Rheumatology News and Research

RSS

Rheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatologists mainly deal with clinical problems involving joints, soft tissues and allied conditions of connective tissues.

Total knee arthroplasty takes more time to perform in overweight, obese patients

Knee replacement surgery takes far more time to conduct in overweight and obese patients than in normal weight patients, according to recent research at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

18 Feb 2011

Platelet-rich fibrin matrix doesn't improve healing after rotator cuff repair

For years, doctors have used platelet rich plasma (PRP) to promote healing in various surgeries, but a recent study demonstrates that a type of PRP did not improve healing after rotator cuff repair.

18 Feb 2011

CMS selects BWH to participate in Medicare Imaging Demonstration project

Brigham and Women's Hospital was selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as one of five conveners of a demonstration project that promotes appropriate utilization of advanced imaging services, CMS announced February 2, 2011.

17 Feb 2011

Spirulina Pacifica supplement may improve immune function, anemia in senior citizens

Cyanotech Corporation, world leader in microalgae-based health and nutrition supplements, announced today that researchers at the University of California at Davis have determined that microalgae-based Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica may improve immune function and ameliorate anemia in persons over 50.

17 Feb 2011

New computer application automatically detects subtle epileptic brain lesions in MRI scans

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center identified potential benefits of a new computer application that automatically detects subtle brain lesions in MRI scans in patients with epilepsy. In a study published in the February 2011 issue of PLoS ONE, the authors discuss the software's potential to assist radiologists in better identifying and locating visually undetectable, operable lesions.

17 Feb 2011

NYU Langone one of 16 centers chosen to participate in American Joint Replacement Registry

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center has been chosen as one of only 16 centers across the country to participate in the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR). The AJRR is a national, independent, not-for-profit organization created to collect key joint replacement and revision data in order to better to monitor device performance and identify underperforming processes while providing information supporting best practices in safety, cost control and advances in technology.

16 Feb 2011

Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation awards $3M to Cleveland physicians for AIDS research

A three-year, $3 million gift from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation will fund research by a pair of Cleveland physicians into HIV and the body's response in autoimmune diseases.

11 Feb 2011

ACR releases two new provisional definitions of rheumatoid arthritis remission

The American College of Rheumatology today announced the release of two new provisional definitions of rheumatoid arthritis remission, which are to be applied to future RA clinical trials.

4 Feb 2011

Losartan improves effectiveness of nanotherapeutics against cancer

Low doses of an inexpensive, FDA-approved hypertension medication may improve the results of nanotherapeutic approaches to cancer treatment. In a report in the early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators describe experiments showing that the generic drug losartan, by modifying the network of collagen fibers that characterizes most solid tumors, improved the effectiveness of two nanotherapeutics against several types of cancer.

3 Feb 2011

Orexigen, Takeda announce FDA's issue of complete response letter for Contrave NDA

Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter dated January 31, 2011 regarding the New Drug Application for Contrave® (naltrexone HCl/bupropion HCl) extended-release tablets for the treatment of obesity, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss.

1 Feb 2011

Phase II trial finds fostamatinib ineffective in RA patients not responsive to biologic agents

In a previous study, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who failed to respond to methotrexate were shown to experience positive results with fostamatinib disodium (R788), an oral spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitor that is thought to block immune cell signaling involved with bone and cartilage destruction. In the current study, RA patients who failed to respond to biologic agents were studied.

28 Jan 2011

Interferon-alpha associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with SLE

Researchers in China have demonstrated interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). For the first time, IFN-α priming was shown to promote lipid uptake and foam cell formation—a crucial step in plaque build-up. This activation of the IFN signaling pathway may be linked to the premature atherosclerosis risk in SLE.

27 Jan 2011

AVRF and UPEI collaboration awarded Innovation PEI Pilot and Discovery Fund grant

Atlanta Vascular Research Foundation (AVRF), together with its collaborators at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI), has been awarded an Innovation PEI Pilot and Discovery Fund grant by Innovation PEI. The grant is to continue research and development in combining nutraceuticals to magnify clinical benefits for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The funding from this grant is $25,000.

