Nephrology News and Research

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Nephrology is a branch of internal medicine and pediatrics dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.

10 to 20 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease but most don’t know it

10 to 20 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease but most don’t know it, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Center for Health Statistics.

19 Dec 2004

Novel anti-rejection protocol should allow major improvement efficacy and quality of life after intestinal and multivisceral transplants

Transplant researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute have dramatically improved intestinal transplant graft survival, and reduced rejection and infection rates by successfully using a novel immunosuppression minimization protocol, thus improving patients' overall quality of life and avoiding the use of several anti-rejection drugs, which can cause serious infections and major complications.

13 Dec 2004

Study of safety issues surrounding the medical use of cannabis has just been launched

A first-of-its-kind study of safety issues surrounding the medical use of cannabis has just been launched. Known as the COMPASS study (Cannabis for the management of pain: assessment of safety study), the research initiative will follow 1400 chronic pain patients, 350 of whom use cannabis as part of their pain management strategy, for a one-year period.

8 Dec 2004

Thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of anti-diabetic drugs may be a potential targeted therapy for myeloma patients

In laboratory tests on multiple myeloma cells, University of Rochester researchers found that this type of cancer expresses a protein that makes it an easy target for an existing class of diabetes drugs. After more investigation, they hope the discovery will lead to a new, targeted therapy for myeloma patients.

8 Dec 2004

Human parathyroid gland most likely evolved from the gills of fish

The human parathyroid gland, which regulates the level of calcium in the blood, probably evolved from the gills of fish, according to researchers from King's College London.

6 Dec 2004

New research aims to reduce deaths and ease burden on hospitals

New research by scientists at Australia's Macquarie University will investigate antibiotic resistance genes in humans in an effort to combat worldwide death rates due to infectious diseases and reduce the growing burden on our health system by decreasing patients' length of stay.

6 Dec 2004

A gallery of highly-specific, gene and protein “mug shots” of cancer types would be a powerful for oncologists

Doctors would like to diagnose malignancies rapidly by matching them with highly-specific genetic “mug shots” based on the presence of characteristic mRNAs or proteins. This kind of specificity would facilitate screening and early detection, and would potentially allow targeted treatments specific to each type of cancer

4 Dec 2004

African Americans more likely to carry genetic variants known to stimulate inflammatory response

Specific variants in genes that encode proteins regulating inflammation may hold a key to explaining a host of disease processes known to cause increased risk of illness and death among African Americans, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH).

1 Dec 2004

Key molecule helps identify renal cell carcinoma

Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a key molecule that lets doctors identify one of the most aggressive types of kidney cancer. Patients with renal cell carcinoma who have higher levels of a molecule known as B7-H1 in their tumors are nearly five times more likely to die from the disease than patients with low levels or an absence of the molecule.

30 Nov 2004

Type 1 diabetes could be prevented by a new nasal insulin vaccine

A world-leading medical trial conducted in Melbourne suggests that the onset of type 1 diabetes could be prevented in many at-risk people by a new nasal insulin vaccine.

29 Nov 2004

Scientists have induced human insulin-producing cells of the pancreas to revert to islet precursor cells

Scientists at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) have induced human insulin-producing cells of the pancreas to revert to islet precursor cells.

29 Nov 2004

Bypass surgery on a beating heart is an excellent option for many patients with blocked heart arteries

Bypass surgery on a beating heart is an excellent option for many patients with blocked heart arteries, according to a study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

24 Nov 2004

Researchers have found that a blood-reduction program in cardiac surgery results in a reduced need for transfusions

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical Center have found that a blood-reduction program in cardiac surgery is resulting in a reduced need for transfusions without compromising patients’ recoveries.

23 Nov 2004

Carbon coatings to prevent bacteria collecting on indwelling catheters

This team of physicists have coated catheters and ureter stents with an extremely thin layer of diamond-like carbon. DLC-coated surfaces do not react chemically with their environment; they are hardwearing, can be sterilised and reduce friction.

18 Nov 2004

Generic antipsychotic drugs can protect brain cells from progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

Generic antipsychotic drugs can protect brain cells from a virus that causes a fatal nervous system disorder, according to research conducted at Brown University and Case Western Reserve University.

18 Nov 2004

Sit down rounds improve outcomes for kidney dialysis patients

"Sit-down" medical rounds, during which a health care team meets to review a patient's medical record and discuss short- and long-term needs, are associated with better outcomes for kidney dialysis patients, a Johns Hopkins-directed study has found.

17 Nov 2004

Researchers find effective treatment for Unusual Fever Syndrome caused by cold exposure

Remember when Grandma used to say, "don’t go out in the cold; you’ll get sick”? It turns out that she was right for a small number of people who have a condition called familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS)

16 Nov 2004

Fluorescent protein tool may speed identification of molecular changes that reveal cells' inner workings

Scientists at Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas Medical Branch have created a new tool that easily reveals when and where a key cellular signal is active.

16 Nov 2004

Too much vitamin supplementation could be harmful

Daily vitamin E doses of 400 international units (IU) or more can increase the risk of death and should be avoided, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

11 Nov 2004

Lorus Therapeutics allowed Canadian patent to protect anticancer drugs

Lorus Therapeutics today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, GeneSense Technologies Inc., has been allowed a patent by the Canadian Patent Office entitled "Antitumor Antisense Sequences Directed Against R1 and R2 Components of Ribonucleotide Reductase."

10 Nov 2004