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Scientists mimic dyskeratosis congenita through study of undifferentiated iPS cells

A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres, can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

24 May 2011

Asymptomatic patients do not benefit from CT angiography screening

Coronary computed tomographic angiography, which can detect plaque buildup in heart vessels, is sometimes used as a screening tool to assess the risk for a heart attack. However, the usefulness of the test on low-risk patients who do not have coronary symptoms, such as chest pain, has been unclear.

24 May 2011

Transarterial embolization an effective alternative to endoscopy for acute peptic ulcer bleeding

Researchers from China report that in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding in whom endoscopy failed to control the bleeding, transarterial embolization is a safe procedure which reduces the need for surgery without increasing overall mortality and is associated with few complications.

24 May 2011

NIAID team completes analysis of most proteins produced by elephantiasis parasite worm

A team led by Thomas B. Nutman, M.D., of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, has completed a large-scale analysis of most of the proteins produced by Brugia malayi, one kind of parasitic worm that causes lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis.

24 May 2011

Azilsartan medoxomil-CLD phase 3 study results in systolic blood pressure presented at ASH 2011

Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc. U.S., today announced results from three phase 3 studies of the investigational fixed-dose combination of azilsartan medoxomil plus chlorthalidone.

24 May 2011

Exosome Diagnostics announces expansion of scientific advisory board

Exosome Diagnostics, a leading developer of biofluid based molecular diagnostic tests for use in personalised medicine, today announced the appointments of Bob Carter MD, Carlos Cordon-Cardo MD, PhD, Keith Flaherty MD, John Quackenbush, PhD; to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

24 May 2011

New device can combat hypothermia in wounded soldiers

A Biomedical Engineering Senior Design team at Stevens Institute of Technology is working with the U.S. Army and New Jersey physicians to develop a new device to combat hypothermia among wounded soldiers.

24 May 2011

Research could pave way toward new anti-bacterial treatments

A group of proteins that act as the body's built-in line of defense against invading bacteria use a molecular trick to induce bacteria to destroy themselves, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have determined. The research could point the way toward new anti-bacterial treatments that could take on bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

24 May 2011

Liquid crystal droplets could replace horseshoe crab blood in common endotoxin test

The Food and Drug Administration requires every drug they certify to be tested for certain poisons that damage patient health. The current gold standard for this is the limulus amoebocyte lysate assay that involves using the blood of horseshoe crabs, which strangely enough is blue, to test for endotoxin, a substance commonly associated with many symptoms caused by bacterial infections.

24 May 2011

Altor receives NHLBI SBIR grant to complete ALT-836 second Phase 2 trial in ALI/ARDS

Altor BioScience Corporation announced today that the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has awarded Altor a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II Competing Renewal Grant. The award of over $3.18 MM over three years will support Altor's efforts to complete a second Phase 2 clinical trial using ALT-836, an antibody-based tissue factor antagonist, as a therapy to treat patients with infection-induced acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome.

24 May 2011

VBL to present updated VB-111 Phase 1 trial results in advanced metastatic cancer at ASCO 2011

VBL Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to the development of novel treatments for immune-inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced that it will present updated results for a Phase 1 study of VB-111 in patients with advanced metastatic cancer at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, taking place June 3-7, 2011, at McCormick Place in Chicago.

24 May 2011

Novel hepatitis C-like virus discovered in dogs

In a study to be published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers report the discovery of a novel hepatitis C-like virus in dogs. The identification and characterization of this virus gives scientists new insights into how hepatitis C in humans may have evolved and provides scientists renewed hope to develop a model system to study how it causes disease.

24 May 2011

Inotuzumab ozogamicin achieves over 50% response rate against acute lymphoblastic leukemia

An antibody packaged with a potent chemotherapy drug to selectively destroy acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells eradicated or greatly reduced the disease for 61 percent of 46 patients in a phase II study. It will be presented at the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago June 3-7.

24 May 2011

Mount Sinai researchers identify protein signaling hyperactivity in human sarcoma cells

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a protein signaling pathway that becomes hyperactivated in human sarcoma cells, suggesting that medications to inhibit this pathway may be effective in the treatment of human sarcomas. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Cancer Cell.

24 May 2011

'Survival protein' protects brain against effects of stroke

Johns Hopkins scientists say that a newly discovered "survival protein" protects the brain against the effects of stroke in rodent brain tissue by interfering with a particular kind of cell death that's also implicated in complications from diabetes and heart attack.

24 May 2011

African-Americans with multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels

African-Americans who have multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels than African-Americans who don't have the disease, according to a study published in the May 24, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 May 2011

Vertex Incivek receives FDA approval for treatment of chronic hepatitis C

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Incivek treat certain adults with chronic hepatitis C infection. Incivek is used for patients who have either not received interferon-based drug therapy for their infection or who have not responded adequately to prior therapies. Incivek is approved for use with interferon therapy made up of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.

24 May 2011

Aptus EndoStapling System receives CE Mark approval

Aptus Endosystems, Inc., a medical device company developing advanced technology for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), announced CE Mark approval for the Aptus EndoStapling System. The innovative helical staple technology enables independent endograft fixation, and is designed to mimic the hand suturing performed during open surgical repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

From Medtronic 24 May 2011

Discovery of possible new strategy for treating neurologic disorders

23 May 2011

Positive results from Relypsa RLY5016 Phase 2 trial to be presented at American Society of Hypertension meeting

Relypsa, Inc. today announced the presentation of positive results from a Phase 2 clinical trial of the company's lead compound, RLY5016, a non-absorbed oral potassium binder being developed as a treatment for hyperkalemia (elevated serum potassium levels).

23 May 2011

Blood News and Research

Scientists mimic dyskeratosis congenita through study of undifferentiated iPS cells

Asymptomatic patients do not benefit from CT angiography screening

Transarterial embolization an effective alternative to endoscopy for acute peptic ulcer bleeding

NIAID team completes analysis of most proteins produced by elephantiasis parasite worm

Azilsartan medoxomil-CLD phase 3 study results in systolic blood pressure presented at ASH 2011

Exosome Diagnostics announces expansion of scientific advisory board

New device can combat hypothermia in wounded soldiers

Research could pave way toward new anti-bacterial treatments

Liquid crystal droplets could replace horseshoe crab blood in common endotoxin test

Altor receives NHLBI SBIR grant to complete ALT-836 second Phase 2 trial in ALI/ARDS

VBL to present updated VB-111 Phase 1 trial results in advanced metastatic cancer at ASCO 2011

Novel hepatitis C-like virus discovered in dogs

Inotuzumab ozogamicin achieves over 50% response rate against acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Mount Sinai researchers identify protein signaling hyperactivity in human sarcoma cells

'Survival protein' protects brain against effects of stroke

African-Americans with multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels

Vertex Incivek receives FDA approval for treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Aptus EndoStapling System receives CE Mark approval

Discovery of possible new strategy for treating neurologic disorders

Positive results from Relypsa RLY5016 Phase 2 trial to be presented at American Society of Hypertension meeting

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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