Red Blood Cells News and Research

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Study shows why cancer anemia therapy stimulates tumor growth

Scientists have shown why a drug widely used to treat chemotherapy-induced anemia in ovarian and breast cancer patients also may shorten survival times in some patients by inadvertently stimulating tumor growth.

16 Oct 2015

Study explains why anemia is a common side effect of anti-cancer drugs

Many types of leukemia are caused by loss of enzymes such as Pten, which normally keeps cell growth in check, or conversely, the over-activation of enzymes that normally enhance cell proliferation, such as Shp2.

13 Oct 2015

Human malaria parasite molecules share key gene segments with chimp, gorilla malaria parasites

The malaria parasite molecules associated with severe disease and death--those that allow the parasite to escape recognition by the immune system--have been shown to share key gene segments with chimp and gorilla malaria parasites, which are separated by several millions of years, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

12 Oct 2015

New study shows electronic tracking system helps lower blood transfusions and infection rates

An electronic system that monitors how physicians give blood to patients after an operation has enabled a 22-hospital system with thousands of doctors to significantly reduce the amount of blood transfusions patients receive, cutting costs by $2.5 million over two years and contributing to lower infection rates without harming patients, according to a study presented at the 2015 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

8 Oct 2015

Researchers identify new gene locus that may protect children from developing malaria in Africa

Published today in Nature, the findings detail a new gene locus that can explain why, in communities where everyone is constantly exposed to malaria, some children develop severe malaria and others don't. Now, researchers can be sure that this particular stretch of our DNA plays a crucial role in the progression of the disease.

1 Oct 2015

Admission hematocrit helps predict pediatric patients at increased risk of bleeding after injury

A team of researchers from the Trauma Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles conclude that an admission hematocrit provides a reliable screening test for identifying pediatric patients who are at an increased risk of bleeding after injury.

29 Sep 2015

Delayed umbilical cord clamping may benefit extremely preterm infants

Clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord happens within 10 seconds after birth in most cases, in part so members of a medical team can more quickly begin caring for a newborn. But research from Nationwide Children's Hospital shows that waiting 30 to 45 seconds to clamp could have advantages for extremely preterm infants.

25 Sep 2015

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves outcomes of umbilical cord blood transplant patients

For the past 27 years, cord blood transplants have been a life-saving treatment option for thousands of people with leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Hodgkins disease and myelodysplastic disorders. Cord blood helps replace cancerous blood cells and replenish a patient's own bone marrow and immune system. Even with its success, researchers are continually looking for ways to improve the transplant process and increase cure rates.

24 Sep 2015

Novel approach promises easier way to detect protein fibers implicated in neuro-degenerative diseases

Liquid crystals are familiar to most of us as the somewhat humdrum stuff used to make computer displays and TVs. Even for scientists, it has not been easy to find other ways of using them.

24 Sep 2015

New gene mutation linked to fatal swelling in unborn and newborn babies

Scientists have discovered a new gene mutation that causes potentially fatal swelling in unborn and newborn babies. Identifying the gene is the first step toward a future diagnostic test and targeted treatment for this condition.

23 Sep 2015

FAU researcher finds unique way to monitor sickle cell disease

A researcher from Florida Atlantic University has come up with a unique way to monitor sickle cell disease -- a serious blood disorder -- using a smart phone. With a $166,935 grant from the National Science Foundation, E. (Sarah) Du, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering in FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science, and principal investigator, will develop a portable smart sensor and a phone application for patients to analyze and store the results of their blood tests on a smart phone.

23 Sep 2015

Sphere Medical publishes white paper on blood conservation in critical care

Sphere Medical, innovator in critical care monitoring and diagnostics equipment, has published a white paper exploring the issues in critical care around anaemia, transfusions and blood conservation. Entitled ‘Blood conservation with a patient dedicated arterial blood gas analyser’, the new white paper is available for download from Sphere’s online clinical resource centre.

16 Sep 2015

Targeting exhausted immune cells may change prognosis for leukemia relapse patients after transplant

Targeting exhausted immune cells may change the prognosis for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapse after a stem cell transplant, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

11 Sep 2015

Study reveals how early placenta solves the problem of supplying oxygen to growing embryos

A new role for the placenta has been revealed by University of Manchester scientists who have identified sites which store, and gradually release, oxygen for newly formed embryos in the weeks after the baby's heart is developed.

10 Sep 2015

Research opens up potential new pathways to vaccine development against HA-MRSA

New research led by NYU Langone Medical Center has uncovered why a particular strain of Staphylococcus aureus -- known as HA-MRSA -- becomes more deadly than other variations. These new findings open up possible new pathways to vaccine development against this bacterium, which the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions says accounts for over 10,000 deaths annually, mostly among hospital patients.

10 Sep 2015

TXA drug reduces blood transfusion, saves costs

Using an inexpensive drug for every hip or knee replacement since 2013 has helped St. Michael's Hospital reduce its number of red blood cell transfusions performed during these surgeries by more than 40 per cent without negatively affecting patients, according to new research.

4 Sep 2015

Mel18 protein regulates development of heart muscle

It is arguably the hardest working muscle in our body and without its incessant, regular beating our organs would be starved of life-giving nutrients.

4 Sep 2015

European chestnut leaves contain ingredients with power to disarm deadly staph bacteria

Leaves of the European chestnut tree contain ingredients with the power to disarm dangerous staph bacteria without boosting its drug resistance, scientists have found.

24 Aug 2015

Omeros reports additional positive data from OMS721 Phase 2 trial for treatment of thrombotic microangiopathies

Omeros Corporation today announced additional positive data in the company's Phase 2 clinical trial of OMS721 for the treatment of thrombotic microangiopathies (TMAs). TMAs are a family of rare, debilitating and life-threatening disorders characterized by excessive thrombi (clots) – aggregations of platelets – in the microcirculation of the body's organs, most commonly the kidney and brain.

18 Aug 2015

Researchers help explain how malaria infection increases children's risk of developing Burkitt's lymphoma

In equatorial Africa, a region of the globe known as the "lymphoma belt," children are ten times more likely than in other parts of the world to develop Burkitt's lymphoma, a highly aggressive blood cancer that can be fatal if left untreated. That area is also plagued by high rates of malaria, and scientists have spent the last 50 years trying to understand how the two diseases are connected.

14 Aug 2015