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Scientists find pericytes regulate blood-brain barrier

While the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from harmful chemicals occurring naturally in the blood, it also obstructs the transport of drugs to the brain. In an article in Nature scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now present a potential solution to the problem. The key to the BBB is a cell-type in the blood vessel walls called pericytes, and the researchers hope that their findings will one day contribute to new therapies for diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke.

14 Oct 2010

Patient-specific experimental vaccine to prevent recurrence of glioblastoma

Mary Lee's primary care physician is also a family friend. When he walked into the exam room in October 2006 with tears in his eyes, she knew something serious was wrong. But she was shocked to learn she had a brain tumor - and later found out it was the most aggressive malignant type, a glioblastoma multiforme.

14 Oct 2010

Philips Electronics launches new line of neonatal blood pressure solutions

Today Royal Philips Electronics launched its newest line of neonatal blood pressure solutions. As the global leader in neonatal monitoring, Philips designed the new line of neonatal cuffs, air hoses, and upgrade kits specifically to prevent tragic misconnection errors that can cause harm to the most vulnerable of patients.

From Philips Healthcare 14 Oct 2010

Onyx II 9560 wireless fingertip pulse oximeter helps rescue Chilean miners

Nonin Medical, Inc., the inventor of the world's first fingertip and wireless-fingertip pulse oximeter, announced today that its Onyx II 9560 wireless fingertip pulse oximeter was used in the effort to rescue 33 Chilean miners who were trapped in a Copiapo, Chile mine since August 5.

14 Oct 2010

Research finds fat cells can secrete hormones

Scientists are reporting new evidence that the fat tissue in those spare tires and lower belly pooches - far from being a dormant storage depot for surplus calories - is an active organ that sends chemical signals to other parts of the body, perhaps increasing the risk of heart attacks, cancer, and other diseases. They are reporting discovery of 20 new hormones and other substances not previously known to be secreted into the blood by human fat cells and verification that fat secretes dozens of hormones and other chemical messengers.

14 Oct 2010

Study finds hemostatic powder effective in treating 95% of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers

A new material similar to that used by the U.S. Military to treat traumatic injuries is showing promise as the next novel treatment for bleeding ulcers, a condition that commonly affects up to 15 per cent of adults, according to Hong Kong physician Dr. James Lau.

14 Oct 2010

Watermelon effective against prehypertension

No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.

14 Oct 2010

AACE publishes consensus statement for continuous glucose monitoring

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) today published a consensus statement for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) online, and the statement will be published in the next issue of the association's official medical journal Endocrine Practice.

14 Oct 2010

Drugs that restore mitochondria function may treat Alzheimer's disease at early stages: Research

Before Alzheimer's patients experience memory loss, the brain's neurons have already suffered harm for years. A new study in mouse models by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center has found that the brain's mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, are one of the earliest casualties of the disease. The study, which appeared in the online Early Edition of PNAS, also found that impaired mitochondria then injure the neurons' synapses, which are necessary for normal brain function.

14 Oct 2010

Researchers propose Nintendo Wii gaming to control gestational diabetes in women

Many women have trouble finding time to exercise in their busy lifestyles. That's especially true for pregnant women who live in northern climates such as Canada, where the weather can limit outdoor activity during winter months every year. But exercise is critical to managing gestational diabetes, a growing problem that occurs in 2 to 9 per cent of pregnancies.

14 Oct 2010

Stony Brook professor receives NIH grant to optimize cardiovascular devices

Danny Bluestein, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University, has been awarded a five-year, $7.5 million grant by the National Institutes of Health. The award marks the first time a Stony Brook professor has received a Phase II Quantum Grant, given by The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), a division of the NIH, to make a profound improvement or quantum leap forward—in health care.

14 Oct 2010

Scientists unveil quality control mechanism of immune system to destroy pathogens

An Australian team of scientists has uncovered a quality control mechanism that must take place for our immune system to subsequently effectively destroy harmful viruses and bacteria.

14 Oct 2010

Stimulating brain's nicotine receptors may eliminate side effects of Alzheimer's drug: Research

A team of neuroscientists has discovered important new information in the search for an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, the debilitating neurological disorder that afflicts more than 5.3 million Americans and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Hey-Kyoung Lee, associate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Biology, and her research team have shown that they may be able to eliminate debilitating side effects caused by a promising Alzheimer's drug by stimulating the brain's nicotine receptors.

14 Oct 2010

Acceleron announces ACE-031 Phase 1b study results

Acceleron Pharma, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that modulate the growth of cells and tissues including muscle, bone, fat, red blood cells and the vasculature, today announced preliminary results from a Phase 1b study to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacodynamic (PD) activity of ACE-031 following multiple ascending doses in healthy postmenopausal volunteers.

14 Oct 2010

XenoPort to present XP23829 preclinical data at ECTRIMS meeting

XenoPort, Inc. announced today that it will present data on a new preclinical product candidate, XP23829, at the upcoming 26th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, October 13 - 16, 2010.

14 Oct 2010

Mesoblast broadens cancer indications for bone marrow transplant product

Australian regenerative medicine company Mesoblast Limited (ASX: MSB, USOTC: MBLTY) today announced that it is broadening the oncology applications of its "off-the-shelf" cell product for expansion of haematopoietic stem cells in patients with blood cancers. Building on the recent clinical success of Mesoblast’s proprietary cell product for expansion of cord blood, the Company will now address new markets where expansion of haematopoietic stem cells can make a meaningful impact on clinical outcomes, including diseases such as multiple myeloma.

13 Oct 2010

ImmunoCellular develops ICT-107 cell-based vaccine for GBM treatment

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced that it has developed an innovative method for manufacturing the company's lead product candidate, ICT-107, a dendritic cell-based vaccine for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

13 Oct 2010

TearLab receives patent for non-invasive tear collection platform

TearLab Corporation today announced that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 7,810,380, entitled "Systems and methods for collecting tear film and measuring tear film osmolarity." This patent provides the company with broad and blocking intellectual property regarding the measurement of genetic and protein biomarkers within the tear film.

13 Oct 2010

New York Stem Cell Foundation names first six NYSCF Investigators

In an expansion of its ongoing effort to promote the next generation of stem cell scientists, The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) today named the first six NYSCF Investigators. Each of the NYSCF-Robertson and NYSCF-Helmsley Investigators will receive up to $1.5 million over the next five years to expand their own laboratories, train other scientists and foster innovative high-risk/high reward research to explore the therapeutic potential of stem cells derived from humans and model organisms.

13 Oct 2010

Study finds wide variability in use of blood transfusions for coronary artery bypass graft surgery

A study that includes data on more than 100,000 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery finds that there is wide variability among hospitals in the U.S. on the use of blood transfusions, without a large difference in the rate of death, suggesting that many transfusions may be unnecessary, according to a study in the October 13 issue of JAMA. Another study in this issue of JAMA examines the effect of a restrictive transfusion strategy on outcomes after cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2010