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Lumena Pharmaceuticals initiates LUM001 clinical program in children with ALGS

Lumena Pharmaceuticals, a company developing oral therapeutics for rare liver diseases, today announced the initiation of a global clinical program to evaluate its drug candidate LUM001 in children with Alagille syndrome. The first patient has been dosed in the IMAGO Phase II study being conducted in the U.K., and enrollment of pediatric patients is expected to begin later this year in the ITCH Phase II study in the U.S.

26 Sep 2013

Study on tempol impacted gut bacteria may lead to new treatments for obesity

A drug that appears to target specific intestinal bacteria in the guts of mice may create a chain reaction that could eventually lead to new treatments for obesity and diabetes in humans, according to a team of researchers.

25 Sep 2013

Marriage improves outcomes among patients with cancer, says oncologist

New results from a large retrospective study of the National Cancer Institute's SEER database show that patients with cancer who were married at the time of diagnosis live markedly longer compared to unmarried patients.

24 Sep 2013

Scientists develop robotic systems for image-guided removal of hard-to-reach brain tumors

NIBIB-funded scientists and engineers are teaming up with neurosurgeons to develop technologies that enable less invasive, image-guided removal of hard-to-reach brain tumors.

6 Sep 2013

Updated guidelines for management of acute pancreatitis

Updated guidelines on the management of acute pancreatitis, a condition that causes acute inflammation of the pancreas, appear in the September issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

5 Sep 2013

Transport protein actively extrudes chemicals from embryo of zebrafish

Fish possess a number of different mechanisms for protection against harmful substances in an aquatic environment. These include, for example, molecular transport systems, such as the so called ABC (ATP binding cassette) transporters, which prevent the penetration of toxic substances into cells. ABC transporters have been well investigated for mammals.

3 Sep 2013

Texas A&M University biologist receives federal grant to study Clostridium difficile

A Texas A&M University biologist has received a federal grant to study the fecal samples of hundreds of people to better understand the gut bacteria Clostridium difficile - the cause of some 14,000 deaths a year in America - and to help lay the basic science foundation to develop drugs to combat its deadly results.

30 Aug 2013

Use of radiologic examination of ducts during gallbladder surgery not linked with reduced risk of common duct injury

In an analysis of a procedure used to help prevent common duct injury during gallbladder removal surgery, use of intraoperative cholangiography (radiologic examination of the ducts during gallbladder surgery) was not associated with a reduced risk of common duct injury, according to a study in the August 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Aug 2013

Intercept Pharmaceuticals reports financial results for Second quarter 2013

Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Intercept), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel bile acid therapeutics to treat chronic liver diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis, today reported financial results for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2013 and announced presentations at an upcoming medical conference and upcoming investor conferences.

13 Aug 2013

Research reveals link between elevated BMI and increased risk of gallstone in women

New research reveals a causal association between elevated body mass index (BMI) and increased risk of gallstone disease. Results published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show women are at greater risk of developing gallstones.

12 Jul 2013

People receiving emergency gallbladder surgery are more likely to experience complications

If you have severe pain just below the right side of your rib cage, you may have a gallbladder problem. And it is typically better to seek medical attention sooner than later.

28 Jun 2013

Study questions the beneficial effects of polyphenols on combating cardiovascular disease

Eating fruit or having a glass of red wine is seen as offering health benefits. The benefits are often pinned on polyphenols, natural chemicals—found in foods—referred to as flavonoids and phenolic acids, but also fragments of food proteins called peptides.

25 Jun 2013

Study examines long-term effects on babies born to mothers with obstetric cholestasis

Babies born to mothers who suffer from a rare metabolic complication during pregnancy are programmed to be overweight, according to a study published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

25 Jun 2013

Oral probiotic supplement increases vitamin D levels in blood, says study

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is the first report of an oral probiotic supplement significantly increasing circulating vitamin D levels in the blood.

20 Jun 2013

Certain gastrointestinal types of GVHD are associated with worsened quality of life and death

Joseph Pidala, M.D., M.S., assistant member of the Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant and Immunology programs at Moffitt Cancer Center, and colleagues from the Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease Consortium have determined that certain gastrointestinal and liver-related types of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are associated with worsened quality of life and death.

18 Jun 2013

Surgical oncologist receives grant further explore tumor suppressor function of mutated gene

Darren Carpizo, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist in the Liver Cancer and Bile Duct Cancer Care Program at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research to further explore the effects of a compound identified in his laboratory found to restore tumor suppressor function of a mutated gene in cancer cells.

11 Jun 2013

Novel abnormalities in FGFR gene identified in a spectrum of cancers

Novel abnormalities in the FGFR gene, called FGFR fusions, were identified in a spectrum of cancers, and preliminary results with cancer cells harboring FGFR fusions suggested that some patients with these cancers may benefit from treatment with FGFR inhibitor drugs, according to data published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

10 Jun 2013

Cook Medical receives clearance for Evolution® biliary controlled-release uncovered stent

The Food and Drug Administration has granted 510(k) clearance for the Evolution® Biliary Controlled-Release Uncovered Stent from Cook Medical. The biliary stent adds to Cook’s line of Evolution controlled-release stents for the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is the only delivery system that allows the stent to be deployed or recaptured as needed, putting control in the physician’s hands.

5 Jun 2013

Researchers solve two longstanding challenges in liver tissue engineering

Prometheus, the mythological figure who stole fire from the gods, was punished for this theft by being bound to a rock. Each day, an eagle swept down and fed on his liver, which then grew back to be eaten again the next day.

3 Jun 2013

Mayo Clinic introduces Individualized Medicine Clinic in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona

You have a serious medical condition, but the conventional tests fail to find an answer. You still have no diagnosis and no effective treatment. What do you do? Mayo Clinic has always been a destination for patients seeking answers. Now, Mayo is taking that concept to the next level with the public launch of its Individualized Medicine Clinic -- at all three of its campuses, in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona.

31 May 2013