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RA drug reduces kidney cyst growth in ADPKD mouse model

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have discovered that patients with an inherited kidney disease may be helped by a drug that is currently available for other uses.

28 Oct 2011

Sulodexide drug fails to benefit diabetes patients with kidney disease

What was hoped to be a promising new drug to protect the kidneys has failed to benefit diabetes patients with kidney disease, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

28 Oct 2011

C21orf91 gene associated with susceptibility to herpes simplex labialis

Investigators have identified a human chromosome containing a specific gene associated with susceptibility to herpes simplex labialis (HSL), the common cold sore.

28 Oct 2011

Spinal cord meninges is a potential source of self-renewing stem cells

Italian and Spanish scientists studying the use of stem cells for treating spinal cord injuries have provided the first evidence to show that meninges, the membrane which envelops the central nervous system, is a potential source of self-renewing stem cells.

28 Oct 2011

FDA's advisory panel votes against approval of Medtronic Phased RF Ablation System

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Circulatory Systems Devices advisory panel voted against the Medtronic Phased RF Ablation System, the first atrial fibrillation ablation therapy under investigation for the treatment of persistent and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation.

28 Oct 2011

Special team care reduces cumulated stroke risk after transient ischaemic attacks

Patients who had a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), sometimes referred to as a "mini stroke", were much less likely to experience further vascular events in the first year if their care was co-ordinated by a special hospital team. That is the key finding from a study published in the November issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

28 Oct 2011

Researchers uncover molecular pathway critical to cardiac arrhythmia

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have uncovered a previously unknown molecular pathway that is critical to understanding cardiac arrhythmia and other heart muscle problems.

27 Oct 2011

U of A researchers discover potential new drug target for MS

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a potential new drug target for Multiple Sclerosis that could prevent physical disability associated with the disease, once a new drug is developed.

27 Oct 2011

Nanoparticles could help increase retention of osteoarthritis drugs in knee cavity

A novel study demonstrates that using nanoparticles to deliver osteoarthritis drugs to the knee joint could help increase the retention of the drug in the knee cavity, and therefore reduce the frequency of injections patients must receive.

27 Oct 2011

E. coli asparaginase linked to relapses in ALL patients with special form of ATF5 gene

One of the causes of resistance to cancer treatment in children is now beginning to be elucidated. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with a particular form of the ATF5 gene are at higher risk of having a relapse when treated with E. coli asparaginase, a key chemotherapy drug for this type of leukemia.

27 Oct 2011

Denver-based dialysis operator is target of federal probe

DaVita Inc., which is the biggest operator of dialysis clinics in the nation, announced that it is the subject of a government probe into payments for drugs it used in the N.Y. Medicaid program.

27 Oct 2011

BROCA test identifies 12 gene mutations linked to ovarian and related cancers

More patients with ovarian carcinoma carry cancer-predisposing mutations, and in more genes, than previously thought.

27 Oct 2011

Children have fewer components that strengthen their immune defense than adults do

Children have fewer components that strengthen their immune defense than adults do. This is shown in a mapping of children's saliva that was carried out at Malmö University in Sweden. The study may have found an explanation for children's inability to fend off infections.

27 Oct 2011

State roundup: Ohio voters will determine public employee benefits

On Nov. 8, Ohio voters will decide the fate of the law, which allows public employees to bargain for wages and working conditions but prohibits strikes. Workers will also have to pay for healthcare insurance and pensions. The law is on hold pending the referendum.

27 Oct 2011

Drug-resistant infections may not contribute to higher surgical ICU death rates

The rates of antibiotic-resistant infections in the intensive care unit (ICU) have increased over the last decade. But new research from the University of Virginia suggests that surgical ICU death rates may, in fact, be declining and that drug-resistant infections are not likely to be a significant factor in overall mortality rates.

27 Oct 2011

WSU researcher to learn more about links between stress and drug use

A Wayne State University researcher is using a three-year, $1.55 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health to learn more about the links between stress and drug use by applying behavioral economics.

27 Oct 2011

Parent behavior training can effectively treat ADHD in young children

Formal training in parenting strategies is a low-risk, effective method for improving behavior in preschool-age children at risk for developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), while there is less evidence supporting the use of medications for children younger than 6 years old, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

27 Oct 2011

Medco, Pfizer and UBC collaborate to enhance precision medicine approach

Pfizer Inc. announced today that it has established a research collaboration with Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, United BioSource Corporation (UBC), aimed at more effectively matching patients with treatments that will benefit them the most, thereby improving patient outcomes.

27 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: The health law and Wal-Mart; congressional probe into Planned Parenthood; trimming Medicare

When Wal-Mart endorsed President Obama's health care plan in 2009, CEO Mike Duke said it did so "to remove the burden that is crushing America's businesses and hampering our competitiveness in the global economy." That doesn't seem to be working out too well - for all Americans, and especially for Wal-Mart's employees.

27 Oct 2011

Bio-Images and Medimetrics partner to deliver the next generation of smart pill technology

Bio-Images Research and Medimetrics Personalized Drug Delivery have today announced a partnership to introduce the IntelliCap to the global pharmaceutical industry as a clinical research tool. The announcement was made at the annual meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, being held in Washington DC, USA, between 23 and 27 October 2011.

24 Oct 2011