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Journal highlights safe use of point-of-care testing technologies

Many medical tests that once required sending samples to a laboratory and waiting for results can now be rapidly performed at the patient's bedside. As these point-of-care testing (POCT) technologies are increasingly integrated into patient care, careful attention is needed to protect patient safety and avoid medical errors, according to this month's special issue of Point of Care: The Journal of Near-Patient Testing & Technology.

28 Dec 2011

USPTO issues patent to Novus Scientific's TIGR Matrix Surgical Mesh

The Intellectual Property portfolio of TIGR Matrix Surgical Mesh has been further complimented with the granting of a second U.S. patent related to material degradation and mechanical behaviour.

27 Dec 2011

Synthetic drugs treat Crohn's disease in mice

A team of Weizmann Institute scientists has turned the tables on an autoimmune disease. In such diseases, including Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues. But the scientists managed to trick the immune systems of mice into targeting one of the body's players in autoimmune processes, an enzyme known as MMP9.

26 Dec 2011

Allergan seeks to reassure surgeons, patients about safety of breast implants

Allergan, Inc. seeks to reassure patients and surgeons around the world utilizing Allergan's breast implant devices that its products are not part of the recent investigation into breast implant devices manufactured by French manufacturer, Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) by regulatory authorities in Europe.

26 Dec 2011

Survey finds main reasons for resistance to new airport security scanners

Roughly one-quarter of Americans say they would refuse a full body scan using new airport body scanners and 14.9 percent said new airport security measures have them concerned for their health, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

26 Dec 2011

Clear link between time spent in church and lower blood pressure

Does a belief in God confer any health benefits? With the help of a large Norwegian longitudinal health study called HUNT, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) were able to find a clear relationship between time spent in church and lower blood pressure in both women and men.

26 Dec 2011

Biologists develop radar to track ADAR's RNA editing activity in neurons

To track what they can't see, pilots look to the green glow of the radar screen. Now biologists monitoring gene expression, individual variation, and disease have a glowing green indicator of their own: Brown University biologists have developed a "radar" for tracking ADAR, a crucial enzyme for editing RNA in the nervous system.

26 Dec 2011

LANL's top 10 science stories of 2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory's top 10 science stories of 2011 illustrate the broad variety of scientific excellence that's the hallmark of the Laboratory. This year's stories include alternative energy research, world record magnetic fields, disease tracking, the study of Mars, climate change, fuel cells, solar wind, and magnetic reconnection.

26 Dec 2011

MindFrame establishes ischemic stroke Registry

MindFrame Inc. today announces the establishment of an ischemic stroke Registry that will collect real-world clinical and procedural data through a secure web-based portal accessible only to registered clinician members.

23 Dec 2011

Tyrosine kinases play greater role in mitochondria than previously recognized

Cancer cells tend to take up more glucose than healthy cells, and researchers are increasingly interested in exploiting this tendency with drugs that target cancer cells' altered metabolism.

From Cell Signaling Technology 23 Dec 2011

Graphitic carbon plays key role as lubricating layer on metal-on-metal hip implants

A team of engineers and physicians have made a surprising discovery that offers a target for designing new materials for hip implants that are less susceptible to the joint's normal wear and tear.

23 Dec 2011

Veloxis, Athena partner to establish competitive presence for AtorFen in emerging markets

Veloxis Pharmaceuticals and Athena Drug Delivery Solutions Pvt. Ltd. today announced an alliance whereby Athena will obtain exclusive rights in certain emerging market territories to manufacture and, with third parties, develop, register and commercialize Veloxis' AtorFen (Fenofibrate Atorvastatin fixed dose combination).

23 Dec 2011

BBC News Magazine examines antiviral drug research

BBC News Magazine examines an antiviral drug called Draco, developed by Todd Rider, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "which has proven successful against all 15 viruses to which it has been applied in lab trials with human tissue and mice," including "the common cold, H1N1 or swine flu, a polio virus, dengue fever, and the notorious and fatal Ebola virus."

23 Dec 2011

UTA chemist to develop simple, paper-based test for drug-resistant TB

Developing a simple, paper-based test for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is the goal of a University of Texas at Austin chemist, whose project just received a $1.6 million point-of-care diagnostics grant through Grand Challenges in Global Health, an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

23 Dec 2011

UCF scientists pioneer new source of stem cell generation

A process that prompts a single gene to generate millions of supercharged stem cells, which can then turn into any kind of cell a body needs to repair itself, has been patented at the University of Central Florida.

23 Dec 2011

Abbott commences Esprit drug eluting BVS trial in peripheral artery disease

Abbott today announced the initiation of ESPRIT I, a first-of-its-kind clinical trial in Europe evaluating the safety and performance of the novel Esprit drug eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) for the treatment of blockages in the superficial femoral arteries (SFA) and iliac arteries that have resulted in claudication.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers identify previously unknown gene fusion event in lung cancer

Smoking is a well-known risk factor for lung cancer, but nearly 25% of all lung cancer patients have never smoked. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers have identified a previously unknown gene fusion event that could explain a significant proportion of lung cancer cases in never-smokers, and might serve as a target for new therapies.

23 Dec 2011

Researchers develop CAD-type tools to engineer RNA control systems

The computer assisted design (CAD) tools that made it possible to fabricate integrated circuits with millions of transistors may soon be coming to the biological sciences. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed CAD-type models and simulations for RNA molecules that make it possible to engineer biological components or "RNA devices" for controlling genetic expression in microbes.

23 Dec 2011

Tunstall completes acquisition of AMAC

Following the announcement on 22 September 2011, American Medical Alert Corp, a leading provider of remote health monitoring and 24/7 communication services that enhance care, accelerate response times, improve operational effectiveness and deliver sustainable patient services, is pleased to announce today the completion of its acquisition by Tunstall Healthcare Group, a leading telehealth and telecare provider based in the UK.

23 Dec 2011

FDA clears OptiMedica's Catalys Precision Laser System

Global ophthalmic company OptiMedica Corp. has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) market clearance of its Catalys Precision Laser System, a next generation laser cataract surgery system that brings unequaled precision and accuracy and a markedly streamlined workflow to the laser cataract procedure.

22 Dec 2011