Therapy News and Research

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Better understanding of deep brain stimulation

Brain "pacemakers" that have helped ease symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders seem to work by drowning out the electrical signals of their diseased brains.

1 Jun 2007

Uncontrolled asthma is highly prevalent

A survey of 1,812 patients with moderate-to-severe asthma revealed that the disease was not controlled in 55 percent, despite the fact that most had health insurance and visited their health care providers regularly.

1 Jun 2007

Virus widely used in gene therapy research yields important clues to genomic instability

Genomic instability, the rearrangement of chromosomes or an abnormal number of chromosomes, is a hallmark of many human cancers.

1 Jun 2007

Major breakthrough for people with AIDS is on the horizon

Three new drugs are predicted to help transform the long-term prognosis for people with the AIDS virus, says an editorial in the journal, which points towards highly promising results from trials of three new drugs.

1 Jun 2007

Breakthrough in stem cell banking

Scientists from the Research Department of Cryo-Save Group NV together with the University of Cologne (DE) have developed a new scientifically validated method to collect adult mesenchymal stem cells ("MSCs") from the lining of umbilical cord tissue.

1 Jun 2007

EASE - Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema - trial

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have announced the start of the EASE (Exhale Airway Stents for Emphysema) Trial, an international, multi-center clinical trial to explore an investigational treatment that may offer a new, minimally-invasive option for those suffering with advanced widespread emphysema.

1 Jun 2007

Review of small penis syndrome

Women are much more interested in a man's personality and looks than the size of his penis, but men can experience real anxiety even if they are average sized, according to a research review published in the June issue of the urology journal BJU International.

1 Jun 2007

Mercury's link to heart disease

Heavy metals and other toxins have been linked to many human diseases, but determining exactly how they damage the body remains a mystery in many cases.

1 Jun 2007

JRRD releases issue on pain

Effects of depression and pain severity on satisfaction in medical outpatients: Analysis of the Medical Outcomes Study, pg. 143 Patient satisfaction is a critical measure of healthcare quality.

1 Jun 2007

Study on intensity modulated radiation therapy for breast cancer

Women with breast cancer who receive higher doses of radiation with IMRT each day can reduce their treatment time by two weeks without increasing side effects, according to a study released in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics , the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

1 Jun 2007

Human stem cell treatment restores motor function in paralyzed rats

Rats paralyzed due to loss of blood flow to the spine returned to near normal ambulatory function six weeks after receiving grafts of human spinal stem cells (hSSCs), researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine report.

1 Jun 2007

Gene therapy provides hope for peripheral neuropathy

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine report that they have successfully used gene therapy to block the pain response in an animal model of neuropathic pain, a type of chronic pain in people for which there are few effective treatments.

1 Jun 2007

FASgen announces new diagnostic test for steatohepititis

FASgen Inc. announced it has successfully expanded the potential use for its serum FAS (fatty acid synthase) ELISA diagnostic research test, FAS-Detect ELISA for the identification of Non-Alcoholic Steatophepititis (NASH).

1 Jun 2007

Advances in epilepsy treatment

Epilepsy and seizures affect 2.5 million Americans, 181,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every year, and the disorder incurs an estimated $12.5 billion in annual direct and indirect costs.

1 Jun 2007

New hypothesis on Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are challenging current thinking on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, offering a new hypothesis that could be the key to preventing this form of dementia.

30 May 2007

Proper use of aprotinin to reduce bleeding during heart surgery does not increase the risk of heart attack or stroke

The study was prompted by recent reports suggesting an increased risk of complications including heart attacks, strokes, and kidney problems in patients who received aprotinin to reduce bleeding during heart bypass or valve replacement surgery.

30 May 2007

Personality test could help doctors detect dementia with Lewy bodies

The study found that even before diagnosis, people with dementia with Lewy bodies displayed passive personality changes, such as diminished emotional response, disinterest in hobbies, repetitive behaviors, and growing apathy, or lack of interest, more often than those with Alzheimer's.

30 May 2007

Good news for women who choose mastectomy over lumpectomy

Radiation therapy after lumpectomy for early-stage breast cancer can be safely delivered in higher daily doses to greatly reduce treatment time.

30 May 2007

Blood of bird flu survivors promises new treatment for the deadly virus

Scientists are optimistic that blood donated by four survivors of bird flu will offer some clues as to why some people appear to have protection against the deadly H5N1 virus.

29 May 2007

Women with breast cancer do not get potentially life-saving information

New published data from a large pan-European survey indicate that the majority of postmenopausal women with early breast cancer taking post-surgical endocrine therapy are not involved in making key decisions about their treatment, nor are they given sufficient information to make informed treatment choices that could affect their long-term outcome.

28 May 2007