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Acupuncture with de qi improves facial muscle recovery in Bell palsy patients

Patients with Bell palsy who received acupuncture that achieves de qi, a type of intense stimulation, had improved facial muscle recovery, reduced disability and better quality of life, according to a randomized controlled trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

26 Feb 2013

New research examines role of PKC in airway smooth muscle contraction

New research examines the role of PKC in airway smooth muscle contraction and raises the possibility that this enzyme could be a therapeutic target for treating asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases.

26 Feb 2013

Insight into cellular operations that give extraordinary staying power to S. mansoni

From the point of view of its ultimate (human) host, the parasitic flatworm Schistosoma mansoni has a gruesome way of life. It hatches in feces-tainted water, grows into a larva in the body of a snail and then burrows through human skin to take up residence in the veins. Once there, it grows into an adult, mates and, if it's female, starts laying eggs. It can remain in the body for decades.

26 Feb 2013

Individuals with psychogenic disease do have brains that function differently

Psychogenic diseases, formerly known as 'hysterical' illnesses, can have many severe symptoms such as painful cramps or paralysis but without any physical explanation. However, new research from the University of Cambridge and UCL (University College London) suggests that individuals with psychogenic disease, that is to say physical illness that stems from emotional or mental stresses, do have brains that function differently.

25 Feb 2013

New technology for rehabilitation of amputees

For the first time an operation has been conducted, at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, where electrodes have been permanently implanted in nerves and muscles of an amputee to directly control an arm prosthesis. The result allows natural control of an advanced robotic prosthesis, similarly to the motions of a natural limb.

25 Feb 2013

Researchers discover new way to accelerate mass spectrometer that identifies proteins

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found a new way to accelerate a workhorse instrument that identifies proteins. The high-speed technique could help diagnose cancer sooner and point to new drugs for treating a wide range of conditions.

25 Feb 2013

LINX magnetic device safe and effective in treating gastroesophageal reflux disease

A study published February 21st in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) provides clinical evidence of the safety and effectiveness of a new magnetic medical device to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

24 Feb 2013

Schistosome stem cells could explain how the worms survive for so many years

The parasites that cause schistosomiasis, one of the most common parasitic infections in the world, are notoriously long-lived. Researchers have now found stem cells inside the parasite that can regenerate worn-down organs, which may help explain how they can live for years or even decades inside their host.

24 Feb 2013

UAB becomes first in America to test experimental therapy for emphysema

A patient at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) became the first person in America to undergo an investigational therapy for emphysema that uses a foam sealant sprayed into the lungs.

23 Feb 2013

Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute, USF partner for novel gene therapy trial

Cardiovascular disease specialists at Florida Hospital Pepin Heart Institute and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute affiliated with the University of South Florida announced they have enrolled their first patients into a clinical trial testing a novel gene therapy for the treatment of heart failure after ischemic injury. The therapy may promote the regeneration of heart tissue by encouraging the body to deploy more stem cells to the injury site.

22 Feb 2013

Experts to create first comprehensive model of human heart development

The walls of the human heart are a disorganised jumble of tissue until relatively late in pregnancy, despite having the shape of a fully functioning heart, according to a pioneering study.

22 Feb 2013

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can increase risk of diabetes, heart disease

Disruption in the body's circadian rhythm can lead not only to obesity, but can also increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

22 Feb 2013

New mouse model can advance research on iPS cells to next step

VIB scientists associated to the UGent have developed a mouse model that can advance the research on iPS cells to the next step.

21 Feb 2013

Microbubble-ultrasound method improves cardiac output after heart attack

Scientists from the Bonn University Hospital successfully tested a method in mice allowing the morphological and functional sequelae of a myocardial infarction to be reduced. Tiny gas bubbles are made to oscillate within the heart via focused ultrasound - this improves microcirculation and decreases the size of the scar tissue. The results show that the mice, following myocardial infarction, have improved cardiac output as a result of this method, as compared to untreated animals.

21 Feb 2013

Supreme Court gives FTC more power to police hospital mergers

The decision is a win for the federal government as it seeks to monitor the trend toward consolidations around the country.

21 Feb 2013

Bracelet-like device with magnetic beads can control gastroesophageal reflux disease

A bracelet-like device with magnetic beads can control the chronic digestive disorder gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to a study published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

21 Feb 2013

Osteopontin plays a role in X-linked hypophosphatemia

Diagnosed in toddlers, X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common form of heritable rickets, in which soft bones bend and deform, and tooth abscesses develop because infections penetrate soft teeth that are not properly calcified. Researchers at McGill University and the Federal University of Sao Paulo have identified that osteopontin, a major bone and tooth substrate protein, plays a role in XLH. Their discovery may pave the way to effectively treating this rare disease.

21 Feb 2013

Allergan receives FDA approval for Natrelle 410 breast implant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Gel Filled Breast Implant to increase breast size (augmentation) in women at least 22 years old and to rebuild breast tissue (reconstruction) in women of any age. Natrelle 410 implants are manufactured by Allergan, Inc.

20 Feb 2013

Physiotherapy aids defecation in constipated children

Physiotherapy may be an effective complementary therapy to laxatives for treating constipation in children, research indicates.

20 Feb 2013

High coronary artery calcium together with slow walking speed multiplies risk of mortality

High coronary artery calcium (CAC) together with slow walking speed multiplies the risk of mortality, reveals a new study published in the International Journal of Cardiology. Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and also a common cause of sudden death - heart attack often being the first sign of the disease.

20 Feb 2013