OCT News and Research

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Nanodiamonds advance anticancer gene therapy

Gene therapy holds promise in the treatment of cancer as well as a large number of other diseases. However, developing a scalable system for delivering genes to cells both efficiently and safely has been challenging. Now, two teams of researchers have developed versatile nanotechnology-enabled platforms that could get therapeutic genes safely and efficiently into cancer cells.

23 Sep 2009

Organic revitalizing beverage from Sambazon

Sambazon, the global leader in Acai, announces the launch of a powerfully nutritious premium juice line. Antioxidant Elixir(TM) is a organic revitalizing beverage that provides powerful antioxidants and 600% DV Vitamin C, yet remains refreshingly light on calories, sugar, and contains no fat.

23 Sep 2009

State Round-Up: Michigan wrestles with Medicaid cuts

News outlets examine state health issues, including potential Medicaid cuts in Michigan and the effect of swine flu on Louisiana's Medicaid budget.

23 Sep 2009

New online service for information exchange and product recalls launched

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and GS1 US today announced the launch of Rapid Recall Exchange, an online service to enable prompt and accurate information exchange between retailers/wholesalers and suppliers about food and product recalls and withdrawals. It replaces an existing recall system, the Product Recall Portal, by improving ease of use and adding significant capabilities.

22 Sep 2009

Winners of the 2009 Biotechnology Vision Summit's Emerging Company Showcase announced

Six Wisconsin biotechnology companies have been selected the winners of the first Emerging Company Showcase. The showcase is part of the Biotechnology Vision Summit 2009, being held on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Madison Marriott West in Madison, Wis. The summit and the showcase are being hosted by BioForward, the member-driven state association that is the voice of Wisconsin’s biotechnology industry.

22 Sep 2009

New device for identifying eye conditions in infants

Tell-tale signs of a condition that can blind premature babies are being seen for the first time using a new handheld device in a study at Duke University Medical Center.

22 Sep 2009

Two new products released by Simbionix USA Corporation

Simbionix USA Corporation, the world's leading developer of medical simulation systems, just released two new products: a new Laparoscopic Essential Tasks Module for its LAP Mentor(TM) and a breakthrough technology for patient-specific simulation based on actual patient data - the PROcedure Rehearsal Studio(TM).

21 Sep 2009

Research to identify breast cancer disparities

In an effort to continue to deliver on its vision of a world without breast cancer, Susan G. Komen for the Cure,((R) )San Diego conducted an in-depth, county-wide research and community needs assessment to identify disparities in breast cancer across populations.

18 Sep 2009

Mcgill Food Conference to focus on shortage of food in Guatemala

Some of the important reasons underlying the current food crisis in Guatemala - where more than 50,000 families don't have enough to eat and women and children in particular are today struggling to survive - are at the top of the agenda of McGill University's second annual Global Food Security Conference, Oct. 5-7, in Montreal.

18 Sep 2009

Health policy research roundup

Implementation Choices for the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 - This report examines two key areas of the implementation process of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 - outreach and enrollment, and quality of care - and issues a set of recommendations. "Recommendations include: giving funding priority to states that will adopt or maintain key simplifications… ensuring quality measures focus on priority health needs for children, and building quality measurement and improvement capabilities into electronic health information systems, among others," according to a Commonwealth Fund description of the report (Simpson, Fairbrother, Touschner and Guyer, 9/10).

18 Sep 2009

Workshop to address high-risk adolescent behaviors

The Evolution Institute and the University of Arizona's Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth, and Families are co-hosting an invitation-only workshop at the university, Oct. 30 - Nov. 2, for world-renowned scholars who will apply evolutionary theory to the development of practical solutions for high-risk adolescent behaviors plaguing Western societies.

17 Sep 2009

FDA approves H1N1 vaccine, paves way for large-scale U.S. vaccination campaign

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines produced by four manufacturers — CSL Ltd., Novartis, Sanofi-Pasteur and Medimmune — had won FDA approval, paving the way for a U.S. large-scale vaccination campaign, The Wall Street Journal reports. The application for GlaxoSmithKline PLC's vaccine is still being considered (Dooren/Favole, 9/15).

17 Sep 2009

Andersonville Arts Weekend art sales proceeds to support HIV-affected families

During the Arts weekend, over 25 of Olmetti's works and installations will be featured at SIR Spa. Proceeds from art sales will benefit the Chicago House, in support pf the mission of Chicago House and Social Service Agency to provide housing and supportive services to HIV-affected families and individuals who may also be impacted by poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, and mental illness.

15 Sep 2009

AST meeting to review most recent developments in the field of organ transplantation

The American Society of Transplantation (AST) presents Transplantation: The Year in Review, Oct. 24-25, 2009 in Houston, Texas. The meeting features a review of the most recent developments in the field of organ transplantation from May 2008 up to and including the 2009 American Transplant Congress (ATC) that was held in May in Boston.

15 Sep 2009

BioElectronics bags second place in the medical device category of the 2009 Wall Street Journal Innovation Award

BioElectronics Corp. (PINKSHEETS: BIEL), the maker of inexpensive, disposable drug-free anti-inflammatory devices, today announced it has been selected as a runner up in the medical device category of the 2009 Wall Street Journal Innovation Awards unveiled in today's global editions and online. The award was given for the Company's wearable patch that uses pulsed electromagnetic energy to deliver drug-free pain relief for a variety of conditions.

14 Sep 2009

Health policy research roundup

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: A Snapshot of U.S. Physicians: Key Findings from the 2008 Health Tracking Physician Survey - This brief reviews findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) 2008 Health Tracking Physician Survey, a national survey including the responses of more than 4,700 U.S. physicians who provide "at least 20 hours per week of direct patient care."

11 Sep 2009

New treatment for facial wrinkles combines high-intensity light and green tea extract lotion

Scientists in Germany are reporting a major improvement in their potential new treatment for facial wrinkles that could emerge as an alternative to Botox and cosmetic surgery. The non-invasive technique combines high-intensity light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a lotion made of green tea extract. It works ten times faster than a similar anti-wrinkle treatment that uses LEDs alone, the researchers say.

10 Sep 2009

PKCiota oncogene essential for lung cancer stem cell proliferation

Scientists at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida have found that the lung cancer oncogene PKCiota is necessary for the proliferation of lung cancer stem cells. These stem cells are rare and powerful master cells that manufacture the other cells that make up lung tumors and are resistant to chemotherapy treatment.

9 Sep 2009

Newspapers across the country cover state health issues

Newspapers across the country report on health issues at the state level. Stories include the loss of health insurance for working parents in Arizona, a rise in the number of uninsured seeking help at nonprofit clinics in Kansas, the expansion of a program for children's insurance in Alabama, a decline in the number of uninsured in New York City, fears about a financial blow for health providers in Louisiana and union activism for the uninsured in Florida.

9 Sep 2009

Fundraising event to benefit the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Tickets are now on sale for the third annual Queen Street Unmasked, a gala fundraiser on Wednesday, Oct. 14 to benefit the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

8 Sep 2009