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Scientists develop new stem cell line to study conversion of stem cells into muscle

To help patients with muscle disorders, scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have engineered a new stem cell line to study the conversion of stem cells into muscle. Findings appeared in Cell Reports.

13 Dec 2018

Study: Loss of tight junction barrier protein results in gastric cancer development

Tight junctions are multi-protein complexes that serve as barriers in epithelial tissues such as the skin or lining of the gut. Loss of a specific tight junction barrier protein, claudin 18, occurs in the majority of gastric cancer patients and is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

13 Dec 2018

Study assesses safety and efficacy of new treatment for pancreatic cancer

Gemcitabine given in combination with nab-paclitaxel is the standard of care for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. This practice, however, rests on data obtained from several recent clinical trials enrolling patients with pancreatic cancer who skewed younger and in better overall condition than most.

13 Dec 2018

New mouse model shows potential for rapid identification of promising muscular dystrophy therapies

A Massachusetts General Hospital research team has created a new mouse model of a common form of muscular dystrophy with the potential of rapidly distinguishing promising therapeutic drugs from those unlikely to be successful.

13 Dec 2018

New substance could improve efficacy of established breast cancer treatments

Physicians from Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems (Austria) demonstrate potential for clinical application, collaborating with research groups from Germany, the USA, and China.

13 Dec 2018

Moderate alcohol consumption linked with lower risk of hospitalization

A study of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed, in collaboration with the Department of Nutrition of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, highlights that people who consume alcohol moderately (one glass of wine a day), in the general framework of Mediterranean diet principles, have a lower risk of being hospitalized compared to heavier drinkers, but also to the teetotallers.

12 Dec 2018

Findings may open up new ways to treat dwarfism and other ER-stress-related conditions

Pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH) is a severe inherited dwarfing condition characterized by disproportionate short stature, joint laxity, pain, and early onset osteoarthritis.

12 Dec 2018

Brigham researchers develop automated, low-cost tool to predict a woman's ovulation

Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital are developing an automated, low-cost tool to predict a woman's ovulation and aid in family planning.

11 Dec 2018

Educating future doctors to prescribe physical activity for their patients

An initiative adopted by Lancaster University to embed physical activity into the training for medical students has been showcased at a national and international level.

11 Dec 2018

One implant, two prices. It depends on who’s paying.

Kim Daniels didn't have to pay a penny for her double mastectomy or the reconstructive surgery she had after treatment for breast cancer in June 2018. Her health insurance, PennCare, administered through Independence Blue Cross in Pennsylvania, fully covered both procedures.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers shed new light on how to combat Shiga and ricin toxins

Min Dong, PhD, and his lab are world experts in toxins and how to combat them. They've figured out how Clostridium difficile's most potent toxin gets into cells and zeroed in on the first new botulinum toxin identified since 1969.

11 Dec 2018

Researchers capture high-resolution X-ray and NMR image of key immune regulator

A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital provides a biophysical and structural assessment of a critical immune regulating protein called human T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing protein-3 (hTIM-3).

11 Dec 2018

New publications generate controversy over the value of reducing salt consumption in populations

The journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease (NMCD), has published an important and authoritative statement of the ESAN (European Salt Action Network).

11 Dec 2018

Researchers to study effects of electroconvulsive therapy on Alzheimer’s patients with aggression

Researchers at McLean Hospital will lead a five-year study to investigate the use of electroconvulsive therapy to treat severe agitation and aggression in people with Alzheimer's disease.

11 Dec 2018

Dermatology providers show interest in recommending cannabinoids to patients

The cannabis plant and its derivatives have been used in medicinal treatments for millennia. With the recent legalization of medical marijuana in 33 states across the country, as well as Washington, D.C., several specialties are weighing the possibilities of integrating cannabinoids into patient therapies, including dermatology.

11 Dec 2018

Novel 3D printing workflow helps predict leaky heart valves

More than one in eight people aged 75 and older in the United States develop moderate-to-severe blockage of the aortic valve in their hearts, usually caused by calcified deposits that build up on the valve's leaflets and prevent them from fully opening and closing.

11 Dec 2018

Ezogabine treatment reduces motor neuron excitability in ALS patients, study shows

Brian Wainger, MD, PhD, of the Healey Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital presented initial, top-level results of a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial of ezogabine (also called retigabine) on December 9 at the Motor Neurone Disease Association annual meeting in Glasgow, Scotland.

11 Dec 2018

Caffeine plus another compound in coffee may fight Parkinson’s disease

Rutgers scientists have found a compound in coffee that may team up with caffeine to fight Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia - two progressive and currently incurable diseases associated with brain degeneration.

10 Dec 2018

Experts address sleep disorders following traumatic brain injury

Disorders of sleep are some of the most common problems experienced by patients after traumatic brain injury. It is important to recognize and treat these problems early to allow for optimal cognitive recovery, but because they are so common, the importance of treating them is often underestimated.

10 Dec 2018

Study quantifies links between alcohol, drug use and violent deaths

A group of researchers at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) in Brazil recently published the results of a study on the links between alcohol and drug use and the occurrence of violent deaths.

7 Dec 2018

Medical School News and Research

Scientists develop new stem cell line to study conversion of stem cells into muscle

Study: Loss of tight junction barrier protein results in gastric cancer development

Study assesses safety and efficacy of new treatment for pancreatic cancer

New mouse model shows potential for rapid identification of promising muscular dystrophy therapies

New substance could improve efficacy of established breast cancer treatments

Moderate alcohol consumption linked with lower risk of hospitalization

Findings may open up new ways to treat dwarfism and other ER-stress-related conditions

Brigham researchers develop automated, low-cost tool to predict a woman's ovulation

Educating future doctors to prescribe physical activity for their patients

One implant, two prices. It depends on who’s paying.

Researchers shed new light on how to combat Shiga and ricin toxins

Researchers capture high-resolution X-ray and NMR image of key immune regulator

New publications generate controversy over the value of reducing salt consumption in populations

Researchers to study effects of electroconvulsive therapy on Alzheimer’s patients with aggression

Dermatology providers show interest in recommending cannabinoids to patients

Novel 3D printing workflow helps predict leaky heart valves

Ezogabine treatment reduces motor neuron excitability in ALS patients, study shows

Caffeine plus another compound in coffee may fight Parkinson’s disease

Experts address sleep disorders following traumatic brain injury

Study quantifies links between alcohol, drug use and violent deaths

A New Approach to Preventing Bladder Cancer Recurrence

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

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