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Simple blood test could quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease

A simple blood test could someday quantify a smoker's lung toxicity and danger of heart disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Oct 2011

HIV screening can detect more cases if focused on high risk groups

“Unexpectedly, non-targeted screening identified only a few new diagnoses, often already at late stages, and most newly diagnosed patients belonged to a high-risk group and had been tested previously,” Dr. Kayigan Wilson d'Almeida and colleagues from the Emergency Department HIV-Screening Group write in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

26 Oct 2011

Abzyme Therapeutics licenses SUMOpro from LifeSensors

Abzyme Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company dedicated to developing methods to generate human monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of disease, announced today that they have entered into an exclusive agreement with LifeSensors to license their proprietary protein expression platform, SUMOpro™. Enhanced protein expression is key to the evolution and development of antibodies and the LifeSensors

24 Oct 2011

Blood tests and cultures may not be necessary in detecting early-onset GBS in newborns

For newborn infants at risk of infection with group B streptococcal (GBS) bacteria, screening blood tests cause extra pain and anxiety—without increasing detection of early-onset GBS disease, reports a study in the October issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

24 Oct 2011

Zeaxanthin reduces risk for AMD

St. Louis-based ZeaVision, LLC announced that three recent groundbreaking studies demonstrate that Zeaxanthin (zee-uh-zan-thin), the predominate protective pigment in the back of the eye, reduces the risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and benefits the treatment of advanced AMD, a condition that destroys central vision and affects millions of Americans.

24 Oct 2011

HMS, EPFL to collaborate on 6 pioneering neuroengineering projects

Two of the world's leading universities are joining forces to combine neuroscience and engineering in order to alleviate human suffering caused by such neurological disabilities as paralysis and deafness. Scientists, engineers, and clinicians at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Ecole Polytechnique F-d-rale de Lausanne (EPFL) will collaborate on six pioneering neuroengineering projects made possible thanks to a $3.6 million grant from the Bertarelli Foundation.

24 Oct 2011

U-M researchers to study new approach in halting downward spiral of diabetes

University of Michigan Health System researchers will use a $3.5 million federal grant to study a new approach in halting the downward spiral of diabetes.

24 Oct 2011

Mesoblast cleared to begin first phase 2 clinical trial for wet AMD

Regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited (ASX: MSB) today announced that it has received regulatory clearance from the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to commence the first Phase 2 trial of its proprietary allogeneic (off-the-shelf) adult stem cell therapy for patients with proliferation of leaky blood vessels in the eyes – neovascular (“wet”) Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

24 Oct 2011

Six prominent surgeons receive ACS' Honorary Fellowship

Honorary Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) was awarded to six prominent surgeons from South Africa, England, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, and the People's Republic of China last night during Convocation ceremonies that preceded the official opening of the College's 97th Annual Clinical Congress.

24 Oct 2011

Mesoblast receives Singapore HSA regulatory clearance to begin wet AMD Phase 2 trial

Regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited today announced that it has received regulatory clearance from the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to commence the first Phase 2 trial of its proprietary allogeneic (off-the-shelf) adult stem cell therapy for patients with proliferation of leaky blood vessels in the eyes – neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration.

24 Oct 2011

SCI patients with autonomic dysfunction more likely to develop heart disease

New research from the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation may help explain why people with spinal cord injury (SCI) have a higher risk of developing heart disease.

24 Oct 2011

Use of bath salts as recreational drugs has greatly escalated in recent years

The use of bath salts as recreational drugs has greatly escalated in recent years. Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma describe an incident of a man experiencing significant agitation, paranoia, and hallucinations who also exhibited violent behavior upon his emergency department arrival.

24 Oct 2011

Study: Heart transplantation is a very safe and effective therapy

Heart transplantation is a very safe and effective therapy, according to a new long-term study presented today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

24 Oct 2011

Proper daily care and maintenance of central lines might reduce infection rate in PICUs

By following a few basic rules for handling central venous catheters, nurses and doctors at a group of children's hospitals have, in three years, prevented nearly a thousand infections and saved more than a hundred children's lives and millions of dollars, according to a study by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and elsewhere.

24 Oct 2011

Nationwide Children's Hospital investigator to continue research on heparin-binding EGF

Gail Besner, MD, principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has been awarded a 4-year RO1 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue her work on heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) and intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

24 Oct 2011

Short sleep duration linked to weight gain in teens

Sleeping less than 8 hours a night may be linked to weight gain in teens, shows a new study presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.

24 Oct 2011

Children with PAH may benefit from sildenafil treatment

Sildenafil is currently approved for adult pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); however, new research presented at CHEST 2011, the 77th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), shows the drug may also provide significant benefits for children with PAH, helping to improve both oxygen delivery and exercise capacity.

24 Oct 2011

Cardiac rehab boosts longevity, especially in patients with lowest fitness levels

Cardiac rehabilitation boosts longevity, especially in patients with the lowest fitness levels, Dr. Billie-Jean Martin today told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

24 Oct 2011

Genetically engineered clotting factor shows promise against hemophilia

A genetically engineered clotting factor that controlled hemophilia in an animal study offers a novel potential treatment for human hemophilia and a broad range of other bleeding problems.

24 Oct 2011

Women hospital staff working night shifts may face increased risk of heart disease

Women hospital staff working night shifts may be compromising their own health as they try to improve the health of patients, Dr. Joan Tranmer told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

24 Oct 2011