Bone News and Research

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Non-toxic radioactive patch successfully treats skin cancer

A new study shows that a radioactive skin patch can safely and successfully treat basal cell carcinoma, one of the most common types of skin cancers, according to researchers at the SNM's 56th Annual Meeting. The skin patch, which delivers the radioactive phosphorus-32, is nontoxic and could be an excellent alternative to surgery or radiotherapy in cases where carrying out these treatments is difficult.

15 Jun 2009

Experimental imaging technique reveals ‘tell tale’ brain plaques in Alzheimer's

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have demonstrated a new, highly detailed x-ray imaging technique that could be developed into a method for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

15 Jun 2009

Consumption of dairy products decreases as teens reach their twenties

Calcium and dairy products play major roles in health maintenance and the prevention of chronic disease. Because peak bone mass is not achieved until the third decade of life, it is particularly important for young adults to consume adequate amounts of calcium, protein and vitamin D found in dairy products to support health and prevent osteoporosis later in life.

15 Jun 2009

Discovery of possible role for vitamin D in weight loss

Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found. The results, which suggest a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss, were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

13 Jun 2009

Certain pesticides double the risk of blood disorder

A study involving 678 individuals who apply pesticides, culled from a U.S. Agricultural Health Study of over 50,000 farmers, recently found that exposure to certain pesticides doubles one's risk of developing an abnormal blood condition called MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) compared with individuals in the general population.

13 Jun 2009

$Weight loss surgery increases risk of fractures$

Weight loss surgery increases risk of fractures

After weight loss surgery, people have nearly twice the expected risk of breaking a bone and an even higher risk of a foot or hand fracture, a new study has found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

12 Jun 2009

Drug derived from the hydrangea root shows promise for autoimmune disorders

A drug derived from the hydrangea root, used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise in treating autoimmune disorders, report researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children's Hospital Boston (PCMM/IDI), along with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

4 Jun 2009

Discovery of new genetic immune disorder in children

Your immune system plays an important function in your health - it protects you against viruses, bacteria, and other toxins that can cause disease. In autoinflammatory diseases, however, the immune system goes awry, causing unprovoked and dangerous inflammation.

4 Jun 2009

Scientists create pig stem cells

Scientists have managed to induce cells from pigs to transform into pluripotent stem cells - cells that, like embryonic stem cells, are capable of developing into any type of cell in the body. It is the first time in the world that this has been achieved using somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) from any animal with hooves (known as ungulates).

2 Jun 2009

Research looks at relationship between bone density and erosion in arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, affects almost three percent of people over age 65. RA patients experience pain, functional limitations and two forms of disabling bone disease: focal erosions and osteoporosis.

1 Jun 2009

Surgery improves outcomes for degenerative spondylolisthesis patients

People with the spine disease called degenerative spondylolisthesis -- who choose surgical treatment -- experience substantially greater relief from pain over time compared to those who do not have surgery, according to a study published in the June 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). In the past, physicians had been uncertain whether surgery provided significantly greater relief for patients, but these results help to confirm the advantages to surgery.

1 Jun 2009

“Misreading” of histone code linked to human cancer

The development of blood from stem cell to fully formed blood cell follows a genetically determined program. When it works properly, blood formation stops when it reaches maturity. But when it doesn't, genetic mutations can prevent the stop signal and cause the developing cells to turn cancerous. In research published in Nature, Rockefeller University scientists show for the first time that a misreading of the blood cells' histone code is responsible for acute myeloid leukemia, a rare form of the deadly blood cancer.

1 Jun 2009

FDA approves Reclast (zoledronic acid) for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

Reclast (zoledronic acid) Injection has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first and only therapy to prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis for two years with a single dose. Reclast is already approved as a once-yearly infusion for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

1 Jun 2009

Combination of gene therapy and induced pluripotent stem cells cure human genetic disease in vitro

A study led by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has catapulted the field of regenerative medicine significantly forward, proving in principle that a human genetic disease can be cured using a combination of gene therapy and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology. The study, published in the May 31, 2009 early online edition of Nature, is a major milestone on the path from the laboratory to the clinic.

31 May 2009

FDA approves new ankle prosthetic

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a total ankle replacement system for arthritic or deformed ankles that may preserve some range of motion in the joint.

28 May 2009

Adult bone marrow stem cells injected into skeletal muscle can repair heart tissue

University at Buffalo researchers have demonstrated for the first time that injecting adult bone marrow stem cells into skeletal muscle can repair cardiac tissue, reversing heart failure.

28 May 2009

Boy born with half a heart survives and thrives

Rhonda Ellison was six months pregnant when she and her husband, James Gaines, got the kind of news all parents dread going into an ultrasound: something was wrong with their baby. They needed to go to the Children's Heart Center at Golisano Children's Hospital.

27 May 2009

$Vitamin D and Calcium supplements help prevent bone fracture in the elderly$

Vitamin D and Calcium supplements help prevent bone fracture in the elderly

We all know that vitamin D and calcium are good for bones, but research teams in Europe and USA have shown that both taken daily reduces the rate of hip fracture in older people by 20%.

27 May 2009

Discovery of faulty genes could reveal risk of Paget's disease

The discovery of faulty genes by Edinburgh researchers could help people with Paget's disease, a painful bone condition. Dr Omar Albagha has found three genes associated with the disease which, if detected early enough in people, could hasten diagnosis and treatment.

26 May 2009

Inner ear balance disorders common, linked to falls among American seniors

An estimated 35 percent of U.S. adults age 40 and older have vestibular dysfunction (inner ear balance disorders), and those who do may have a higher risk of falling, according to a report in the May 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

25 May 2009