Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) News and Research

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Electrochemical DNA chip that is able to detect DNA at very low concentrations

Toshiba Corporation has announced the development of a highly sensitive electrochemical DNA chip that is able to detect DNA at very low concentrations, a capability that will support advances in gene detection and analysis for individual treatment regimes, and the monitoring of healthy individuals for any predisposition to certain diseases.

6 Dec 2004

Retina implant device offers new hope for blind people

The Retina Implant developed by German medical technology company IIP Technologies, which is designed to restore a degree of sight to blind people suffering from certain retinal degenerations, has successfully been put through a clinical test.

24 Nov 2004

Scientists have given blind nerve cells the ability to detect light

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have given "blind" nerve cells the ability to detect light, paving the way for an innovative therapy that could restore sight to those who have lost it through disease.

24 Nov 2004

Gene protects against environmental pollutants and pulmonary emphysema

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and other institutions have identified a “master gene” in mice that controls the action of 50 other genes whose products protect the lungs against environmental pollutants.

17 Nov 2004

Tiny, vibrating paddle oscillator senses the mass of a virus

By using a device only six-millionths of a meter long, researchers at Cornell University have been able to detect the presence of as few as a half-dozen viruses -- and they believe the device is sensitive enough to notice just one.

5 Nov 2004

Gene found to defend against environmental pollutants and pulmonary emphysema

1 Nov 2004

More efficient method to sequence the human genome

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have been tabbed to find a more efficient method to sequence the human genome.

18 Oct 2004

Researchers have found a starting point to establishing the genetic basis for sinus disease

In a three-year analysis of more than 10,500 genes, one-third of the human genome, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found a starting point to establishing the genetic basis for sinus disease and the growth of nasal polyps, illnesses not well understood despite their prevalence.

8 Oct 2004

Powerful new processor helps unlock the secrets of an iron-eating bacteria known as Desulfovibrio vulgaris

Gerrit Voordouw, PhD, a microbiologist at the University of Calgary, has spent the past 20 years trying to unlock the secrets of an iron-eating bacteria known as Desulfovibrio vulgaris.

6 Oct 2004

Clusters of genes within human aortas appear to predict risk for atherosclerosis

Duke University Medical Center researchers have identified specific clusters of genes within human aortas that appear to predict with great specificity which patients may be at highest risk for developing atherosclerosis, as well as the severity of the disease.

28 Sep 2004

Microfluidics help lab-on-a-chip development skyrocket

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) development has skyrocketed in the last couple of years due to constant efforts in harnessing microfluidics and µTAS to improve the LOC design and function. The distinct advantages that they bestow on applications are pushing the commercial potential of LOCs.

28 Sep 2004

Majority of parents concerned about the amount of sex and violence children are exposed to on TV

A majority of parents say they are "very" concerned about the amount of sex (60%) and violence (53%) their children are exposed to on TV

23 Sep 2004

Specialty hospitals, one of the fastest growing trends in health care

The number of for-profit specialty hospitals, a relatively new breed of hospitals, which focus their efforts on a small number of medical procedures has become one of the fastest growing trends in health care.

22 Sep 2004

Micro-thin implantable films may one day allow patients to forgo daily injections and pills

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a material that may one day allow patients to forgo daily injections and pills and receive prescriptions instead through micro-thin implantable films that release medication according to changes in temperature.

14 Sep 2004

Researchers uncover how HIV causes abnormalities in antibody-producing cells

HIV wreaks much of its damage by targeting the “orchestra conductor” of the immune system, a key class of T cells—CD4+ T cells—whose destructive relationship with HIV has been well-studied by AIDS researchers.

8 Sep 2004

New blood test to detect ovarian cancer

Their preliminary studies with the new test suggest a molecular signature exclusive to this deadly cancer, known for its ability to remain undetected and spread quickly.

16 Aug 2004

New glycan arrays discover autoimmunogenic activities of SARS-CoV

Researchers in New York City and Guangzhou, China applied the rapidly-developing carbohydrate microarray technology to study an inactivated SARS-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) vaccine and discovered autoimmunogenic activity of this newly identified human viral pathogen.

2 Aug 2004

New DNA microarray to speed bone disease research

Velcura Therapeutics has announced the development of a custom Affymetrix GeneChip(R) array that aids the development of bone disease therapies by enabling researchers to follow global changes in gene expression during human bone formation.

23 Jul 2004

Young children capable of reporting on their own health

One of the most perplexing things about children’s health is that parents and children do not agree about it. The importance of obtaining children’s perspectives of their own health is the subject of a major debate among pediatricians and child health researchers.

20 Jul 2004

Chromatin array a new technology for examining DNA

A new technique for examining DNA is giving scientists a more detailed picture of which genes have the propensity for activation, offering a new tool for understanding how genes function and possibly for diagnosing disease.

8 Jul 2004