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Medtronic to make nearly $4 million in 2011 to address non-communicable diseases

In its continued commitment to reduce the global burden of non-communicable diseases, Medtronic, Inc. today announced it will make nearly $4 million in Medtronic Foundation grants in 2011 to international organizations specifically to address diseases such as diabetes and heart disease in developing countries.

3 Mar 2011

Scientists develop simple home-based blood pressure measuring device for diabetics

Many people get stressed when they visit the doctor, leading to blood pressure readings higher than normal. It's called "White Coat Syndrome." And since two-thirds of diabetics suffer from high blood pressure, getting accurate readings is crucial to getting proper care for them.

3 Mar 2011

Groundbreaking discovery in lymphoma research

BC Cancer Agency scientists have discovered that a single gene, CIITA, is implicated in almost 40 per cent of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphomas and 15 per cent of all Hodgkin lymphoma cases.

3 Mar 2011

U-M scientists identify potential target to treat aggressive prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a potential target to treat an aggressive type of prostate cancer. The target, a gene called SPINK1, could be to prostate cancer what HER2 has become for breast cancer.

3 Mar 2011

Ibuprofen may protect against development of Parkinson's disease

New research suggests that ibuprofen may offer protection against developing Parkinson's disease, according to one of the largest studies to date investigating the possible benefits of the over-the-counter drug on the disease. The study is published in the March 2, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Mar 2011

BigThink.com launches breakthroughs: Discussion highlighting cutting-edge cancer research

Everyone knows someone that has been touched by cancer. Over one and a half million Americans will be diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2011, and more than 560,000 will die from the disease, accounting for 1 out of every 5 deaths.

2 Mar 2011

Geron's hESC derived GRNCM1 halts remodeling process and preserves cardiac function in acute heart damage

Geron Corporation today announced preclinical study data showing positive effects of GRNCM1, Geron's cardiomyocyte product derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), in a small animal model of acute heart damage. Administering GRNCM1 by injection into the heart resulted in greater resistance to induced arrhythmias, halted adverse cardiac remodeling and preserved mechanical function compared to controls.

2 Mar 2011

Genetic switch increases blood vessels in skeletal muscle of non-exercising mice

Many people suffer from a devastating condition known as critical limb ischemia (CLI) that can lead to muscle wasting and even amputation. The disease is linked to the blockage of blood flow to the skeletal muscle and current treatment options include rehabilitative exercise and surgical bypass of blood vessels. New preclinical research suggests there may be a way to restore blood supply in skeletal muscle without traditional intervention.

2 Mar 2011

Bone marrow stem cell transplantation feasible, safe treatment for children with severe traumatic brain injury

For children with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), transplantation of stem cells derived from the patients' own bone marrow is a "logistically feasible and safe" treatment procedure, reports the March issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

2 Mar 2011

Nanotechnology holds promise for developing surgical measures

A new review published in WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology explores how nanotechnology may provide powerful new tools that could have a marked impact on the therapeutic and diagnostic measures available to surgeons.

2 Mar 2011

New CPR method improves long-term survival rates in patients with cardiac arrest by 50%

A five-year clinical trial led by University of Minnesota Medical School researchers has led to a new method of cardiopulmonary resuscitation that improves long-term survival rates with good brain function by 50 percent.

1 Mar 2011

New study: Enzyme that metabolizes vitamin D can predict lung cancer survival

Recent research suggests vitamin D may be able to stop or prevent cancer. Now, a new study finds an enzyme that plays a role in metabolizing vitamin D can predict lung cancer survival.

1 Mar 2011

Nanotechnology holds promise for developing surgical measures

1 Mar 2011

U-M's SIVQ software-tool can pinpoint cell and tissue samples more accurately

Ulysses Balis, M.D., clicks a mouse to identify a helicopter in a satellite photo of Baghdad, Iraq. With another click, an algorithm that he and his team designed picks out three more choppers without highlighting any of the buildings, streets, trees or cars.

1 Mar 2011

Uterine fibroid treatments greatly improve quality of life in women

Women who received one of three treatments for uterine fibroids at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said their symptoms diminished and their quality of life significantly increased, according to a new study published in the May issue of Radiology.

1 Mar 2011

Study: Visual cortex can dramatically change its function

When your brain encounters sensory stimuli, such as the scent of your morning coffee or the sound of a honking car, that input gets shuttled to the appropriate brain region for analysis. The coffee aroma goes to the olfactory cortex, while sounds are processed in the auditory cortex.

1 Mar 2011

Research uncovers new details about protein interactions in retina

Science fiction novelist and scholar Issac Asimov once said, "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny.' " This recently rang true for an international team of researchers when they observed something they did not expect.

1 Mar 2011

New study: Lifestyle intervention can help pregnant women control their weight

Excessive weight gain isn't healthy at any stage of life, but during pregnancy it can do lasting harm to the mother and baby alike. Now researchers at Brown University and The Miriam Hospital are encouraged by a new study describing an intervention that helped pregnant women control their weight.

1 Mar 2011

New nasal vaccine holds promise against both Alzheimer's disease and stroke

One in eight Americans will fall prey to Alzheimer's disease at some point in their life, current statistics say. Because Alzheimer's is associated with vascular damage in the brain, many of them will succumb through a painful and potentially fatal stroke.

1 Mar 2011

Authorities work to contain measles scare

Health authorities are trying to prevent an outbreak of measles after a woman carrying the transmissible infection travelled widely throughout the United States. The lady in question, 27, allegedly contracted the airborne virus in the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States last week, passing through three U.S. airports on her way to New Mexico, where she is believed to reside. She arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on Tuesday, February 22, from London.

28 Feb 2011