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PDGF identified as key factor in proliferation and transformation of epicardial cells

In research that one day may lead to the discovery of how to regenerate tissue damaged by heart disease, investigators at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles have identified PDGF as a key factor in the proliferation and transformation of epicardial cells, one type of cell that surrounds heart muscle and contributes to vessels.

6 Oct 2010

MedPro completes issuance of final tranche of Senior Secured 14% Notes due 2016

MedPro Safety Products, Inc., a leading developer of transformational technologies that enable safer medication delivery and blood collection, announced today that it has completed the issuance of a final $5 million tranche of Senior Secured 14% Notes due 2016 in a private placement with institutional investors.

6 Oct 2010

Hypertonic fluids do not improve outcomes or survival for severe traumatic brain injury: Study

Patients with a severe traumatic brain injury (and not in shock because of blood loss) who received out-of-hospital administration of hypertonic fluids (a solution with increased concentration of certain electrolytes and thought to help reduce intracranial pressure) as initial resuscitation did not experience better 6-month neurologic outcomes or survival compared to patients who received a normal saline solution, according to a study in the October 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Oct 2010

Podocytes key to development of kidney failure in diabetes

Diabetes is the leading reason for kidney failure in the world, resulting in patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. New research has found a cell in the kidney called the podocyte could be the key to understanding why this happens.

6 Oct 2010

Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation hosts conference to discuss advancements in therapeutic medicine

The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation is hosting the 2nd International Symposium on MR-guided Focused Ultrasound in Chantilly, Virginia from October 17-20. Leading researchers and clinicians from around the world will gather at the three-day scientific conference to present and discuss the latest advancements in one of the most revolutionary and promising areas of therapeutic medicine.

6 Oct 2010

Way of VAD implantation can impact stroke occurrence

A surgical team from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, has presented findings from the first study to demonstrate that the way a ventricular assist device (VAD) is implanted can have an impact on whether or not a patient may have a stroke while the device is in use.

6 Oct 2010

RDI launches HIV-TRePS system to predict patients’ response to HIV drugs

A ground-breaking system for predicting how individual patients with HIV and AIDS will respond to different drugs is launched today by RDI, a UK-based not-for-profit research group. The experimental system, called the HIV Treatment Response Prediction System (HIV-TRePS), is available free of charge over the Internet and helps physicians select the best treatment for their patients.

6 Oct 2010

Repinotan blocks respiratory depressant effects of morphine without altering pain-relieving effects

A new drug called repinotan blocks the respiratory depressant effects of morphine-like opioid drugs—without altering their potent pain-relieving effects, according to a study in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

6 Oct 2010

New balloon angioplasty device could trigger a 'paradign shift' in PAD treatment

A balloon angioplasty device that sucks up dangerous plaque debris could trigger a "paradign shift" in how physicians treat peripheral artery disease, researchers write in the current issue of Endovascular Today.

6 Oct 2010

Platelet derived growth factor plays role in heart regeneration

6 Oct 2010

microRNA miR-33 may help control blood cholesterol level

Thanks to a discovery by a Saint Louis University researcher, scientists have identified an important microRNA that may allow us to better control cholesterol levels in blood.

6 Oct 2010

Toxic free radical responsible for lung damage due to oxygen therapy

The most toxic free radical appears responsible for much of the lung damage that can result from oxygen therapy in the critically ill or injured, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

6 Oct 2010

New biomarker could aid in accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

A set of proteins found in blood serum shows promise as a sensitive and accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found as part of a statewide study.

6 Oct 2010

Health IT may bring unintended consequences

The Philadelphia Inquirer: As the Obama administration nudges the health system toward electronic medical records, researchers have identified some unintended consequences.

6 Oct 2010

Insulin-sensitizing drugs may offer new treatments for kidney failure

Evidence reported in the October issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication, offers a completely new explanation for why people with diabetes account for more than half of all patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. It appears that insulin has a significant influence on the structure and proper function of a particular group of very specialized cells, known as podocytes, that are integral to the kidney's ability to do its job filtering blood.

6 Oct 2010

Researchers discover biomarker for allergy can originate from mother

Allergies occur when the defence mechanisms of the immune system malfunction and misread normal substances entering the body as invading pathogens. Antibodies are part of our biochemical arsenal for combating viruses, bacteria, parasites and other alien substances, but during an allergic reaction the antibody, known as IgE, is directed against usually harmless substances such as grass pollen, nuts, pets or eggs. However, researchers from COPSAC (Copenhagen Studies on Asthma in Childhood) at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen recently discovered indications that IgE in the blood of the umbilical cord could originate from the mother, and decided to conduct a focused study on this.

6 Oct 2010

Saneron receives grant to develop safety guidelines for transplanting HUBC cells in Alzheimer's disease

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a three-year, $2.6-million grant to the University of South Florida and Tampa-based biotechnology company Saneron-CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., to establish dosing and safety guidelines for transplanting human umbilical cord blood cells (HUBC) into animal models of Alzheimer's disease.

6 Oct 2010

Low level of testosterone increases risk for Alzheimer's disease

Low levels of the male sex hormone, testosterone, in older men is associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to research by a team that includes a Saint Louis University scientist.

6 Oct 2010

ADRCs cells improve survival in acute kidney injury animal model

Preclinical data was published today on research performed by Cytori Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CYTX) showing adipose (fat)-derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRCs), either fresh or banked, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in animal survival and kidney function in an acute kidney injury animal model.

6 Oct 2010

Researchers find exposure to air pollution increases severity of asthma symptoms

Exposure to dirty air is linked to decreased function of a gene that appears to increase the severity of asthma in children, according to a joint study by researchers at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

6 Oct 2010