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Savient announces results from KRYSTEXXA Phase III trials on gout-related kidney disease

Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that new data presented in an oral session at the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2012 congress showed that patients with refractory chronic gout (RCG) who also suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) responded to treatment with KRYSTEXXA (pegloticase) regardless of baseline CKD stage.

7 Jun 2012

New PD-1 blocking antibody shows promise against advanced kidney cancer

An antibody that helps a person's own immune system battle cancer cells shows increasing promise in reducing tumors in patients with advanced kidney cancer, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

5 Jun 2012

Scientists discover neural mechanism for conscious perception

When people close their eyes, they can form mental images of things that exist only in their minds. Neuroscientists studying this phenomenon at medical schools in the Texas Medical Center believe that there may be a way to use these mental images to help some of the estimated 39 million people worldwide who are blind.

5 Jun 2012

Clinical trial to examine effectiveness of combined vaccine and hormone treatment for prostate cancer

Investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) have partnered with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and launched a clinical trial examining the effectiveness of a combined vaccine and hormone treatment for prostate cancer that is resistant to hormone therapy and not visible on imaging tests such as a CT scan and a bone scan.

2 Jun 2012

Inhibiting IRE1α-XBP1 pathway impacts survival of myeloma cells

Results published in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology, confirm that inhibition of the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway impacts the survival of myeloma cells, suggesting a promising therapeutic option in multiple myeloma.

2 Jun 2012

CINJ wins renewal of Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from NCI

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) has been awarded renewal of its Comprehensive Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute.

1 Jun 2012

Too much salt and aldosterone leads to high blood pressure, tissue damage

Nearly 40 percent of the small adrenal tumors that cause big problems with high blood pressure share a genetic mutation that causes patients to retain too much sodium, researchers report.

31 May 2012

Surprising life-quality benefit from early prostate cancer treatment

Treatment of early-stage prostate cancer may also improve quality of life if patients have previously suffered from obstructive urinary symptoms before undergoing treatment, shows US research.

30 May 2012

Intensive exercise answer to psoriasis prevention

Vigorous physical activity may reduce a person’s risk for developing psoriasis, show results from a US study.

30 May 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear Cataract Master bridges gap between wet lab training and patient surgery

Phacoemulsification cataract surgery is one of the most frequently performed eye surgeries in the United States, with 1.5 million procedures performed each year. It is also one of the most complex procedures to learn. A new, highly innovative, computer-based simulation tool, the Mass. Eye and Ear Cataract Master, bridges the learning gap that residents and ophthalmologists new to phaco must navigate prior to performing actual surgery.

30 May 2012

Pre-exposure preventive treatment may be effective against suspected HIV

While immediate postexposure treatment for suspected HIV is critical, pre-exposure preventive treatment is a newer method that may be effective for people in high-risk groups, states a review of evidence published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

29 May 2012

Aggressive efforts to lower blood pressure in people with diabetes are paying off

Aggressive efforts to lower blood pressure in people with diabetes are paying off - perhaps too well, according to a new study.

29 May 2012

Intensive glucose control associated with reduced risk of albuminuria

A review of data from seven clinical trials suggests that intensive glucose control is associated with reduced risk of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria (conditions characterized by excessive levels of protein in the urine usually resulting from damage to the filtering units of the kidneys), according to a report published in the May 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

29 May 2012

Giant cells protect fungus Cryptococcus neoformans during infection

Giant cells called "titan cells" protect the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans during infection, according to two University of Minnesota researchers. Kirsten Nielsen, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of microbiology, and recent Ph.D. recipient Laura Okagaki believe their discovery could help develop new ways to fight infections caused by Cryptococcus.

28 May 2012

UC Davis mathematicians help biologists to understand platelet formation

UC Davis mathematicians have helped biologists figure out why platelets, the cells that form blood clots, are the size and shape that they are. Because platelets are important both for healing wounds and in strokes and other conditions, a better understanding of how they form and behave could have wide implications.

28 May 2012

Scientists show how hemizygous deletion can contribute to cancer

Chromosomal deletions in DNA often involve just one of two gene copies inherited from either parent. But scientists haven't known how a deletion in one gene from one parent, called a "hemizygous" deletion, can contribute to cancer.

28 May 2012

Link between increase in assisted living options and decline in nursing home occupancy

A new study finds an association between an increase in assisted living options, which provide older adults with an array of services such as help with everyday tasks in homelike settings, and a decline in nursing home occupancy. This shift in delivery of care has both positive and negative implications for seniors.

25 May 2012

Study sheds light on role of microglia in the normal brain

Researchers have shown in mice how immune cells in the brain target and remove unused connections between brain cells during normal development. This research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, sheds light on how brain activity influences brain development, and highlights the newly found importance of the immune system in how the brain is wired, as well as how the brain forms new connections throughout life in response to change.

24 May 2012

Optogenetic Therapies for Vision workshop to be held on June 1

The Foundation Fighting Blindness and Massachusetts Eye and Ear will host the Optogenetic Therapies for Vision workshop on Friday, June 1, from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., in Boston.

24 May 2012

Brain cells prune circuits in the brain by eating away excess synapses

We’re born with our brains prewired, but as information comes in from our environment, this circuitry is updated. A study from Boston Children’s Hospital provides a new glimpse of how this happens: Brain cells known as microglia, tuned into the crosstalk between neurons, literally engulf unnecessary connections, known as synapses, and prune them away.

24 May 2012