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Mitochondrial genome undergoes random reorganisation during reprogramming

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are truly talented multi-taskers. They can reproduce almost all cell types and thus offer great hope in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. However, it would appear that their use is not entirely without risk: during the reprogramming of body cells into iPS cells, disease-causing mutations can creep into the genetic material.

28 Jul 2011

MR-guided focused ultrasound prior to radiation therapy could treat cancer

Hypoxic tumor cells usually resist radiation and chemotherapy, making them a key challenge in treating cancer. Researcher Xin Chen, Ph.D. believes that MR-guided focused ultrasound could reduce this problem, benefiting patients with malignant solid tumors in areas such as the liver, prostate and breast.

27 Jul 2011

OR models verify cost effectiveness of hepatitis B interventions

With hepatitis B infecting as many as 10% of people of Asian descent, operations researchers collaborated with a liver transplant surgeon to develop mathematical models that verified the cost effectiveness of hepatitis B interventions.

27 Jul 2011

Novel blood-cleaning procedure allows receipt of transplant from different blood type donor

St. Michael's Hospital today became the first in North America to use a novel blood-cleaning procedure for a kidney patient that will allow him to receive a transplant from a donor with a different blood type.

27 Jul 2011

Nano-emulsion shows promise for Viagra patch

Sildenafil citrate, commonly known as Viagra, is currently the first choice drug for erectile dysfunction but despite its success oral delivery of the drug is hampered by numerous side effects, the long delay before it starts working and the short amount of time it lasts. Researchers in Egypt think they may have a solution via nanotechnology.

27 Jul 2011

Follow-up dose recommended to defend children against pandemic virus outbreaks

Researchers from Australia determined that pediatric liver transplant patients who received a single-dose of the H1N1 vaccine were not adequately protected against the virus compared to healthy children.

27 Jul 2011

Lipid-based nanocarrier can improve cancer treatments

Scientists seeking to improve cancer treatments have created a tiny drug transporter that maximizes its ability to silence damaging genes by finding the equivalent of an expressway into a target cell.

27 Jul 2011

EMA recommends orphan drug designation for 4SC's resminostat to treat HCC

4SC AG, a discovery and development company of targeted small molecule drugs for autoimmune diseases and cancer, today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended resminostat for designation as orphan medicinal product for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.

26 Jul 2011

Waters receives CE mark for MassTrak Immunosuppressants XE Kit

Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) today announced that its MassTrak™ Immunosuppressants XE Kit is now CE-marked in accordance with the IVD Directive 98/79/EC, for the quantitative measurement of the immunosuppressive drugs tacrolimus in liver and kidney transplant patients and everolimus in adult kidney and cardiac transplant patients from human whole blood samples as an aid in the management of immunosuppressant drug therapy.

25 Jul 2011

Nanoviricides lead anti-HIV candidate as good as HAART cocktail therapy

NanoViricides, Inc. reports that its lead anti-HIV candidate achieved anti-HIV efficacy equivalent to a HAART triple drug cocktail in its recently completed animal study.

25 Jul 2011

Metabolic syndrome increases risk of developing HCC and ICC primary liver cancers

Incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have increased in the U.S. This population-based study publishing in the August issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found that metabolic syndrome significantly increases risk of developing these primary liver cancers.

22 Jul 2011

Metabolic syndrome linked to increased risk of primary liver cancers

22 Jul 2011

Measures to reduce BMI could improve outcome for patients with cirrhosis

Researchers from the United States and Europe involved in an NIH-funded multicenter study have determined that increased body mass index (BMI) is an independent predictor of clinical decompensation in patients with compensated cirrhosis, independent of portal pressure and liver function.

22 Jul 2011

Sirtex reports 4Q sales growth of 23%

Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX:SRX) today said sales of SIR-Spheres® microspheres, it’s targeted radioactive treatment for inoperable liver cancer, grew 23% in the fourth quarter of the 2011 Financial Year compared with the same quarter last year. Full year dose sales grew 19.3% compared to a 14% growth the year before.

21 Jul 2011

Galectin, University of Michigan enter collaboration to study role of Galectins in cardiovascular disease

Galectin Therapeutics Inc. today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with Dr. Jose Jalife of the University of Michigan Medical School to better understand the relationship of Galectin-3 to cardiac fibrosis in chronic cardiac arrhythmias.

21 Jul 2011

Promising compounds for new anti-obesity drugs

Though it generally is known that obesity dramatically increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, the biological mechanisms for that connection still are unclear.

21 Jul 2011

French scientists publish paper on guidelines for drinking and relation of alcohol to cancer

A group of French scientists have published a paper in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on guidelines for drinking and the relation of alcohol to cancer.

21 Jul 2011

Localized one-time gene therapy might effectively protect against atherosclerosis

A one-dose method for delivering gene therapy into an arterial wall effectively protects the artery from developing atherosclerosis despite ongoing high blood cholesterol.

21 Jul 2011

USPTO issues patent for Mirna's tumor suppressor microRNAs

Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has allowed multiple patent claims related to the therapeutic application of several tumor suppressor microRNAs.

21 Jul 2011

FDA panel votes against novel diabetes drug citing adverse effects

An advisory panel for the US Food and Drugs Administration voted 9-6 that the FDA should not yet approve dapagliflozin, a new type of diabetes drug that makes the body dump sugar and lose weight. Signals of possible liver damage and of breast and bladder cancer worried the experts.

20 Jul 2011