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Cedars-Sinai to develop stem cell treatments for patients with ALS

Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute today was awarded a $17.8 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to develop stem cell treatments for patients with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, a progressive, fatal and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease.

30 Jul 2012

Roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after 6-hour shift

Roofers and road construction workers who use hot asphalt are exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published this week in the British Medical Journal Open shows that roofers have higher PAH blood-levels after a shift than before and that these high levels of PAHs are linked with increased rates of DNA damage, and potentially with higher cancer risk.

28 Jul 2012

ACT receives Australian patent for human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has been issued a patent in Australia, patent number 2005325753, "Improved modalities for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the retina."

28 Jul 2012

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals commences ponatinib Phase 3 trial in newly diagnosed CML

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the initiation of the randomized Phase 3 trial of ponatinib, its investigational pan-BCR-ABL inhibitor, in adult patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

28 Jul 2012

Diabetes cutoffs don’t quite cut it for South Asians

Individuals of South Asian origin may require closer monitoring for Type 2 diabetes, suggest researchers.

27 Jul 2012

‘Narrow therapeutic window’ for oxygen in brain injury

Hyperoxia, as well as hypoxia, early after hospital admission is associated with poor outcomes and mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury, report researchers in the Archives of Surgery.

27 Jul 2012

Families abandon women who suffered spinal injuries in Pakistan earthquake

Women who suffered spinal injuries in the 2005 Pakistan earthquake continued to endure hardships years later, including abandonment by spouses and families, according to new research from the University of Alberta.

27 Jul 2012

Viral evolution and host protein levels predict rapid disease progression in hepatitis C patients

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have identified several factors in people infected with the hepatitis C virus that may predict whether the unusually rapid progression of disease from initial infection to severe liver conditions, such as cirrhosis, will occur. Knowing whether a patient's condition is likely to deteriorate quickly could help physicians decide on the best course of treatment.

27 Jul 2012

Orthognathic surgery requires a balancing act in anesthetic technique

Orthognathic surgery, affecting the jaws and face, requires a balancing act in anesthetic technique. Limiting blood loss, avoiding respiratory depression, and averting postoperative nausea and vomiting lead to optimum patient outcomes. The use of the drugs propofol and remifentanil are increasing because they can meet these needs; however, patients may subsequently experience more postoperative pain.

27 Jul 2012

Vaccine complex delivered safely by piggybacking onto 3D DNA nanostructures

In a quest to make safer and more effective vaccines, scientists at the Biodesign Institute- at Arizona State University have turned to a promising field called DNA nanotechnology to make an entirely new class of synthetic vaccines.

27 Jul 2012

Novel method of identifying molecules that can help prevent diabetes

Pancreatic beta cells produce insulin, responsible for controlling blood sugar levels and thus essential for our survival. Among the numerous factors that affect the workings of these cells, a protein called Cx36 was identified a few months ago by a research team at the UNIGE.

27 Jul 2012

Lymphoma drug dislodges hidden virus in HIV patients

Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have published pioneering research showing that a drug used to treat certain types of lymphoma was able to dislodge hidden virus in patients receiving treatment for HIV.

27 Jul 2012

HIV drug resistance: an interview with Dr. Silvia Bertagnolio

Sexual intercourse is the major mode of HIV transmission. HIV may also be transmitted through sharing of needles or contaminated blood products (although this is rare).

27 Jul 2012

Heart attack and stroke risk increased with shift work

Shift work is associated with an increased risk of major vascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, concludes a study published on bmj.com today.

27 Jul 2012

A2bAR receptor plays a significant role in regulation of type 2 diabetes and obesity

A recent study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) demonstrates that the A2b-type adenosine receptor, A2bAR, plays a significant role in the regulation of high fat, high cholesterol diet-induced symptoms of type 2 diabetes.

27 Jul 2012

Bone marrow transplant eradicates traces of HIV in men

Two men with longstanding HIV infections no longer have detectable HIV in their blood cells following bone marrow transplants. The virus was easily detected in blood lymphocytes of both men prior to their transplants but became undetectable by eight months post-transplant. The men, who were treated at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), have remained on anti-retroviral therapy.

27 Jul 2012