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Report says feds stop public disclosure of serious hospital errors

USA Today reports the federal government has stopped publicly reporting when hospitals leave foreign objects in patients' bodies or make other life-threatening mistakes. Meanwhile, Medicare spent more than $30 million on questionable HIV medications in 2012 and the agency is resuming audits for some fee-for-service claims.

7 Aug 2014

New study casts doubt on the effectiveness of brief counseling for illicit drug use

In an effort to stem substance use, the U.S. has invested heavily in the past decade in a brief screening-and-intervention protocol for alcohol and other drugs.

7 Aug 2014

Novel therapy takes rheumatoid arthritis treatment in mice to a new level

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that causes painful inflammation of several joints in the body. The joint capsule becomes swollen, and the disease can also destroy cartilage and bone as it progresses. Rheumatoid arthritis affects 0.5% to 1% of the world's population. Up to this point, doctors have used various drugs to slow or stop the progression of the disease.

7 Aug 2014

UH Case Medical Center implants new type of cochlear device in patients with hearing problem

University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the first in Cleveland to implant a new type of cochlear device for adults who have lost the high frequency range of their hearing, but have retained the low frequencies with or without a hearing aid.

7 Aug 2014

MIT researchers generate liver tumors in adult mice

Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of mutations associated with cancer. One way to discover the role of these mutations is to breed a strain of mice that carry the genetic flaw — but breeding such mice is an expensive, time-consuming process.

7 Aug 2014

Prompt administration of alteplase treatment reduces disability in stroke patients

Many more stroke patients could benefit from thrombolytic treatment (the use of drugs to break up or dissolve blood clots), but it needs to be administered as quickly as possible after the first signs of illness, according to new findings from the largest meta-analysis to date investigating the clot-busting drug alteplase.

7 Aug 2014

CTI BioPharma's pacritinib granted FDA Fast Track designation for treatment of myelofibrosis

CTI BioPharma Corp. announced today that pacritinib has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of intermediate and high risk myelofibrosis, including but not limited to patients with disease related thrombocytopenia, patients experiencing treatment emergent thrombocytopenia on other JAK2 therapy or patients who are intolerant to or whose symptoms are sub-optimally managed on other JAK2 therapy.

7 Aug 2014

UMass Amherst researcher receives grant to uncover molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle fatigue

Muscle physiologist Edward Debold at the University of Massachusetts Amherst's School of Public Health and Health Sciences recently received a three-year, $198,000 grant from the American Heart Association to support studies to uncover the molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle fatigue.

7 Aug 2014

Long-term survival from pancreatic cancer fails to improve in 40 years

Long-term survival from pancreatic cancer has failed to improve in 40 years - with the outlook remaining the lowest of the 21 most common cancers, according to new figures published by Cancer Research UK today.

7 Aug 2014

Immunosuppressive drugs increase risk of myeloid disorders among IBD patients

Immunosuppressive drugs called thiopurines have been found to increase the risk of myeloid disorders, such as acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare bone marrow disorder, seven-fold among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients.

7 Aug 2014

RSAM, Rettsyndrome.org renew commitment to defeat Rett syndrome

Rett Syndrome Association of Massachusetts and Rettsyndrome.org are thrilled to announce today their renewed commitment to work together to defeat Rett syndrome. A generous $150,000 donation from RSAM will support a Rettsyndrome.org approved grant to Dr. Michela Fagiolini's project at the Boston Children's Hospital: "Assessing NMDA receptor (NMDAr) modulators to ameliorate cortical regression in Rett syndrome".

7 Aug 2014

Researchers take major step forward in developing real ALS treatments

A series of studies begun by Harvard Stem Cell Institute scientists eight years ago has lead to a report published today that may be a major step forward in the quest to develop real treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

7 Aug 2014

Induced immunorejection may eliminate tumors post-cell transplantation

Recent studies have shown that transplanting induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells (iPS-NSCs) can promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rodents and non-human primates. However, a serious drawback to the transplantation of iPS-NSCs is the potential for tumor growth, or tumorogenesis, post-transplantation.

7 Aug 2014

Altering the circadian rhythm: an interview with Dr. Doug Kojetin, The Scripps Research Institute

The circadian rhythm is affected by many different stimuli—such as sleep and light, which are the most broadly appreciated ways—but also eating— all of which can modulate, or change, important processes in our bodies such as temperature, production of hormones or other signalling small molecules, cellular regeneration, and others.

6 Aug 2014

BD Medical announces retail pharmacy launch of BD AutoShield Duo

BD Medical, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today announced the retail pharmacy launch of BD AutoShield Duo, the only pen needle with patented dual front and back-end shields that provides greater convenience and safety before and after injecting.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 6 Aug 2014

First Edition: August 6, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index that details how politics play a role in the nation's health care gap between red and blue states.

6 Aug 2014

Comprehensive database collecting information about microRNAs, multiMiR

Your genes are blueprints for proteins, and molecules called microRNA can help to determine how often these genetic blueprints are manufactured into proteins. Researchers often ask what microRNA regulates a gene related to disease.

6 Aug 2014

Researcher examines effectiveness of brief interventions for reducing problem drug use

Peter Roy-Byrne, M.D., formerly of the University of Washington, Seattle, and colleagues write that few data exist on the effectiveness of brief (1-2 sessions) interventions for reducing problem drug use, a common issue in disadvantaged populations seeking care in safety-net medical settings (hospitals and community health clinics serving low-income patients with limited or no insurance).

6 Aug 2014

Potential health concerns, but limited data on electronic cigarettes safety

Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are booming in popularity-but there's still only limited evidence on their potential health risks, or their advertised benefits in helping people to quit smoking, according to a research review in the July/August Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

6 Aug 2014

Costly specialty drugs drive up Medicare tab

ProPublica and The New York Times look at the explosive spending growth from an obscure medication for treating multiple sclerosis and a rare kidney disease -- and how several top prescribers have links to drugmaker, Questcor Pharmaceuticals.

5 Aug 2014