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Scientists find pericytes regulate blood-brain barrier

While the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from harmful chemicals occurring naturally in the blood, it also obstructs the transport of drugs to the brain. In an article in Nature scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now present a potential solution to the problem. The key to the BBB is a cell-type in the blood vessel walls called pericytes, and the researchers hope that their findings will one day contribute to new therapies for diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke.

14 Oct 2010

Watermelon effective against prehypertension

No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

14 Oct 2010

Mayo Clinic researcher named by National Academy of Sciences to Institute of Medicine

Mayo Clinic radiologist and researcher Richard Ehman, M.D., has been named by the National Academy of Sciences to the Institute of Medicine. Selection to the Institute (one of the four Academies, based in Washington, D.C.) is one of the highest honors in medicine in the United States.

13 Oct 2010

Hospitalizations and associated costs with peripheral artery disease increase as condition progresses

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a progressive and costly disease, but remains under-diagnosed and under treated. While current PAD treatments are effective at clearing artery blockages in the lower leg, high recurrence rates and the subsequent need for repeat procedures are costly. Even after initial procedures to clear blockages in leg arteries, hospitalizations and associated costs in patients with peripheral artery disease increase as the condition progresses, according to research reported in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

13 Oct 2010

Pycnogenol effective in relieving tinnitus symptoms: Study

More than 50 million Americans will experience some degree of tinnitus in their lifetime, according to the American Tinnitus Association. Tinnitus is a hearing condition that causes the constant misperception of sound, including hissing, ringing and rushing noises. A study recently published in Panminerva Medica reveals that Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, is effective in relieving tinnitus symptoms by improving blood flow in the inner ear.

13 Oct 2010

USPTO grants HemoShear patent for human cell-based surrogate systems

HemoShear LLC, a biotechnology research company and leading developer of human cell-based surrogate systems for discovery and assessment of new drug compounds, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted it patent no. 7,811,782 entitled "Use of An In Vitro Hemodynamic Endothelial/Smooth Muscle Cell Co-Culture Model to Identify New Therapeutic Targets for Vascular Disease."

13 Oct 2010

NCKU develops novel stem cell therapy for heart repair

Assistant Prof. Patrick C. H. Hsieh of Institute of Nanotechnology and Microsystems Engineering, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, has led a research team of myocardial regeneration to conduct an experiment on pigs and has proved that by combining self-assembling peptide nanofiber hydrogel with autologous bone marrow stem cell, myocardial protection after acute myocardial infarction, vascular regeneration and heart functions can be improved.

12 Oct 2010

Folic acid supplement does not reduce cardiovascular events, cancer or death

Use of folic acid supplements appears to lower blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine—theorized to be a risk factor for heart and blood vessel disease—but does not appear to be associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular events, cancer or death over a five-year period, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies in the October 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Carotid artery stenting increases risk of death, stroke

For patients with blockages in the carotid artery that supplies blood to the brain, carotid artery stenting (a non-surgical treatment) appears to be associated with an increased risk of both short- and long-term adverse outcomes when compared with surgical treatment (carotid endarterectomy), according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies that was posted online today and will appear in the February 2011 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Insulin resistance increases risk of stroke in non-diabetic patients

Insulin resistance, a condition in which insulin produced by the body becomes less effective in reducing blood glucose levels, appears to be associated with an increased risk of stroke in individuals without diabetes, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

TriReme Medical closes $17M Round D financing

TriReme Medical, a leading developer of innovative catheters and stents for the treatment of complex vascular disease, announced today the closing of a $17M Round D financing. The financing was led by Bio*One Capital, a subsidiary of Singapore based EDB Investments with strong support from current investors, Three Arch Partners and Adams Street Partners.

11 Oct 2010

OXiGENE announces ZYBRESTAT Phase 2/3 study results at ESMO Congress

OXiGENE, a clinical-stage, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to treat cancer and eye diseases, announced that an ongoing analysis of positive results reported earlier from a randomized, controlled, Phase 2/3 study of ZYBRESTAT (fosbretabulin, CA4P) were presented today at the 35th European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Milan, Italy by Julie Ann Sosa, M.D., F.A.C.S., of Yale University.

11 Oct 2010

Low-fat diet reduces risk of heart disease

Losing weight, especially among adults who are very heavy to obese, is a good way to prevent the onset of atherosclerosis, the artery-thickening condition that leads to potentially deadly heart disease. A diet that is low in either fats or carbohydrates can help reduce weight. But which one is the more heart-healthy?

8 Oct 2010

AngioDynamics reports 3% increase in net sales for fiscal 2011 first quarter

AngioDynamics, a leading provider of innovative medical devices for the minimally-invasive treatment of cancer and peripheral vascular disease, today reported financial results for the fiscal 2011 first quarter ended August 31, 2010 that were in line with the preliminary results reported on September 7, 2010.

7 Oct 2010

IDEV Technologies completes $46 million Series D round of financing with PJC Capital

IDEV Technologies, Incorporated, an emerging leader in the development and commercialization of minimally invasive medical technologies, today announced that it has completed a $46 million Series D round of financing, with Piper Jaffray & Co.'s Merchant Banking Fund and a leading strategic global healthcare company as the two new investors.

7 Oct 2010

Role of TGF-ß in cancer diseases

During this year's BIOTECHNICA exhibition, the international biotech news magazine „GEN - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News yesterday on 5 October 2010, held an information event with subsequent panel discussion featuring the topic TGF-ß an important target in cancer diseases.

7 Oct 2010