27 Jan 2011

Study: Low SES is linked to high risk of depression in patients with RA

Physical and Mental Health Disparities Found in Those with Low Socioeconomic Position. A recent study confirmed that low socioeconomic status is associated with higher risk of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

26 Jan 2011

NYU Langone to expand Emergency Department and dedicate separate area for pediatric emergency care

NYU Langone Medical Center today announced its plan to transform its Emergency Department (ED) into a state-of the-art emergency facility to meet the growing need for emergency care services in the community. Once completed, the new facility will nearly triple the size of the current ED and will include for the first time a separate area dedicated to pediatric emergency services.

20 Jan 2011

New long-term survival data from OPUS, CRYSTAL studies demonstrate strong tumor shrinkage of Erbitux

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today highlighted a further analysis of the large randomized Phase II OPUS study demonstrating an association between early tumor shrinkage and long-term median overall survival (OS) of more than 2 years for patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with Erbitux® (cetuximab) plus FOLFOX standard chemotherapy.

19 Jan 2011

Uric acid levels linked to severe osteoarthritis

The amount of uric acid in one's joints may increase the likelihood of severe osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis worldwide, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

19 Jan 2011

'Master switch' protein in white blood cells linked to inflammation

Scientists have identified a protein that acts as a "master switch" in certain white blood cells, determining whether they promote or inhibit inflammation. The study, published in the journal Nature Immunology, could help researchers look for new treatments for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis that involve excessive inflammation.

18 Jan 2011

Tri-Valley Medical Group physicians discuss issues impacting roll-out of health care reform

Local physicians from Tri-Valley Medical Group recently spent a week in Washington D.C. to discuss the fundamental issues impacting the roll-out of health care reform - and came away with a new appreciation of its challenges.

11 Jan 2011

Sucampo, Takeda initiate dosing in third lubiprostone phase 3 trial for opioid-induced bowel dysfunction

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. today announced the dosing of the first patient in the third phase 3 clinical trial of lubiprostone for the treatment of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OBD) in subjects with chronic, non-cancer pain, excluding those taking methadone. The primary endpoint is an overall responder rate based on the change from baseline in the reported frequency of spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs).

7 Jan 2011

Rheumatology News and Research

Further Reading

Total knee arthroplasty takes more time to perform in overweight, obese patients

Platelet-rich fibrin matrix doesn't improve healing after rotator cuff repair

CMS selects BWH to participate in Medicare Imaging Demonstration project

Spirulina Pacifica supplement may improve immune function, anemia in senior citizens

New computer application automatically detects subtle epileptic brain lesions in MRI scans

NYU Langone one of 16 centers chosen to participate in American Joint Replacement Registry

Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation awards $3M to Cleveland physicians for AIDS research

ACR releases two new provisional definitions of rheumatoid arthritis remission

Losartan improves effectiveness of nanotherapeutics against cancer

Orexigen, Takeda announce FDA's issue of complete response letter for Contrave NDA

Phase II trial finds fostamatinib ineffective in RA patients not responsive to biologic agents

Interferon-alpha associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with SLE

AVRF and UPEI collaboration awarded Innovation PEI Pilot and Discovery Fund grant

Study: Low SES is linked to high risk of depression in patients with RA

NYU Langone to expand Emergency Department and dedicate separate area for pediatric emergency care

New long-term survival data from OPUS, CRYSTAL studies demonstrate strong tumor shrinkage of Erbitux

Uric acid levels linked to severe osteoarthritis

'Master switch' protein in white blood cells linked to inflammation

Tri-Valley Medical Group physicians discuss issues impacting roll-out of health care reform

Sucampo, Takeda initiate dosing in third lubiprostone phase 3 trial for opioid-induced bowel dysfunction

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

Latest News