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Sen. Edward M. Kennedy -- health care champion -- dies

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy had a hand in nearly every piece of health care legislation that moved through Congress during his eight-term Senate tenure. He died Tuesday night of brain cancer at age 77.

27 Aug 2009

Rapid, accurate and cost-efficient testing of DNA with the Nanogap Sensor Array

A novel electronic sensor array for more rapid, accurate and cost-efficient testing of DNA for disease diagnosis and biological research has been developed by scientists at Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN).

27 Aug 2009

Nanogap sensor array for ultra-sensitive detection of human DNA

Researchers in Singapore are reporting development of a new electronic sensor that shows promise as a faster, less expensive, and more practical alternative than tests now used to detect DNA. Such tests are done for criminal investigation, disease diagnosis, and other purposes.

27 Aug 2009

Importance of access to oral health care emphasized

Kool Smiles, a leading general dentistry provider for kids and parents, opened the doors to its newest location in the Bashford area of Louisville, KY.

26 Aug 2009

University of Southampton develops a microfluidic single-cell impedance cytometer for blood cell analysis

A hand-held device which could offer point-of-care blood cell analysis in doctors' surgeries is being developed by academics at the University of Southampton and is described in a paper in Lab on a Chip this month.

25 Aug 2009

VeriMed Health Link re-launched by VeriChip Corporation

VeriChip Corporation("VeriChip" or the "Company"), a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, announced today that it is re-launching its VeriMed Health Link electronic health records system.

24 Aug 2009

Exhaled nitric oxide needs to be measured in asthma patients

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest health care insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA, has adopted a policy stating that measurement of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is considered medically necessary in the management of asthma patients.

21 Aug 2009

Covering Kids & Families Michigan campaign aims to enroll 50,000 children in healthcare coverage plans

As Michigan's children head back to school, the Michigan Cover the Uninsured Network (MCTUN) and some of the state's leading organizations are making a special outreach effort to ensure that eligible children and families have access to free and/or low cost health coverage through the state's Medicaid and MIChild programs.

20 Aug 2009

New software programs improve the cancer biomarker identification process

caCORRECT and omniBioMarker programs earn silver-level compatibility certification from NIH/National Cancer Institute's cancer Bioinformatics Grid

19 Aug 2009

Harvard receives $10 million to develop small-scale mobile robotic devices

A multidisciplinary team of computer scientists, engineers, and biologists at Harvard received a $10 million National Science Foundation (NSF) Expeditions in Computing grant to fund the development of small-scale mobile robotic devices.

12 Aug 2009

Boston University launches innovative nutrition program for the students, faculty and staff

Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College has introduced a new phase of the unique and innovative nutrition program for the students, faculty and staff of Boston University (BU) to enhance the Sargent Choice Healthy Dining Program.

10 Aug 2009

Disagreement over public plan among Dems straining party unity

A key item in the debates following lawmakers home this month is whether to create a public plan, the Washington Post reports.

7 Aug 2009

Comprehensive health reform proposals could help 13 million uninsured young adults gain coverage

Comprehensive health reform proposals now before Congress could help the more than 13 million uninsured young adults ages 19-29 gain coverage, and such reforms would also help ensure that those who now have coverage would not lose it, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.

6 Aug 2009

Rural hospital places critical bet on health IT

A small, rural hospital in Missouri is "rolling the dice" on electronic medical records, its CEO tells the Associated Press. The 47-bed hospitals borrowed nearly $1 million to implement an electronic records system, and that's on top of a $370,000 operating deficit and staff layoffs.

4 Aug 2009

New microchip technology may accelerate drug discovery for cancer, other diseases

Flasks, beakers and hot plates may soon be a thing of the past in chemistry labs. Instead of handling a few experiments on a bench top, scientists may simply pop a microchip into a computer and instantly run thousands of chemical reactions, with results - literally shrinking the lab down to the size of a thumbnail.

From Siemens Healthineers 3 Aug 2009

Music drives experimental samples through a lab-on-a-chip

Music, rather than electromechanical valves, can drive experimental samples through a lab-on-a-chip in a new system developed at the University of Michigan. This development could significantly simplify the process of conducting experiments in microfluidic devices.

27 Jul 2009

Governors question Medicaid expansion while some states do more with CHIP

The New York Times reports that "The nation's governors, Democrats as well as Republicans, voiced deep concern Sunday about the shape of the health care plan emerging from Congress, fearing that Washington was about to hand them expensive new Medicaid obligations without money to pay for them.

20 Jul 2009

"Drops" of gold that burn tumors

At a technical breakfast, Romain Quidant presented his research into the detection and treatment of cancer using gold nanoparticles illuminated with laser light. Quidant, who was recently awarded the Fresnel Prize 2009 that recognizes the highest level of excellence amongst emerging researchers in the field of photonics, is an ICREA researcher at the UPC's Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) and a fellow of the Cellex Foundation Barcelona.

16 Jul 2009

Researchers map how staph infections alter immune system

Infectious disease specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have mapped the gene profiles of children with severe Staphylococcus aureus infections, providing crucial insight into how the human immune system is programmed to respond to this pathogen and opening new doors for improved therapeutic interventions.

14 Jul 2009

Research pinpoints antibodies that may prevent Alzheimer's

Antibodies to a wide range of substances that can aggregate to form plaques, such as those found in Alzheimer's patients, have been identified in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy people. Levels of these antibodies decline with age and, in Alzheimer's patients, with increasing progression of the disease.

6 Jul 2009