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Immune system stimulant used as suppressor to treat chronic graft-versus-host disease

In a study that seems to pivot on a paradox, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have used an immune system stimulant as an immune system suppressor to treat a common, often debilitating side effect of donor stem cell transplantation in cancer patients. The effect, in some cases, was profound.

1 Dec 2011

Xinhua examines HIV/AIDS in China

Xinhua posted several articles examining HIV/AIDS in China. The first looks at HIV/AIDS among the general population. The article notes that 346,000 people are living with HIV in China, and the "number is predicted to hit 780,000 by the end of 2011, according to an expert panel ... consisting of members from China's Ministry of Health (MOH), the World Health Organization and UNAIDS," the MOH reported in a statement released on Tuesday.

1 Dec 2011

Combination of two techniques promises to improve effectiveness of experimental gene therapies

yeast or phages act not only to tag and target but also to exchange specific genes in DNA A combination of two techniques promises to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of experimental gene therapies, while also reducing potential side effects says a new research report published in the December 2011 issue of the FASEB Journal.

1 Dec 2011

Taking sleep medication or drinking alcohol does not benefit people with insomnia

Reaching for that sleeping pill or drinking alcohol may not be the most effective way for people with insomnia to get better sleep at night in the long run, suggests a new study by Ryerson University experts.

1 Dec 2011

New gene therapy approach safe for patients with muscular dystrophy

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that it is safe to cut and paste together different viruses in an effort to create the ultimate vehicle for gene therapy. In a phase I clinical trial, the investigators found no side effects from using a "chimeric" virus to deliver replacement genes for an essential muscle protein in patients with muscular dystrophy.

1 Dec 2011

Study reveals classification scheme for treatment of blunt aortic injury

New research at the University of Washington's (UW) Harborview Medical Center in Seattle reveals a classification scheme for the treatment of blunt aortic injury.

1 Dec 2011

Boston Scientific provides new warranty for ICDs and CRT-Ds

Boston Scientific Corporation announced that, along with today's introduction of a new family of INCEPTA and ENERGEN implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds), it is providing an extended warranty for these devices in the U.S. and many international countries of up to 10 years, depending on model.

1 Dec 2011

NovaSom introduces MediTrack OSA management platform

NovaSom, Inc., the leader in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) home testing and cost-containment solutions, announces the launch of its next generation MediTrack cloud-based CRM application.

1 Dec 2011

Scripps scientist receives NIH grant for HIV/AIDS research

A scientist at The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded $3.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to study the mode of action and the therapeutic potential of a new compound that blocks a step of HIV replication not targeted by current therapies.

1 Dec 2011

Joslin study uncovers potential targets for soft-tissue sarcomas

Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston have uncovered important molecular and genetic keys to the development of soft-tissue sarcomas in skeletal muscle, giving researchers and clinicians additional targets to stop the growth of these often deadly tumors.

30 Nov 2011

Novel breast cancer surgical technique now available in New England

Jennifer Gass, MD, chief of surgery at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and a breast surgeon with the Breast Health Center in the hospital's Program in Women's Oncology, recently completed a one-month sabbatical in Paris with the world-renowned breast surgeon Krishna B. Clough, MD, medical director of the Paris Breast Center.

30 Nov 2011

Political will, strong leadership from U.S. needed to end AIDS epidemic

"This Thursday's commemoration of World AIDS Day marks a potential turning point in the fight against a global epidemic that has yet to be arrested," a Detroit Free Press editorial states.

30 Nov 2011

Scientists regenerate functional muscle tissue in mice

A team of scientists from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and CellThera, a private company located in WPI's Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center, have regenerated functional muscle tissue in mice, opening the door for a new clinical therapy to treat people who suffer major muscle trauma.

30 Nov 2011

Lapatinib could extend survival in women with Her2-positive breast cancer

Treatment with lapatinib could extend survival in women with Her2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the brain, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

30 Nov 2011

BioMarin commences GALNS Phase 2 study in mucopolysaccharidosis IVA

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase 2 study for GALNS (N-acetylgalactosamine 6-sulfatase) in patients under five years of age with mucopolysaccharidosis IVA.

30 Nov 2011

Cases of two AIDS patients renew hope of AIDS cure for many scientists, New York Times reports

The New York Times profiles two AIDS patients whose cases "suggest to many scientists that curing AIDS may be achievable," according to the newspaper. "One man, the so-called Berlin patient, apparently has cleared his HIV infection, albeit by arduous bone marrow transplants," and the other, "a 50-year-old man in Trenton, N.J., underwent a far less difficult gene therapy procedure. While he was not cured, his body was able to briefly control the virus after he stopped taking the usual antiviral drugs, something that is highly unusual," the newspaper writes.

29 Nov 2011

FDA assigns priority-review designation for ELIQUIS NDA for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review a New Drug Application (NDA) for ELIQUIS® (apixaban), an investigational compound for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation.

29 Nov 2011

EC extends therapeutic indication for Soliris to treat atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the European Commission (EC) has extended the therapeutic indication for Soliris® (eculizumab) to include the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS).

29 Nov 2011

Neurorehabilitation journal reviews clinical advances in treatment of vestibular problems

Over the last 25 years, intensive efforts by physicians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists have developed integrative rehabilitation regimens that can alleviate balance disorders associated with neurological disease, trauma or weightlessness.

29 Nov 2011

Largest survey on genetic, epigenetic stability of stem cells

An international study, published today in the prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology, reveals more about human pluripotent stem cells and their genetic stability and has important implications for the development of therapies using these cells.

29 Nov 2011