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Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute implants VAD device to help individuals with advanced heart failure

The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital recently implanted a patient with two of the smallest experimental ventricular assist devices (VADs) currently available for study in humans. VADs are designed to assist either the right (RVAD) or left (LVAD) ventricle, or both (BiVAD) at once.

15 Nov 2010

Young father receives life-saving intervention prior heart transplant surgery

James "Jimmy" Armstrong hadn't missed a "Mac" in 28 years. At 44, he's one of the youngest "goats" in the Chicago Yacht Club. Sailors receive the designation of "goat" once they've completed 20 or more "Macs", the 333-mile boat race from Chicago to Mackinac, Mich. Armstrong has sailed the race every year since he was 16. But, he wasn't among the sailors this past July. Instead, he was in intensive care awaiting heart transplant following a harrowing experience spurred by severe case of myocarditis-a little-known condition causing inflammation of the heart muscle.

15 Nov 2010

Consent registry facilitates organ and tissue donation

Québec-Transplant and Héma-Québec applaud the government's commitment to assign the management of a consent registry for organ and tissue collection to the Régie de l'assurance-maladie du Québec (RAMQ), as stipulated in Bill 125, An Act to facilitate organ and tissue donation.

12 Nov 2010

Survey highlights complex ethical issues confronting physicians

WebMD Health Corp., the leading source of health information, today released the findings of a survey from Medscape, the company's physician destination that provides new insight into doctors' attitudes about some of the most frequent and wrenching medical ethical issues of our time.

12 Nov 2010

Scientists unveil mechanism of liver regeneration

The liver's unique ability among organs to regenerate itself has been little understood. Now Weill Cornell Medical College scientists have shed light on how the liver restores itself by demonstrating that endothelial cells the cells that form the lining of blood vessels play a key role.

12 Nov 2010

Study finds arsenic improves survival rate in APL patients

Arsenic, a toxic compound with a reputation as a good tool for committing homicide, has a significant positive effect on the survival of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), when administered after standard initial treatment, according to a new, multi-center study led by a researcher at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

12 Nov 2010

StemCyte receives two cash grants under QTDP program for biomedical research

StemCyte, Inc., one of the world's preeminent umbilical cord blood (UCB) banks and biotherapy companies, is proud to announce that the Company has been awarded two cash grants totaling $488,950 under the U.S. Internal Revenue Service's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project (QTDP) program designed to support biomedical research by firms with fewer than 250 employees.

11 Nov 2010

NephRx initiates NX001 Phase I clinical trial to prevent DGF in kidney transplant patients

NephRx Corporation today announced that it has initiated a Phase I clinical trial of its lead compound NX001 and has successfully dosed the first subject in the study. NX001, a kidney growth factor peptide that has demonstrated good safety and promising efficacy in two animal models of acute renal failure, is in development for the prevention of delayed graft function (DGF) in kidney transplantation patients.

11 Nov 2010

Researcher finds new way to analyze biopsies from heart transplant patients

Michael Mengel, a pathology researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, has found a new way to analyze biopsies from heart transplant patients by looking at their genes. This allows him to make an early prediction whether the transplant is working.

11 Nov 2010

Genetic constitution can influence changes in tumor growth: Study

The genes we possess not only determine the color of our eyes and hair and how our bodies grow, they might also influence the changes that occur in tumors when we develop cancer.

11 Nov 2010

Gentium to present three abstracts on Defibrotide at American Society of Hematology

Gentium S.p.A. today announced that three abstracts on Defibrotide will be presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, December 4-7, 2010.

10 Nov 2010

Conference of The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics to focus on health disparities

The 22nd annual conference of The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago will be held at the University of Chicago Law School, 1111 E. 60th Street, on Fri., Nov. 12, from 1 to 5 pm, and Sat., Nov. 13, from 7:30 am to 5:15 pm.

10 Nov 2010

New type of heart pump for infants born with univentricular circulation

Researchers have created a new type of heart pump inserted with a catheter to improve the survival rate for infants undergoing a series of surgeries to correct a deadly birth defect.

10 Nov 2010

Human blood from adult human skin

In an important breakthrough, scientists at McMaster University have discovered how to make human blood from adult human skin.

9 Nov 2010

ORAL Solo Phase 3 study shows tasocitinib reduces signs and symptoms of active RA

Pfizer Inc. today announced results of ORAL Solo (1045), a Phase 3 study that showed tasocitinib (CP-690,550), an investigational, novel, oral JAK inhibitor, administered as monotherapy met two primary endpoints, demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in signs and symptoms of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and improvement in physical function as measured by ACR20 response rates and mean change in HAQ-DI, respectively, versus placebo at three months.

9 Nov 2010

Valley Anesthesiology Consultants' mobile services division receives AAAHC accreditation

VAC Mobile Services, a division of Valley Anesthesiology Consultants, has achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Valley is one of only 10 office-based anesthesia groups nationwide to receive AAAHC accreditation, and the only office-based anesthesia organization in Arizona currently accredited by AAAHC.

9 Nov 2010

New data on Soliris for PNH treatment to be presented at ASH Annual Meeting

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that researchers are scheduled to present new data relating to Soliris (eculizumab) as a treatment for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) during the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), to be held December 4 - 7, 2010 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

9 Nov 2010

Gentium third quarter total revenues increase to EUR 5.91 million

Gentium S.p.A. today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. The Company reports its financial condition and operating results using U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The Company's financial statements are prepared using the Euro as its functional currency.

8 Nov 2010

Scientists discover new way to create human blood from adult skin

In an important breakthrough, scientists at McMaster University have discovered how to make human blood from adult human skin. The discovery, published in the prestigious science journal Nature today, could mean that in the foreseeable future people needing blood for surgery, cancer treatment or treatment of other blood conditions like anemia will be able to have blood created from a patch of their own skin to provide transfusions.

7 Nov 2010

Athersys secures three Therapeutic Discovery Project grants

Athersys, Inc. announced today that it has secured three Therapeutic Discovery Project grants as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. These grants were awarded related to Athersys' development of MultiStem® for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), also known as heart attack, and other forms of cardiovascular disease, as well as for the treatment of multiple diseases causing acute tissue damage and chronic inflammation.

4 Nov 2010