Spine News and Research

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Folic acid fortification of grain foods has produced a one-third decline in serious birth defects of the brain and spine

...but the March of Dimes urged federal officials to help spare a greater number of babies from these devastating conditions by requiring higher levels of the B vitamin.

6 Sep 2005

Many phase I trials for new cancer fighting drugs never get reported in peer-reviewed journals

A new study finds many phase I trials for new cancer fighting drugs never get reported in peer-reviewed journals, and says investigators should be committed not just to finding novel compounds, but also to make sure final results of their studies be disseminated to the medical community.

22 Aug 2005

Discovery of new gene FANCM sheds light on repair of damaged DNA

National Institute on Aging (NIA) researchers have discovered a new gene, FANCM, which sheds light on an important pathway involved in the repair of damaged DNA.

22 Aug 2005

Loss of a gene called p63 accelerates aging in mice

Researchers have discovered that the loss of a gene called p63 accelerates aging in mice. Similar versions of the gene are present in many organisms, including humans. Therefore, the p63 gene is likely to play a fundamental biological role in aging-related processes.

17 Aug 2005

Experimental therapy could offer new way to treat spine damage

An experimental therapy that combines stem cells and gene therapy to repair spinal cord injuries in rats may lead to a new way to treat the same injury in humans.

15 Aug 2005

Calcium fights prostate cancer

Calcium, more familiar in its role as one of the building blocks of the body, is being enlisted as a tool in the fight against prostate cancer.

15 Aug 2005

After NHS hospital tells teenager to wait a year, he has spine operation done in India

After he was told he would have to wait more than a year for a vital back operation in the UK, a teenager has been treated at a private hospital in India.

14 Aug 2005

Taking parathyroid hormone followed by a year on alendronate shows strong osteoporosis benefit

Postmenopausal women who took a bone-building drug for one year followed by a year on a standard drug that fights bone loss experienced greater increases in bone density than has been reported from any other drug regimen, an NIH-sponsored study has found. Bone density is the standard predictor of fracture risk associated with osteoporosis.

11 Aug 2005

$Experts predict that bone fractures will become a bigger and more costly problem$

Experts predict that bone fractures will become a bigger and more costly problem

With an aging population, and with people living longer, experts say bone fractures will become a bigger and more costly problem unless more is done to prevent them.

9 Aug 2005

Year wait for spinal surgery forces boy to fly to India for operation

A mother who has been told her son may have to wait a year for a spine operation to restore his mobility, is to fly him to India for the procedure.

7 Aug 2005

Pfizer adds warning to Celebrex arthritis drug

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has adapted the label of its Celebrex arthritis drug and added a prominent warning of possible cardiovascular risks, such as increased risk of heart attacks.

3 Aug 2005

Rush to offer new treatment for arterio-venous malformations

Rush University Medical Center will be the first in Chicago and among the first hospitals in the nation to offer a promising new treatment for arterio-venous malformations (AVMs) following its approval by the FDA on July 21.

26 Jul 2005

Biologic treatments to treat the physical symptoms of psoriasis

More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis and 21 percent of those have moderate to severe psoriasis. This chronic condition, characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, not only makes the activities of daily life difficult, but also can affect a person's emotional well being.

21 Jul 2005

Major stem cell discovery

Research published in Nature tomorrow (21 July) will outline for the first time the stem cell origin of the structure of the neck and shoulders in vertebrates.

20 Jul 2005

Important role of early experience in shaping neuronal development

Scientists at New York University School of Medicine reveal the important role of early experience in shaping neuronal development and brain plasticity in a new study published in the July 14 issue of the journal Nature.

14 Jul 2005

Scientists reveal the important role of early experience in shaping neuronal development

13 Jul 2005

Exercise and back support improves balance in elderly

By wearing a unique weighted back support device and participating in a special exercise program, women over 60 with osteoporosis-caused curvature of the spine improved their balance and experienced diminished back pain, giving researchers at Mayo Clinic a promising therapy to reduce falls among this population.

6 Jul 2005

Treatment options for skull base tumors

It is estimated that in 2000, more than 359,000 persons were living with a diagnosis of a primary brain tumor in the United States. In 2005, it is estimated that nearly 12,800 deaths will be associated with malignant tumors of the brain and other parts of the central nervous system. Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children age 19 and younger.

28 Jun 2005

Researchers isolate substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury

Purdue University researchers may have isolated the substance most responsible for the tissue damage that follows initial spinal cord injury, a discovery that could also improve treatments for a host of other neurodegenerative conditions.

21 Jun 2005

Spinal arthritis often overlooked in children

When kids or teens experience aching joints and stiffness it may be more than growing pains. It may be arthritis of the spine and other joints (ankylosing spondylitis), which researchers report can often go undiagnosed for years and years, leading to serious problems in adulthood.

15 Jun 2005