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FoxP3 gene expression identifies ALS disease progression in 80% of patients

The debilitating symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, appear to be increased by a lack of inflammation-reducing T cells, report scientists from the Methodist Neurological Institute in an upcoming print issue of The EMBO Molecular Medicine Journal.

10 Dec 2012

GSK, MD Anderson partner to develop new therapeutic antibodies against cancer

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have signed a research collaboration and license agreement to develop new therapeutic antibodies that promote an immune system attack against cancer.

10 Dec 2012

C5aRA treatment could be effective against periodontitis

Periodontitis, a form of chronic gum disease that affects nearly half of the U.S. adult population, results when the bacterial community in the mouth becomes unbalanced, leading to inflammation and eventually bone loss. In its most severe form, which affects 8.5 percent of U.S. adults, periodontitis can impact systemic health.

9 Dec 2012

IQWiG investigates benefits of rilpivirine for HIV treatment

Since the start of 2012, a new drug called rilpivirine has been available for adult patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is marketed by two different pharmaceutical companies, by one as a single agent (trade name Edurant-) and by the other as a fixed combination with other HIV drugs (trade name Eviplera-).

8 Dec 2012

Treadmill test can accurately predict coronary artery disease in women over 65

Although there is a widespread belief among physicians that the exercise treadmill test (ETT) is not reliable in evaluating the heart health of women, UC Davis researchers have found that the test can accurately predict coronary artery disease in women over the age of 65. They also found that two specific electrocardiogram (EKG) indicators of heart stress during an ETT further enhanced its predictive power.

8 Dec 2012

Baby boomers with liver cancer drive demand for liver transplantation

New research reveals that the greatest demand for liver transplantation due to hepatitis C (HCV)-related liver disease occurs among Americans born between 1941 and 1960. Findings in the December issue of Liver Transplantation, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), suggest that continuing increased demand for transplantation is driven by the development of liver cancer in baby boomers with HCV, but that the demand may decrease as patients born in this time period continue to grow older.

7 Dec 2012

Over three million American workers diagnosed with cancer each year, reports study

Each year, more than three million American workers are diagnosed with cancer, leading to high productivity losses that mainly affect smaller companies, reports a study in the December Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

7 Dec 2012

Novel sensor measures individual particles in blood samples

Norwegian researchers have developed the world's first sensor capable of measuring individual particles in a blood sample. This new innovation could cause a sensation in the medical world.

7 Dec 2012

LSUHSC to advance research on social, genetic, environmental and behavioral determinants of future obesity

Melinda Sothern, PhD, CEP, Professor and Director of the Behavioral and Community Health Sciences Program at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health, has been awarded $675,000 in grant funding to advance her research on the role of social, genetic, environmental and behavioral determinants of future obesity.

7 Dec 2012

BMI may influence which blood pressure treatments work best

According to new research published Online First in The Lancet, body mass index (BMI) may influence which blood pressure medications work best at reducing the major complications of high blood pressure (strokes, heart attacks, and death).

7 Dec 2012

Prosthetic joint infection guidelines released

The Infectious Diseases Society of American has released guidelines for the diagnosis and care of patients with a prosthetic joint infection.

7 Dec 2012

Adiponectin level may underpin atherogenic haptoglobin phenotype

Researchers have suggested an active role for adiponectin in the pathophysiology of vascular disease in patients with diabetes, which depends on their haptoglobin phenotype.

7 Dec 2012

CRP40 may have pathogenic role in schizophrenia

Gene expression of catecholamine-regulated protein 40 is dysregulated in people with schizophrenia, study findings show.

7 Dec 2012

Kidney cancer survival rates: an interview with Dr Wong-Ho Chow

There are two major forms of kidney cancer. One is called renal cell cancer, which is an adenocarcinoma that occurs in the renal parenchyma. The other major type is called renal pelvis cancer, which is mostly of transitional cell type and they form in the centre of the kidney where the urine collects.

7 Dec 2012

Study reveals dual role for Norrin/Frizzled-4 protein pair

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have shed light on the activity of a protein pair found in cells that form the walls of blood vessels in the brain and retina, experiments that could lead to therapeutic control of the blood-brain barrier and of blood vessel growth in the eye.

7 Dec 2012

New technique can reduce hemodialysis complications in kidney patients

Approximately two million people around the world regularly undergo hemodialysis - blood purification outside the body - as a result of kidney failure. This usually involves creating a dialysis fistula - a connection between an artery and a vein - in the patient's arm. However this causes complications in as many as 50% of patients, primarily related to changes in blood flow.

7 Dec 2012

Cocktail-treated human NK cells show promise against cancer

Fighting cancer using the body's own defense system is a promising treatment approach. Immune therapies have even become clinical routine in treating a few cancers such as malignant melanoma and prostate cancer. Natural killer cells (or NK cells) are considered to be particularly suitable weapons against cancer.

7 Dec 2012

BDNF molecule appears to play a direct role in regulation of blood pressure

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University's School of Dentistry have made an important connection between a molecule critical to nerve cells and high blood pressure. Production of the molecule Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) appears to increase dramatically in blood pressure-sensing nerve cells during hypertension.

7 Dec 2012

Microarray technology provides comprehensive result during prenatal care of women

A new method for detecting abnormalities in unborn children is providing physicians with more information to analyze the results than conventional, microscopic testing, according to two George Washington University researchers.

7 Dec 2012

Microarray analysis more effective in pinpointing potential genetic causes of stillbirth

Stillbirth is a tragedy that occurs in one of every 160 births in the United States. Compounding the sadness for many families, the standard medical test used to examine fetal chromosomes often can't pin down what caused their baby to die in utero. In most cases, the cause of the stillbirth is not immediately known.

6 Dec 2012