell analysis system automates assessment of blood counts

If a blood count is abnormal, the medical laboratory scientist (MLS) has to manually perform a differential blood count analysis. This costs time and money. The computer-assisted blood cell analysis system HemaCAM by the company Horn has recently been launched on the market and does just this. At the MEDICA 2010 trade fair, which is being held from November 17 to 20 in Düsseldorf, Germany, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS will be presenting this intelligent microscopy system at joint stand F05 in hall 10.

11 Nov 2010

New guide predicts survival of terminally ill cancer patients

A new way of predicting how long terminally ill cancer patients have to live, has been devised by Cancer Research UK-funded research.

9 Nov 2010

SGN-35 drug reduces tumor growth in Hodgkin's lymphoma

An experimental drug for Hodgkin's lymphoma, studied at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, showed beneficial effects in stopping tumor growth with moderate side-effects, according to findings published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

8 Nov 2010

Skin to blood transformation in the lab

In a new study scientists have successfully transformed human skin cells into blood without first being sent through a primordial, stem-cell-like state. The findings were published online in the journal Nature. Earlier work has shown that fibroblast cells from mouse skin, treated with the right cocktail of chemicals, can be transformed into neurons and heart muscle. This is a first with human cells.

7 Nov 2010