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Nmnat1 protein may help prevent brain damage in babies with cerebral palsy

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a protein may help prevent the kind of brain damage that occurs in babies with cerebral palsy.

3 Nov 2011

TriVascular receives FDA approval for Ovation stent graft system to treat AAA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a stent graft system that provides patients with small arteries the option of less invasive surgery to repair their potentially life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm.

3 Nov 2011

Resveratrol holds key to reducing obesity and associated risks: Study

A new study shows that when taken regularly a natural compound known as resveratrol, found in red wine and grapes, mulberries and peanuts, can offer similar benefits to low-calorie diets and endurance training.

2 Nov 2011

ADHD drugs don’t raise risk for heart attacks or stroke: Study

Drugs known as stimulants, that are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder do not increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes or sudden death, U.S. researchers said on Monday. This study finding should reassure millions of parents whose children take the drugs.

2 Nov 2011

Isis commences ISIS-GCGRRx and ISIS-GCCRRx Phase 1 studies for type 2 diabetes

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has initiated Phase 1 clinical studies for ISIS-GCGRRx and ISIS-GCCRRx, antisense drugs Isis is developing for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

2 Nov 2011

Radiation therapy prior to HCT improves outcomes in older patients with hematologic malignancies

Older patients with advanced hematologic malignancies, such as leukemia and lymphoma, who received a conditioning regimen that included minimal-intensity radiation therapy prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation had survival and progression-free survival outcomes suggesting that this treatment approach may be a viable option for older patients with these malignancies, according to a study in the November 2 issue of JAMA.

2 Nov 2011

HRM curve analysis identifies patients at risk of MH

A new DNA test may make it much simpler to identify patients at risk of malignant hyperthermia (MH)—a rare but life-threatening complication of exposure to common anesthetics reports the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

2 Nov 2011

Hospitalized diabetic patients with acute kidney injury more likely to develop CKD

Findings from a recent University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center study show that multiple episodes of acute kidney injury during hospital stays for patients with diabetes are associated with a risk for developing chronic kidney disease.

2 Nov 2011

Leeches shift the way they locate prey in adulthood

Many meat-eating animals have unique ways of hunting down a meal using their senses. To find a tasty treat, bats use echolocation, snakes rely on infrared vision, and owls take advantage of the concave feathers on their faces, the better to help them hear possible prey.

2 Nov 2011

PSTC, FNIH Biomarkers Consortium launch clinical study to improve detection of kidney injury

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium announced today the launch of a two-year clinical study aiming to advance the acceptance of new biomarkers designed to detect drug-induced kidney injury in clinical trials.

2 Nov 2011

NIH-funded project to discover biomarkers for type 2 diabetes

Arizona State University will lead a four-year, $5 million expanded initiative sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to discover proteins, or biomarkers, to help predict cardiovascular disease and to assess potential new treatments in people with type 2 diabetes.

2 Nov 2011

Age is no longer a barrier to allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Age alone no longer should be considered a defining factor when determining whether an older patient with blood cancer is a candidate for stem cell transplantation. That's the conclusion of the first study summarizing long-term outcomes from a series of prospective clinical trials of patients age 60 and over who were treated with the mini-transplant, a "kinder, gentler" form of allogeneic (donor cell) stem cell transplantation developed at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

2 Nov 2011

Young microenvironment rejuvenates old stem cells

Old stem cells can be rejuvenated by being placed in a young microenvironment, research from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio shows. This raises the possibility that patients' own stem cells may one day be rescued and banked to treat their age-related diseases.

2 Nov 2011

Penn surgeons perform first bilateral hand transplantation

For the first time in the Delaware Valley Region, a patient has undergone a complex and intricate bilateral hand transplant that could significantly enhance the quality-of-life for persons with multiple limb loss.

2 Nov 2011

Vitamin D does not confer benefits against mortality in postmenopausal women

Doctors agree that vitamin D promotes bone health, but a belief that it can also prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease and other causes of death has been a major health controversy. Consistent with advice issued last fall by the Institute of Medicine, a new study finds that vitamin D did not confer benefits against mortality in postmenopausal women after controlling for key health factors such as abdominal obesity.

2 Nov 2011

Nurse scientist recognized as AACN's 2012 Distinguished Research Lecturer

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently selected Martha A.Q. Curley, RN, PhD, FAAN, as its 2012 Distinguished Research Lecturer.

2 Nov 2011

Protective response to starvation may promote heart failure

A protective response to starvation may promote heart failure, according to a study just published in Cell Metabolism. Two proteins that team up to conserve energy when food is scarce also limit energy production in the heart—a situation that can prove fatal when the heart is stressed and in need of an energy boost.

2 Nov 2011

Massive clotting can destroy placenta and cause miscarriages

Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have identified a potential new cause for unexplained miscarriages in mice.

2 Nov 2011

Tufts University introduces MyPlate for Older Adults

Nutrition scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University are introducing today the MyPlate for Older Adults which corresponds with MyPlate, the federal government's new food group symbol.

2 Nov 2011

$Adiponectin linked to osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures$

Adiponectin linked to osteoporosis and increased risk of fractures

While obesity is a well-known cause of cardiovascular disease, research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has now revealed that the body's obesity hormones - adiponectin - are also linked to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures.

2 Nov 2011