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Scientists make a new protein from scratch

No doubt proteins are complex. Most are "large" and full of interdependent branches, pockets and bends in their final folded structure.

23 Mar 2009

Study finds that dying patients and families suffer from lack of continuity of physician care

In a study published in the March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that patients and families can suffer from feelings of abandonment when a physician who had been actively involved in care is no longer involved.

16 Mar 2009

Many terminally ill patients feel abandoned by their doctors

Terminally ill patients and their family caregivers often feel abandoned by their doctors and feel a sense of "unfinished business with them, according to a new study by an oncologist at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

10 Mar 2009

Studies investigate end-of-life healthcare

Patients with advanced cancer who discuss end-of-life care with their physicians appear to have lower health care costs in the final week of life than those who do not, according to a report in the March 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

10 Mar 2009

Race and ethnicity affect use of hospice services among patients with advanced cancer

Race and ethnicity appear to have an effect on whether a patient with terminal cancer uses hospice care services, according to a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

10 Feb 2009

End-of-life expert develops user-friendly guides for both doctors and patients

Years ago, dying patients in most communities often had a single option if they needed hospice care.

10 Feb 2009

End-of-life care at hospitals varies for children with cancer

Though treatment of pain and attention to end-of-life care for pediatric cancer patients has improved over the last few decades, there is still work to be done.

5 Feb 2009

Survivorship care after breast cancer, call for more action

As the nation's growing population of breast cancer survivors ages, many patients will likely develop common chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, and they'll need specialized care to balance those problems with the late effects of cancer therapies they received.

19 Jan 2009

Researchers find molecular origin of blood stem cells

A research team led by Nancy Speck, PhD, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has identified the location and developmental timeline in which a majority of bone marrow stem cells form in the mouse embryo.

12 Jan 2009

First national study on nursing home social workers

Social workers play a vital role in improving the quality of nursing home residents' lives.

5 Jan 2009

3.6 million Americans living with active, undiagnosed psoriasis, unaware of associated risks

Armed with research concluding that psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular conditions, Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues released an editorial consensus in the American Journal of Cardiology today¸ calling for psoriasis patients to be educated about and screened for cardiovascular risk factors.

15 Dec 2008

Scientists map molecular regulation of fat-cell genetics

A research team led by Mitchell Lazar, MD, PhD, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has used state-of-the-art genetic technology to map thousands of positions where a molecular "master regulator" of fat-cell biology is nestled in DNA to control genes in these cells.

5 Nov 2008

Medicare Part B premiums in 2009 will not increase for most beneficiaries

CMS on Friday announced that monthly outpatient care premiums for about 95% of Medicare recipients will remain at $96.40 in 2009, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 9/20).

22 Sep 2008

Integrating palliative care for dementia into primary care

Greg A. Sachs, M.D., has received an award from the National Palliative Care Research Center to conduct a study aimed at improving quality of life and decreasing suffering for older adults and their family caregivers. The award is one of only two pilot project support grants funded by NPCRC in 2008.

14 Jul 2008

CMS rule requires hospice providers to track, improve quality of care delivered

CMS has issued a new rule requiring hospice providers participating in Medicare to implement a quality assessment and improvement system, the Washington Post reports.

2 Jul 2008

CMS announces $15 million funding increase for Medicare counseling programs

CMS officials on Friday announced that the agency this year will increase funding by $15 million to a total of $50 million to organizations that advise Medicare beneficiaries on prescription drug and health plan choices, CQ HealthBeat reports.

11 Jun 2008

New method for obstetric care leads to healthier newborns and mothers

An alternative method for obstetric care has led to lower neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates, higher uncomplicated vaginal birth (UVB) rates, and a lower mean Adverse Outcome Index (AOI) score, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and published in this month's issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

3 Jun 2008

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives

Health care in the United States is expensive, but its funding is crucial because it also is a major contributor to the economy and can better lives, according to an essay appearing in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Because of the cost of health care, this is not time to shrink the budget at the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research that leads to potentially curative therapy.

7 May 2008

New guidelines for palliative care for children and adults

Palliative care was once reserved for patients when all curative options had been exhausted and death was imminent, but now it is considered an integral part of the care that should be available to patients with serious respiratory disorders and critical illnesses.

16 Apr 2008

Targeted therapy combo overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Abramson Cancer Center reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research that combining two targeted therapies overcomes treatment resistance in liver cancer cell lines.

13 Apr 2008