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Two specific gene variants speed progression of Parkinson's disease

UCLA researchers may have found a key to determining which Parkinson's disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention.

16 May 2012

Juventas begins enrollment in JVS-100 Phase IIa study for Rutherford Class 4 or 5 CLI

Juventas Therapeutics, a privately-held, clinical-stage company developing novel regenerative therapies for treatment of cardiovascular disease, is pleased to report that it is actively enrolling patients in a placebo-controlled, randomized double-blinded Phase IIa study evaluating the safety and efficacy for JVS-100 in patients with Rutherford Class 4 or 5 critical limb ischemia.

16 May 2012

Asymptomatic patients can benefit from ExE after coronary revascularization

Asymptomatic patients who undergo treadmill exercise echocardiography (ExE) after coronary revascularization may be identified as being at high risk but those patients do not appear to have more favorable outcomes with repeated revascularization, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. The article is part of the journal's Less is More series.

15 May 2012

Cyclophosphamide drug makes the bone marrow more tumor-friendly

Researchers found that administering a common chemotherapy drug before bone tumors took root actually fertilized the bone marrow, enabling cancer cells, once introduced, to seed and grow more easily.

15 May 2012

Lab21’s HCV drug resistance genotyping receives new patents in the U.S., Europe

Lab21 Limited, the Cambridge, UK-based specialist in personalised medicine has secured new patents in Europe and the USA relating to Hepatitis C (HCV) drug resistance as it continues to expand its intellectual property portfolio in infectious disease testing.

15 May 2012

Harvard cardiologist receives Cedars-Sinai’s Corday Prize in Heart Research

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is honoring Eugene Braunwald, MD, Distinguished Hersey Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, with The Eliot Corday, MD, International Prize in Heart Research. The Corday Prize has been established to recognize physicians and scientists conducting groundbreaking research that has, or very likely will, change the practice of heart medicine. Braunwald is the inaugural recipient of the annual prize.

15 May 2012

Many men do not protect their skin from sun exposure

As everyone knows, growing older brings an increased number of health concerns. In fact, dermatologists warn that men older than 50 have an increased risk of developing melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer.

15 May 2012

Health care system should provide proactive interventions to prevent depression

Major depressive episodes can be prevented, and to help ensure that they are, the health care system should provide routine access to depression-prevention interventions, just as patients receive standard vaccines, according to a new article co-authored by UCSF researcher Ricardo F. Mu-oz, PhD.

15 May 2012

Study finds more than three-fourths of battery-related visits to ED by children

In today's technology-driven world, batteries, especially button batteries, are everywhere. They power countless gadgets and electronic items that we use every day. While they may seem harmless, button batteries can be dangerous if swallowed by children.

15 May 2012

First study to track movement of individuals with dementia until death

A new study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University has found that, at time of death, individuals with dementia are more likely to be living at home than in a nursing home. This contradicts the commonly held view that most individuals with dementia in the United States eventually move to nursing homes and die there.

15 May 2012

Persistent Systems, TGen collaborate on Bio4D software program

Persistent Systems, the leader in outsourced software product development (OPD) services, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) today announced that they are developing a high-quality biospecimen management system called Bio4D.

15 May 2012

Genetic test can accurately predict spread of eye cancer

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a genetic test that can accurately predict whether the most common form of eye cancer will spread to other parts of the body, particularly the liver.

15 May 2012

New guidelines require insurers to credit health law when issuing consumer rebates

The rule, which was finalized Friday, will result in an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates for nearly 16 million Americans.

15 May 2012

State roundup: Health jobs brightening local economies but workers paying more for care

About 1 in 5 private-sector employees works in health services, which has replaced manufacturing as the region's powerhouse. It's a transformation happening across the U.S., but many worry about long-term side effects.

15 May 2012

Microbiome of young men depends upon circumcision status, patterns of sexual activity

The first study using cultivation independent sequencing of the microorganisms in the adolescent male urinary tract has revealed that the composition of microbial communities colonizing the penis in young men depends upon their circumcision status and patterns of sexual activity.

15 May 2012

Viewpoints: Approving drugs quickly; Berwick: In health care, cheaper can mean better; Health costs 'persistent' concern

For about 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has charged pharmaceutical companies "user fees" for reviewing drug-approval applications. The revenue allows the FDA to hire more evaluators, which allows useful drugs to reach patients faster. Now the Prescription Drug User Fee Act needs reauthorization, as it does every five years. Legislators should not dillydally.

15 May 2012

Narrower CRAE may increase risk of CVD among African Americans with type 1 diabetes

Among African Americans with type 1 diabetes mellitus, narrower central retinal arteriolar equivalent (average diameter of the small arteries in the retina) is associated with an increased risk of six-year incidence of any cardiovascular disease and lower extremity arterial disease, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, a JAMA Network publication.

15 May 2012

Women more likely to have different set of sports injuries than men

With the predominance of male athletes featured on television and covered in the media year-round, most Americans are familiar with some of the most common injuries sustained by men in various sports. As the 2012 Summer Games approaches, female athletes will have additional opportunities to be featured, but are their potential injury risks the same as their male counterparts?

15 May 2012

Researchers identify new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, an often-fatal disease for which there is currently no reliable method for early detection or therapeutic intervention. The paper will be published May 15 in Cancer Research.

15 May 2012

Biogen Idec announces availability of two new AVONEX dosing innovations for MS

Biogen Idec announced that two new dosing innovations designed to help patients receiving once-a-week AVONEX (interferon beta-1a) for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are now available in U.S. pharmacies.

15 May 2012