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Levulan PDT may reduce the rate of recurrence of SCCs in solid organ transplant recipients: Study

The results of an independent investigator study just published in the online version of Dermatologic Surgery demonstrate that Levulan(®) Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) may reduce the rate of recurrence of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), a population with a high incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

10 Nov 2009

Non-invasive test to determine risk of sudden cardiac arrest in heart bypass surgery patients

Years after heart bypass surgery, Jim Miller was symptom free. Several measures of his heart’s functioning did not show that he was in danger of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). But Miller’s doctor decided to make sure and the quick, non-invasive test he performed may have saved Miller’s life.

10 Nov 2009

Mesenchymal stem cells may be the key to healing diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetic foot ulcers are the primary cause of hospital admissions for diabetics. Foot ulcers that heal improperly are at risk for infection, which can lead to amputation. According to the American Diabetes Association, one in four patients with diabetic foot ulcers will eventually require lower-limb amputation. Now science has found a way of mobilizing stem cells within the body to treat this health issue, which affects more than three million Americans annually.

10 Nov 2009

Researcers identify a new array of genes in GAS

Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a human pathogenic bacteria. Many people carry GAS asymptomatically in their upper respiratory tract and other anatomic sites. However, these bacteria can cause a variety of human diseases ranging from superficial skin and throat infections to highly invasive life-threatening diseases such as toxic shock and necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as the flesh-eating bacteria.

10 Nov 2009

University of Michigan to develop novel therapy for neuropathic pain

Researchers from the University of Michigan Department of Neurology have received a $1.8 million dollar grant to develop a novel therapy for neuropathic pain, a difficult to treat condition in which patients experience pain because of damage to nerve without obvious tissue injury.

10 Nov 2009

New technique to identify patients more likely to survive advanced melanoma

Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. Now it may be possible to identify which patients are more likely to survive by analyzing the activity of hundreds of genes involved in the immune response and gene proliferation, according to researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center.

10 Nov 2009

FDA approves Istodax for treatment of Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Istodax (romidepsin), an injectable medication, for treatment of patients with a rare form of cancer known as Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma (CTCL).

10 Nov 2009

LifeNet Health launches the Vertigraft Cervical Bio-Implant with Preservon Technology

LifeNet Health, a leading allograft bio-implant company, announces the launch of Vertigraft Cervical Bio-Implant (VG2C) with Preservon® Technology

9 Nov 2009

Single reimbursement code for NPWT devices: Smith & Nephew endorses decision

The Advanced Wound Management division of Smith & Nephew, Inc., a subsidiary of Smith & Nephew plc, applauded the federal government's decision last week to maintain the current, single reimbursement code for negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) devices.

9 Nov 2009

Cellular mechanisms that may impact immune functions in the elderly discovered

Investigators discover cellular mechanisms that may impact the decline of both innate and adaptive immune functions that increase the susceptibility to various infectious agents, cancer and diseases in the elderly say experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Miami Beach, Fla.

9 Nov 2009

HAE patients have prodromal symptoms that signal an oncoming HAE attack, reports survey

Most patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) have prodromal symptoms that signal an oncoming HAE attack giving the patients sufficient time to initiate treatment and decrease the morbidity associated with that attack, according to survey findings presented today at the 2009 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Meeting.

9 Nov 2009

Graceway Pharmaceuticals acquires global rights to Gilead Sciences' GS 9191 anti-proliferative agent

Graceway Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a portfolio company of GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC, today announced that the company has acquired from Gilead Sciences, Inc. the worldwide license, including related regulatory filings and intellectual properties, to Gilead’s investigational molecule, GS 9191, for topical use. GS 9191 is an anti-proliferative agent that works by inhibiting cellular DNA synthesis, leading to the induction of apoptosis, or programmed cell death.

7 Nov 2009

Eggs sensitivity and flu shot: Doctors' dilemma

"My three year old had a skin breakout we think was due to eggs - is it safe to do a flu shot?" It's a question being asked to every doctor who takes care of kids during flu season. "On the one hand we are concerned about the devastating effects of the new strain of flu, and on the other we aren't sure if a history of eggs sensitivity is enough to hold the shot or spray," said Bobby Q. Lanier, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of North Texas HSC in Fort Worth, Texas, and executive medical director of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

6 Nov 2009

Novexel commences comparative study of NXL103 to oral linezolid

Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial resistance, announces today that its most advanced oral antibacterial NXL103 (flopristin/linopristin), has started a Phase II clinical trial in adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). The trial is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of NXL103 in comparison to oral linezolid.

6 Nov 2009

Incontinence has a significant impact on caregiver's life

Incontinence in a parent, grandparent or spouse has a significant emotional impact on a caregiver's life, according to a survey released today by Caring.com and SCA, the makers of TENA® (www.tena.us).

6 Nov 2009

New breast reconstruction surgery for women

Since her teens, Jennifer Jablon had watched family members deal with breast cancer during their 40s, 50s, and 60s. She wondered whether it would be her fate too.

6 Nov 2009

Non-invasive "optical biopsy" to detect breast cancer

Most biopsies following mammograms reveal benign abnormalities, not cancer.

6 Nov 2009

Boosting NAD+ after spinal cord injury may prevent permanent nerve death

Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. A recent $2.5 million grant from the New York State Spinal Cord Injury Research Board will fund their research investigating this possibility.

6 Nov 2009

SAVI 6-1Mini applicator is the only brachytherapy solution for patients with small breasts, says study

The SAVI™ 6-1Mini breast brachytherapy applicator is the only brachytherapy solution for patients with small breasts, hard-to-reach lumpectomy cavities, or cavities close to the skin surface, according to a new study.

6 Nov 2009

$1.85 million grant to study how digital games can improve players' health behaviors and outcomes

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced more than $1.85 million in grants for research that will offer unprecedented insight into how digital games can improve players' health behaviors and outcomes. With funding from RWJF's Health Games Research national program, nine research teams across the country will conduct extensive studies to discover, for example, how the popular dance pad video game Dance Dance Revolution might help Parkinson's patients reduce the risk of falling, how Wii Active might be most effectively implemented in high schools to help overweight students lose weight, how a mobile phone game with a breath interface might help smokers quit or reduce their tobacco use, or how facial recognition games might be designed to help people with autism learn to identify others' emotions.

From Evident Corporation - Life Sciences 6 Nov 2009