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Inherited gene after black plague may help treat HIV patients co-infected with hepatitis C

The Black Death swept Europe in the 14th century eliminating up to half of the population but it left genetic clues that now may aid a University of Cincinnati researcher in treating HIV patients co-infected with hepatitis C using an anti-retroviral drug therapy.

7 Mar 2016

Cardiac reprogramming could shrink heart scar tissue, improve patients' heart function

Patients with heart failure often have a buildup of scar tissue that leads to a gradual loss of heart function. In a new study published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine report significant progress toward a novel approach that could shrink the amount of heart scar tissue while replenishing the supply of healthy heart muscle.

4 Mar 2016

Modified protein appears to reverse liver fibrosis, cirrhosis in rats

A protein modified to increase the amount of time it circulates in the bloodstream appears to reverse liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in rats, according to results of a study led by Johns Hopkins researchers.

3 Mar 2016

FDA takes actions to help women, doctors better understand potential problems associated with Essure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today actions to provide important information about the risks of using Essure and to help women and their doctors be better informed of the potential complications associated with implantable forms of sterilization.

1 Mar 2016

How to avoid breast damage when exercising: an interview with Professor Joanna Scurr

The breast itself doesn't contain any muscles and the only 2 supporting structures are the skin and the Cooper’s ligaments. Both of those structures are quite weak mechanically so they're not able to hold the breast in place firmly.

23 Feb 2016

UC San Diego School of Medicine launches new NAFLD Research Center

Roughly one-quarter of all Americans - an estimated 100 million adults and children - have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic condition that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure.

9 Feb 2016

Study: Prior surgical abortion appears to increase risk of later preterm birth

Surgical methods used in a common form of abortion or to clear the womb after a spontaneous miscarriage appears to significantly increase the risk of a later preterm birth, say researchers at Thomas Jefferson University who analyzed 36 studies that enrolled more than 1 million women.

4 Feb 2016

Graphene-based electrodes could be safely implanted in the brain

Researchers have successfully demonstrated how it is possible to interface graphene - a two-dimensional form of carbon - with neurons, or nerve cells, while maintaining the integrity of these vital cells. The work may be used to build graphene-based electrodes that can safely be implanted in the brain, offering promise for the restoration of sensory functions for amputee or paralysed patients, or for individuals with motor disorders such as epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.

31 Jan 2016

Applying ultrasound therapies for recovery of cardiac stem cells

A joint project of researchers from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Julius Wolff Institute and led by Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research shows that when cardiac stem cells undergo low-intensity pulsed ultrasound treatment, these cells can perform continuing modifications, tissue remodeling and regeneration of damaged cardiac tissue after a heart attack.

31 Jan 2016

Pioneer calls on electrophysiologists to reexamine substrate mapping for deadly heart arrhythmia

A pioneer in developing life-saving therapies for a deadly heart arrhythmia has called on electrophysiologists to reexamine a widely used technique to guide the treatment of the faulty electrical impulses responsible for these abnormal heartbeats.

20 Jan 2016

Four USF professors selected as AIMBE College of Fellows

Four University of South Florida professors have been elected to the 2016 College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE): Cesario Borlongan and Shyam Mohapatra from the USF Morsani College of Medicine, USF Health; and Robert Frisina, Jr., and Sudeep Sarkar from the USF College of Engineering.

20 Jan 2016

Compensatory neural connections stave off bipolar disorder onset

Patients at high genetic risk of bipolar disorder may be able to avert onset of the condition due to natural adaptive neuroplasticity that allows the brain to compensate for underlying network dysfunction associated with the condition, researchers report.

19 Jan 2016

Standardized treatment approach makes outpatient thyroid surgery a safe option for elderly patients

A standardized treatment approach that starts with good screening and ends with patients going home to well-prepared caregivers, means outpatient thyroid surgery is safe for the vast majority of patients, including the elderly and super-elderly, physician-scientists say.

13 Jan 2016

New classification of coronary congenital diseases helps surgeons identify secondary defects

A new classification of coronary congenital diseases is set to help surgeons identify secondary defects in the operating theatre. The scheme is outlined in a novel European Society of Cardiology position paper published today in Cardiovascular Research.1 Clinical cardiologists will also know what to look for on cardiovascular images.

11 Jan 2016

Naturally occurring changes in brain wiring can help patients avert onset of bipolar disorder

Naturally occurring changes in brain wiring can help patients at high genetic risk of developing bipolar disorder avert the onset of the illness, according to a new study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published online today in the journal Translational Psychiatry.

6 Jan 2016

YAP protein appears to play vital role in helping control inflammation inside the brain

Inside the brain, a protein called YAP, best known for its ability to help right-size our developing hearts and livers, appears to have the different but equally important task of helping control inflammation.

23 Dec 2015

New therapeutic target can prevent abnormal blood vessel growth that causes gastrointestinal bleeding

A study by IRB Barcelona and IDIBAPS reveals a therapeutic target to prevent the development of the many abnormal blood vessels that cause gastrointestinal bleeding—the main complication in cirrhosis.

12 Dec 2015

DZNE molecular biologist to receive Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize for research on neurons

The molecular biologist Frank Bradke (46), group leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and professor for neurobiology at the University of Bonn, will be awarded the "Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize", which is endowed with 2.5 million euros.

11 Dec 2015

Human heart can fully recover after massive damage

The scientists report the case of a newborn that had suffered a massive heart attack in the first hours of life. It was caused by a blockage in a vital coronary vessel. "The baby's heart was severely damaged. Astonishingly, the baby recovered very quickly," said Bernhard Haubner, a cardiologist and researcher, and his colleague, Johanna Schneider, in an article just published in the journal "Circulation Research".

10 Dec 2015

Advances in leadless pacing: an interview with Dr. Reddy

Pacemakers have been around for a very long time, they're great devices, critical for many people who have slow heartbeats. While they're very effective, they have some issues. There are two main aspects relating to these issues.

1 Dec 2015