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Novel gene therapy approach may treat dysferlinopathies

The challenge of treating patients with genetic disorders in which a single mutated gene is simply too large to be replaced using traditional gene therapy techniques may soon be a thing of the past. A Nationwide Children's Hospital study describes a new gene therapy approach capable of delivering full-length versions of large genes and improving skeletal muscle function. The strategy may hold new hope for treating dysferlinopathies and other muscular dystrophies.

9 Jul 2012

Toyota, Cincinnati Children's expand Buckle Up for Life education program

Responding to disproportionate rates of African American and Hispanic children dying in motor vehicle-related crashes, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Toyota today announced that they are doubling the reach of their groundbreaking safety education program Buckle Up for Life. Buckle Up for Life - or Abróchate a la Vida in Spanish - is the only national program of its kind. To view a video about the program, please click here.

9 Jul 2012

High expression of interleukin-9 in immune cells inhibits melanoma growth

Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have made a groundbreaking discovery that will shape the future of melanoma therapy. The team, led by Thomas S. Kupper, MD, chair of the BWH Department of Dermatology, and Rahul Purwar, PhD, found that high expression of a cell-signaling molecule, known as interleukin-9, in immune cells inhibits melanoma growth.

9 Jul 2012

Conference highlights utility of zebrafish for human disorder studies

Zebrafish, popular as aquarium fish, now have an important place in research labs as a model organism for studying human diseases.

8 Jul 2012

Mouse model demonstrates role of AEG-1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Researchers have created the first mouse model demonstrating the role of a cancer promoting gene, Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), in hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer. The mouse model represents a critical step in understanding the molecular mechanisms of liver cancer progression and could lead to novel therapies for the disease.

8 Jul 2012

Robot assists in complex uro surgery for pediatric patient

Pediatric specialists of Apollo Hospitals successfully completed a complex surgery on the bladder base of a 7 year old child from Africa with the assistance of a Robot. The child's urethra, the tube from the urinary bladder, was crushed in a road accident.

7 Jul 2012

Health officials working to identify respiratory illness responsible for deaths of more than 60 Cambodian children

WHO and Cambodian health officials are investigating "the source of an unidentified illness" -- characterized by high fevers, severe respiratory problems, "and in some cases neurological symptoms" -- that has killed more than 60 children in the country since April, NPR's health blog "Shots" reports (Hensley, 7/5). "

7 Jul 2012

Research roundup: Crowded emergency departments, expensive HIV drugs, high deductible insurance plans

Skin In The Game: How Consumer-Directed Plans Affect The Cost And Use Of Health Care -- Consumer-directed health plans, which feature lower premiums and higher deductibles than traditional plans, are designed to reduce costs by discouraging unnecessary care. This brief describes a study of more than 800,000 households that switched from a traditional employer-based plan to a consumer-based plan.

7 Jul 2012

NIH awards Clinical and Translational Science Award to three Texas Medical Center institutions

In 2006, three Texas Medical Center institutions were among the first in the nation to receive a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into patient treatments. That grant has been renewed for another 5 years.

7 Jul 2012

Roundup: Feds rank Texas last in health care delivery; Mass. health care costs eat almost 43 percent of state budget

Texas ranked dead last in the federal government's latest report card on the delivery of health services, falling short in areas ranging from acute hospital care to home treatment of the chronically ill. Texas scored 31.61 -- less than half of top-ranked Minnesota's 67.31 -- out of a possible 100 points in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality annual rankings.

7 Jul 2012

Viewpoints: Romney's mandate problem; Rage at Roberts; Should feds take over Medicaid?

Massachusetts residents who file a state tax return have to provide proof that they have health insurance. If they can afford insurance but don't have it, they must "pay a penalty through their tax returns," according to the state Department of Revenue's Web site.

7 Jul 2012

Proposed rules would bar aggressive medical debt collection tactics from nonprofit hospitals

New proposed rules from the IRS would require nonprofit hospitals to use the most aggressive debt collection methods against lower-income patients.

7 Jul 2012

Cystic fibrosis patient receives generous 'gift of life'

Meara Schmidt, 28, almost died a few weeks ago. Lying in her hospital bed at UCLA, the seriously ill cystic fibrosis patient felt herself slipping away and her life flashing by. But then the image of her husband appeared, and she knew she was not ready to go.

7 Jul 2012

New vaccine candidate against leading cause of hospital-acquired infections

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have discovered a new vaccine candidate for the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa taking advantage of a new mechanism of immunity.

7 Jul 2012

Safe optimal concentration of propolis against radiation-induced damage

Researchers determined the amount of propolis offering maximum protection against ionised radiations without being toxic to blood cells.

7 Jul 2012

Hospital officials concerned about growing state interest in opting out of Medicaid expansion

As Republican-led states mull the possibility of not expanding their programs under the health law, news outlets look at who would be affected.

7 Jul 2012

NYU Langone completes first year of robotic mitral valve repair program

The Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at NYU Langone Medical Center completed its first year of offering patients endoscopic robotic mitral valve repair surgery. This procedure was introduced at the medical center in the spring of 2011 by Dr. Didier F. Loulmet, a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon who helped develop the procedure.

6 Jul 2012

Simulated training improves performance of surgical residents in OR

New research has shown that surgical residents who received structured training in a simulated environment perform significantly better when they start operating on patients.

6 Jul 2012

NewYork-Presbyterian/WCMC first in N.Y. City to offer INTRABEAM radiotherapy

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first and only hospital in the five boroughs of New York City to offer women with early stage breast cancer INTRABEAM radiotherapy, an innovative radiation treatment delivered in a single dose at the time of surgery.

6 Jul 2012

First Edition: July 6, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including President Barack Obama's defense of the health law on the campaign trail and an examination of how Mitt Romney viewed the Massachusetts requirement for health insurance.

6 Jul 2012