Red Blood Cells News and Research

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Polymeric nanoparticles show potential as new method for drug delivery

Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have discovered that attaching polymeric nanoparticles to the surface of red blood cells dramatically increases the in vivo lifetime of the nanoparticles.

28 Jun 2007

Current guidelines for blood glucose self-monitoring should be reviewed

A new study published on bmj.com questions the value of blood glucose monitoring among patients with well-controlled, non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes.

27 Jun 2007

Key mechanism identified by which the body regulates iron metabolism

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have determined a key mechanism by which the body regulates iron metabolism, a discovery that may provide new approaches for the treatment of anemia.

23 Jun 2007

Researchers culture blood-forming stem cells from human fat tissue

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have successfully isolated and cultured human hematopoietic stem cells from fat, or adipose, tissue, suggesting that they have found another important source of cells for reconstituting the bone marrow of patients undergoing intensive radiation therapy for blood cancers.

17 Jun 2007

Study shows pre-op red blood cell levels affect post-op outcomes

Men over 65 with even slightly abnormal red blood cell counts either too low or too high are at greater risk of post-operative death or car-diac events following a major non-cardiac surgery, according to a new study by researchers at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center and The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

15 Jun 2007

Outcome of surgery on the elderly could be affected by red blood cell count

Researchers in the United States have found that older patients about to undergo major surgery, who have either a high or low red blood cell count, are more at risk for heart attacks or even death following the operation.

13 Jun 2007

Diabetes easily identified in pregnant women with simple blood test

More than a third of women who suffer from diabetes during pregnancy develop type 2 diabetes within five years and those most at risk can be predicted from their blood glucose levels at diagnosis, according to a study published in the June issue of the Postgraduate Medical Journal .

8 Jun 2007

New understanding of anti-malarial drug resistance

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say they are moving closer to understanding why the most lethal form of human malaria has become resistant to drug treatment in the past three decades.

8 Jun 2007

Folic acid does not prevent colorectal cancer

Despite the fact that some previous studies have suggested that folate supplementation may help to prevent colorectal cancer, a new study says that is not the case and it may in fact increase the risk for some types of colorectal tumors.

6 Jun 2007

Diagnosing skin cancers with laser-based system

In an early step toward nonsurgical screening for malignant skin cancers, Duke University chemists have demonstrated a laser-based system that can capture three-dimensional images of the chemical and structural changes under way beneath the surface of human skin.

5 Jun 2007

Studies try to shed light on impact of race

Statistics show lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in African-Americans, with 21,550 new cases expected to be diagnosed and 16,700 deaths expected this year.

3 Jun 2007

HIV and malaria combine to adversely affect pregnant women and their infants

University of Toronto researchers have uncovered the basis by which pregnant women protect themselves against malaria and have also discovered how the HIV virus works to counteract this defence.

30 May 2007

Time to fortify the world's processed cereals

Fortifying cereals with a different type of iron supplement reduces anaemia, iron-deficiency anaemia and general iron deficiency children in developing countries, and boosts three major iron status indicators, conclude authors of an Article published in this week’s edition of The Lancet.

28 May 2007

Researchers design cell culture test for assessing a compound's genetic toxicity - cheaper than animal tests

In the daunting marathon that leads to successful drugs, promising drug candidates must pass toxicity tests before entering clinical trials.

15 May 2007

FDA Panel warns anemia drug dangerous for cancer patients

A panel of experts advising the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has warned that the popular anemia drug erythropoietin may not be as safe as first thought.

14 May 2007

Study on cerebral malaria in children living in an endemic region

Scientists at CNRS and the Pasteur Institute, collaborating with physicians in Gabon, have just undertaken a study on cerebral malaria in children living in an endemic region.

4 May 2007

Steroidal hormones for contraception in women with sickle cell disease

Hormonal contraceptives are unlikely to predispose women to type 2 diabetes and appear to be safe for those with sickle cell anemia.

4 May 2007

Serious illness among children with sickle cell disease reduced with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

A vaccine introduced in 2000 has reduced by more than 90 percent the rate of a serious bacterial illness among young children with sickle cell disease (SCD), who are particularly susceptible to it, according to a new study that appears in the June 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases and currently is available online.

2 May 2007

Caution against over-aggressive use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for cancer-related anemia

Echoing recent FDA warnings, a research group from Northern Ireland cautions against over-aggressive use of a group of drugs called "erythropoiesis-stimulating agents" (ESAs) to treat anemia in some cancer patients, according to a commentary in the April issue of The Oncologist, published by AlphaMed Press.

1 May 2007

Two-photon absorption imaging of hemoglobin

In an advance that can potentially assist cancer diagnosis, a new optical technique provides high-resolution, three-dimensional images of blood vessels by taking advantage of the natural multiple-photon-absorbing properties of hemoglobin, the red-blood-cell molecule that carries oxygen throughout the bloodstream.

1 May 2007