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Nature journal publishes first volume of Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia

The goal of cancer treatment is to match the right drug to the right target in the right patient. But before such "personalized" drugs can be developed, more knowledge is needed about specific genomic alterations in cancers and their sensitivity to potential therapeutic agents.

29 Mar 2012

Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy performed at Valley Presbyterian Hospital

Surgeons at Valley Presbyterian Hospital (VPH) recently performed the hospital's first-ever single-port laparoscopic appendectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for removing an infected appendix, which reduces scarring and healing time because it requires only one incision, Gustavo Valdespino, VPH president and CEO, announced today.

29 Mar 2012

Rates of cancer diagnoses and deaths continue to decline in the U.S.

A report from the nation's leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2004 and 2008. The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.

29 Mar 2012

MiR-375 regulates IL-13-induced changes in allergic diseases

Researchers have taken a critical step in understanding how allergic reactions occur after identifying a genetic signature for regulation of a key immune hormone, interleukin (IL-13).

29 Mar 2012

Spherix 2011 net loss decreases to $3.5 million

Spherix Incorporated – an innovator in biotechnology for therapy in diabetes, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis, and provider of technical and regulatory consulting services to food, supplement, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies – today reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2011, and recent and upcoming business highlights.

29 Mar 2012

Protein's location in a cell affects impact on disease

If the fight against breast cancer were a criminal investigation, then the proteins survivin, HDAC6, CBP, and CRM1 would be among the shadier figures. In that vein, a study to be published in the March 30 Journal of Biological Chemistry is the police report that reveals a key moment for keeping cancer cells alive: survivin's jailbreak from the nucleus, aided and abetted by the other proteins.

29 Mar 2012

ASGE announces honorees of new endoscopy unit recognition program

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has recognized 18 endoscopy units as part of its program specifically dedicated to promoting quality in endoscopy, in all settings where it is practiced in the United States.

29 Mar 2012

Heart attack could be treated best with cheap mix of three injections: Study

When the shot was given early to patients with signs of a heart attack, the mixture of glucose, insulin and potassium (GIK), showed remarkable success in preventing full cardiac arrest - when the heart stops beating - and even death. And each shot cocktail costs only about $US50, according to the research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 61st annual scientific meeting in Chicago. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field.

28 Mar 2012

Greater out-of-pocket asthma medication costs associated with frequent hospitalizations among children

Greater out-of-pocket asthma medication cost was associated with small reductions in medication use and with more frequent asthma-related hospitalizations among children ages 5 years or older, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Adjusting ventilator to keep breath size and lung pressures lower can reduce death from lung injury

Carefully adjusting mechanical ventilator settings in the intensive care unit to pump smaller breaths into very sick lungs can reduce the chances of dying by as much as 8 percent, according to a study by critical care experts at Johns Hopkins. Study participants were evaluated for two years after their acute lung injury.

28 Mar 2012

Researcher joins nationwide effort to monitor resistance to antibiotics

Because infectious microorganisms are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, a Wayne State University researcher has joined a nationwide effort to monitor that resistance while optimizing the use of existing drugs.

28 Mar 2012

Stress response reduces memory during tests in older adults

Your mother had a doctor's appointment for a memory test. The results are conclusive: she presents with the first signs of Alzheimer type dementia. Now, to get to her appointment, your mother, who is no longer used to driving in town, took her car, looked for a parking space for 15 minutes, got lost in a labyrinth of one-way streets, had never used those new electronic parking meters before and is convinced that the "machine" stole her credit card number.

28 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 28, 2012

Today's headlines recap yesterday's Supreme Court action related to the constitutionality of the individual mandate and set the scene for day 3 of the oral arguments, which will tackle issues of severalbility and questions about the health law's Medicaid expansion.

28 Mar 2012

Invasive strategy benefits patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 neuromuscular disorder

Patients with a cardiac irregularity and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (a severe neuromuscular disorder with a high risk of sudden death) who received an invasive treatment strategy that included testing of their heart's electrical conduction system and if needed, implantation of a device such as a pacemaker, had an associated higher rate of 9-year survival compared to patients treated noninvasively, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Improper preparation for colonoscopy hides pre-cancerous polyps

What happens on the day before a colonoscopy may be just as important as the colon-screening test itself.

28 Mar 2012

What individual mandate, other health law rulings may mean for Americans

News outlets analyze arguments around the individual mandate and what a ruling by the Supreme Court will mean for most Americans. Kaiser Health News looks at changes in the health care industry as a result of the law, and how most of those shifts will continue regardless of what the Court decides.

28 Mar 2012

Out-of-hospital use of GIK as therapy for ACS patients needs to be assessed

Patients experiencing symptoms such as chest pain who received from paramedics an intravenous solution consisting of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) had no reduction in the rate of progression to heart attack and no improvement in 30-day survival, although GIK was associated with a lower rate of the composite outcome of cardiac arrest or in-hospital death, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

28 Mar 2012

Local air pollution may explain neighborhood differences in rates of childhood asthma

Where a child lives can greatly affect his or her risk for asthma. According to a new study by scientists at Columbia University, neighborhood differences in rates of childhood asthma may be explained by varying levels of air pollution from trucks and residential heating oil. Results appear online in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.

28 Mar 2012

ACCR designates Georgetown student as early-career scientist

David A. Solomon, who will graduate from Georgetown University School of Medicine this year with M.D. and Ph.D. degrees, has been designated one of four outstanding early-career scientists by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) -- a highly prestigious honor. Solomon will present his work at a special symposium, Future Leaders in Basic Cancer Research, on April 2nd at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 in Chicago.

28 Mar 2012

Imatinib improves RFS, overall survival in GIST patients after surgery

Among patients with a high risk of recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor following surgery for its removal, patients who received imatinib (a drug to treat certain cancers) for 3 years instead of 1 had improved recurrence-free survival and overall survival, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Mar 2012