Blood News and Research

RSS

PSA test vital for assessing prostate cancer

When it comes to the prostate cancer, the disease known as the "silent killer" because it often exhibits no symptoms, to be forewarned is to be forearmed. It is the second leading cancer killer in men, just behind lung cancer. Every year, more than 218,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States, claiming about 28,000 lives.

1 Oct 2009

National Institutes of Health awards $16.8 million grant to Hutchinson Center/UW group

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health has awarded a $16.8 million, seven-year grant to launch a bicoastal research partnership between Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/University of Washington Cancer Consortium and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

30 Sep 2009

Houston Northwest Medical Center recognized as Cycle III Chest Pain Center with PCI

In its continuous pursuit of quality cardiac care, Houston Northwest Medical Center was proudly recognized as the first accredited chest pain center in Houston and one of a handful in Texas to be named a Cycle III Chest Pain Center with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention).

30 Sep 2009

Aphios awarded NIH grant to develop pathogen inactivation technology for blood products

Aphios Corporation today announced that it has been awarded a RC-1 Challenge grant (No. 1RC1HL102822-01) from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institute of Health’s (NIH) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to develop a generally-applicable pathogen inactivation technology for blood products.

30 Sep 2009

Inspirion Delivery Technologies completes Pre-IND meeting with the FDA

Inspirion Delivery Technologies, LLC ("IDT") announced today that last week the Company completed a pre-investigational new drug (Pre-IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine the clinical and regulatory pathway to advance its abuse deterrent, extended release formulation of oxycodone.

30 Sep 2009

Immunocellular Therapeutics' pilot study can help in early cancer detection

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. (OTCBB: IMUC), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing immune-based therapies for the treatment of brain and other cancers, announced today results from its pilot study evaluating the cancer detection abilities of one of its lead monoclonal antibody product candidates, ICT-109. Data from this study demonstrated that ICT-109 had a statistically significant ability to discriminate between cancerous and non-cancerous samples, suggesting the potential to detect pancreatic and lung cancer in plasma and serum study sets.

30 Sep 2009

Omega-3 fatty acids prevent and slow age-related macular degeneration

Researchers are seeing more benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s), such as their ability to help prevent and slow age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that is the leading cause of severe vision loss in older people.

30 Sep 2009

Research study on teens who underwent laparoscopic bypass surgery

According to a recent study of clinical characteristics of teens who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery from 2002 until 2007, doctors may have a much narrower window of opportunity to reverse morbid obesity in teens than previously thought.

30 Sep 2009

Strategies to facilitate new, rapid payment system for medical care

A new RAND Corporation study outlines methods that might be used to test a novel payment system for medical care that would provide doctors, hospitals and other health providers a set fee for treating an ailment such as hip replacement surgery.

30 Sep 2009

SeraCare Life Sciences awarded new contracts for HIV research

SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. today announced that the Company has been awarded two new contracts from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and that a third existing contract has been expanded by the NIH to support federally-funded HIV research and testing. These contracts represent a combined $10.8 million in new funding if all options are exercised over the life of the contracts.

30 Sep 2009

Polymedix commences Phase 1B study of novel anticoagulant reversing agent

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company developing new therapeutic drug products to treat infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders based on biomimetics, has initiated dosing and commenced a second clinical trial, a Phase 1B pilot proof of concept study, in the U.S. with its anticoagulant reversing agent PMX-60056 under an Investigational New Drug application (IND) filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

30 Sep 2009

SFC Fluidics to develop handheld traumatic brain injury diagnostic device for the U.S. Army

SFC Fluidics, LLC recently announced it has received a contract for approximately $5 million from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for development of a handheld device for rapid diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). More than 1.5 million Americans suffer head injuries each year, and TBI has become a signature injury for American troops serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

30 Sep 2009

Genetic factors play an important role in the development of type 1 diabetes

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Anette Ziegler, scientists of the Diabetes Research Group at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technische Universität München investigated the formation of antibodies to a zinc transporter in children with elevated risk for type 1 diabetes. The study provided indications of an early onset of the disease when specific antibodies in the blood and specific variants of the associated zinc transporter are present in the genome.

30 Sep 2009

Coupling electrosurgery with mass spectrometry for real-time identification of tumor tissues

Instead of the classic scalpel, surgeons can also operate with an electroscalpel. A significant advantage to this technique is that while a cut is being made, blood vessels are closed off and hemorrhaging eliminated. Now another advantage may be added as well: a German-Hungarian research team has developed a mass-spectrometry-based technique by which tissues can be analyzed during a surgical procedure.

30 Sep 2009

New research may enhance the treatment for blood cancer in children

Acute lymphatic leukemia is the most common form of blood cancer in children. Even though chemotherapy is improving, the cancer often returns. Johan Jansson's research at Kalmar University in Sweden shows that cancer cells that have been exposed to chemotherapy and survived are less vulnerable to chemotherapy, and more aggressive as well. But this research also yielded discoveries that should be able to enhance our treatment of the disease.

30 Sep 2009

Medtronic launches the Endurant Abdominal Stent Graft System in Canada

Expanding the application of endovascular aortic repair around the world, Medtronic, Inc., announces the launch of the EndurantTM Abdominal Stent Graft System in Canada.

30 Sep 2009

Former professional players have fewer risks of heart attacks

Former professional football players with large bodies don't appear to have the same risk factors for heart disease as their non-athletic counterparts, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in studying a group of National Football League (NFL) alumni.

30 Sep 2009

AMS’ products restore patient's pelvic health and their quality of life

American Medical Systems® (AMS), a leading provider of world-class devices and therapies for both male and female pelvic health, today announced the results of three major clinical studies that each point to a high degree of efficacy and patient satisfaction with AMS’ minimally invasive treatment options for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and vaginal prolapse.

30 Sep 2009

New anticoagulant therapy has fewer side-effects than warfarin

In an article reviewed by F1000 Medicine Faculty Members Robert Ruff, Brian Olshansky and Luis Ruilope, the blood-thinner dabigatran is shown to protect against stroke, blood clotting and major bleeding as effectively as warfarin, but with fewer side effects.

30 Sep 2009

Therapeutic target for acute respiratory distress syndrome identified

Research led by Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chairman of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, has identified a therapeutic target for acute lung injury resulting in acute respiratory distress syndrome, a highly fatal complication of influenza infection.

30 Sep 2009