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Research reveals role of ovarian hormone progesterone in alteration of breast stem cells

Cancer researchers at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) have discovered that the ovarian hormone progesterone plays a pivotal role in altering breast stem cells, a finding that has important implications for breast cancer risk.

6 May 2010

Premier healthcare alliance to host series of Healthcare Reform Executive Briefings

To prepare healthcare providers for the strategic implications of reform and the tools needed for future success, the Premier healthcare alliance will host a series of Healthcare Reform Executive Briefings.

6 May 2010

Social changes spawn massive resurgence of syphilis in China

Despite the virtual elimination of syphilis in China in the 1950s, the sexually transmitted infection is currently at epidemic proportions in the country and rates of infection will continue to grow unless a more comprehensive, coordinated effort of control is implemented, according to a perspective published in the May 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

6 May 2010

Intercell to acquire Cytos' platform technology for monoclonal antibody discovery

Intercell AG today announced that it has signed an agreement with Cytos Biotechnology Ltd. to acquire Cytos' platform technology for monoclonal antibody discovery. The technology is based on expression cloning of monoclonal antibodies from human B-cells and enables the identification of anti-infective antibodies to prevent and treat infectious diseases.

6 May 2010

RayBiotech announces biomarker grant winners

RayBiotech, Inc. has announced the winners of its Biomarker Discovery Pilot Grant program. In total, 18 award recipients were chosen for grants of up to $20,000 each, redeemable for RayBiotech products and services. "By offering these grants," states Dr. Ray (Ruopan) Huang, Founder and President of RayBiotech, "we intend to demonstrate that any researcher with a modest research budget can successfully discover and validate disease-related biomarkers using our antibody arrays."

6 May 2010

Annual heart disease and stroke rates in China to rise up to 73% by 2030: Research

Annual heart disease and stroke rates in China will rise by up to 73 percent by 2030, given an aging population and other increased risk factors, without policies and prevention efforts aimed at controlling blood pressure and smoking, according to research from Columbia University Medical Center published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

6 May 2010

Urgent changes needed to ‘prep’ doctors to care for aging America

Leading physician policy experts are calling for changes in medical education policy at multiple levels to ensure that doctors are prepared to treat the country's aging adult population.

6 May 2010

Bone marrow stem cells show promise in multiple sclerosis

A groundbreaking trial to test bone marrow stem cell therapy with a small group of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been shown to have possible benefits for the treatment of the disease.

6 May 2010

Bar-code eMAR combination of technologies reduce transcription, medication administration errors

Using bar-code technology with an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) substantially reduces transcription and medication administration errors, as well as potential drug-related adverse events, says a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study is published in the May 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

6 May 2010

THI at St. Luke's awarded $1.5M NIH grant for study of stem cells with LVADs for end-stage heart failure

Physician scientists at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (THI at St. Luke's) have been awarded a grant of almost $1.5 million by the National Institutes of Health for research into treatments for patients with end-stage heart failure that would combine heart-assist devices and adult stem-cell treatments.

6 May 2010

Milk consumption does not cause renal cell cancer

While previous research had suggested that drinking milk was related to factors that may increase the risk of renal cell cancer, results of a recent study exploiting the genetic contribution to variation in milk consumption suggest that this may not be the case.

6 May 2010

Nausea in pregnant women can be a sign of flu: Researchers

Nausea in pregnant women tends to fade after the first three months, but during the second and third trimesters it can be a sign of flu, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a study of expectant women who sought medical care.

6 May 2010

New combination eye drops effective in treating bacterial keratitis

Scientists are reporting development of a potential new way of enabling patients with bacterial keratitis to stick with the extraordinarily intensive treatment needed for this potentially blinding eye infection.

6 May 2010

Researchers discover link between sporadic and familial forms of ALS

Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered a link between sporadic and familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

6 May 2010

Study: Hospital follow up can curb readmission rate for heart patients

"Hospitals can slow the revolving door that shuttles heart failure patients back into bed within a month of going home by following up promptly to ensure patients get the right outpatient care, a study shows," USA Today reports.

6 May 2010

Experts propose policy solutions to help the U.S. prepare for increasing number of geriatric patients

Leading physician policy experts are calling for changes in medical education policy at multiple levels to ensure that doctors are prepared to treat the country's aging adult population.

6 May 2010

Whole body MRI helps physicians diagnose and treat breast cancer: Study

Whole body magnetic resonance imaging should be the imaging modality of choice for the detection of breast cancer metastases (when the cancer has spread beyond the breast) as it is highly accurate and can detect bone metastases while a patient is still asymptomatic (shows no symptoms), according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.

6 May 2010

Officials investigate if use of surgical robot led to injuries

The Wall Street Journal: Injuries at a small New Hampshire hospital that uses a surgical robot have some questioning the use of such machines in the care of people. The machine, which is named after Leonardo da Vinci, has been linked to surgeries where patients have been hurt, including two with lacerated bladders and one woman who required four subsequent surgeries after errors using the machine.

6 May 2010

DexCom first-quarter product revenue up 153%

DexCom, Inc. today reported its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2010.

6 May 2010

Study finds medical homes help lower health care costs, maintain quality

Kaiser Health News: "Some health policy experts and clinicians have long maintained that, in the effort to reduce health care costs and improve patient outcomes, there's no place like (a medical) home. A new study in the May issue of the journal Health Affairs seems to validate that notion. Medical homes — where primary care doctors are held responsible for coordinating care for individual patients - are seen as a model for lowering costs without sacrificing quality.

6 May 2010