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Platelets help white blood cells fight inflammation

Scientists have shown for the first time that platelets, the cells needed for blood clotting, help white blood cells called neutrophils fight inflammation.

13 Sep 2007

Link between nicotine and atherosclerosis

It's well known that smoking cigarettes increases risk for a host of serious health problems from cancer to heart disease. Now a new study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City looks at how they do their dirty work by contributing to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The evidence points to nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes.

11 Sep 2007

Schizophrenia-linked gene keeps new adult brain cells under control

The study reveals that the gene, known as Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), directs the incorporation of new neurons into the adult brain and keeps the process under control. The gene's newly discovered roles might help to explain why schizophrenia's symptoms generally arise in adolescence or early adulthood, the researchers suggested.

10 Sep 2007

Ultrasound to seal punctured lungs

A stretcher races through the entrance of a busy hospital. The car-accident victim lies on top and grimaces in pain. While surface injuries look gruesome, the real medical danger is invisible - internal organ damage caused by being crushed against the steering wheel.

30 Aug 2007

Big leap in genomic screening of blood vessels from patient tissue

Scientists have developed a new method of capturing a complete genome-wide screening of blood vessel cells in their actual disease state, advancing the potential for genetic research on the tissue responsible for delivering nourishment that can accelerate the growth of both a cancer tumor or wound healing.

30 Aug 2007

FDA approves Evithrom (human thrombin)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Evithrom (human thrombin), a blood-clotting protein used to help control bleeding during surgery.

28 Aug 2007

New technology for keeping liver cells alive inside bioartificial liver-assist devices

Such devices enable people who are suffering from acute liver failure to survive while their own liver cells regenerate, or until they receive a liver transplant. The person's blood or plasma circulates through the device. Inside, living cells -- usually pig or human liver cells -- perform normal liver functions.

24 Aug 2007

Drop-off in procedural experience of UK junior doctors

UK trainee doctors working in emergency care claim they are gaining less experience of common practical procedures, suggests a small study in Emergency Medicine Journal.

22 Aug 2007

New method to detect infection in prosthetic joints

A team of Mayo Clinic researchers has discovered a new, more accurate diagnostic test to detect infection of prosthetic joints, potentially leading to better treatment options and patient outcomes.

17 Aug 2007

American correction used to repair a mitral valve

Dr. Gerald Lawrie, a cardiothoracic surgeon with the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, is the first to use a surgical robot to successfully repair a mitral valve using an advanced technique of repair called the “American Correction.”

17 Aug 2007

Lower-limb injuries common place in U.S. soldiers in Iraq

A study released in advance of the American Podiatric Medical Association's (APMA) 95th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia reveals nearly 68 percent of all U.S. soldiers wounded in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are a result of extremity injuries and nearly 22 percent of those injuries involve the foot and/or ankle.

16 Aug 2007

Handheld BrainScope device detects brain damage immediately after concussion

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have developed a handheld device that can detect subtle brain damage immediately after concussion.

7 Aug 2007

VAC therapy for wound healing questioned

The effectiveness and value of an increasingly popular treatment used in the treatment of long term wounds are questioned in this month's Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB)

1 Aug 2007

Bio-engineered bladders a step closer to reality

Researchers at the University of York are using an understanding of the special cells that line the bladder to develop ways of restoring continence to patients with serious bladder conditions, including cancer.

31 Jul 2007

Hydrogen peroxide damages absorbable sutures

Cleaning absorbable sutures with hydrogen peroxide dramatically decreases their tensile strength, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

31 Jul 2007

Radiation therapy combined with microsurgery shows promise for curing injured spinal cord

Research on rats with crushed spinal cords, similar to human injury, reveals that treatment soon after injury combining radiation therapy to destroy harmful cells and microsurgery to drain excess fluids significantly increases the body's ability to repair the injured cord leading to permanent recovery from injury, according to the study published in the July 18 peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.

25 Jul 2007

Male circumcision reduces HIV risk by as much as 60%

Three clinical trials in Africa found that adult male circumcision reduced the risk of men acquiring HIV infection from heterosexual sex by 51-60%.

24 Jul 2007

Chitosan for space travel injuries

A team of researchers is seeking to determine if an ingredient found in shrimp and lobster shells might make future missions to Mars safer for space crews who could be injured along the way.

24 Jul 2007

Flesh-eating bacteria on Texas beach leaves man fighting for his life

Steve Gilpatrick went swimming while on holiday in early July at Crystal Beach, when the ulcer had apparently almost healed; his leg became infected three days later and he developed a high fever and was taken to hospital.

21 Jul 2007

Scientists invent novel low-viscosity gel for regenerating human tissue

University of Delaware scientists have invented a novel biomaterial with surprising antibacterial properties that can be injected as a low-viscosity gel into a wound where it rigidifies nearly on contact--opening the door to the possibility of delivering a targeted payload of cells and antibiotics to repair the damaged tissue.

19 Jul 2007