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VEGF is a substance made by cells that stimulates new blood vessel formation. Also called vascular endothelial growth factor.

Heart problems from common cancer treatment can be alleviated by using gene therapy

Researchers of the Wihuri Research Institute and the University of Helsinki, Finland, have found that some of the harmful effects of a commonly used cancer drug can be alleviated by using gene therapy that stimulates blood vessel growth in the heart.

31 Oct 2016

Discovery of neuropilin 2 deficiency may lead to new therapies for edema and lymphedema

Fluid accumulation and swelling (edema) may result from the malfunctioning of regulatory processes controlling vessel permeability in the body.

14 Oct 2016

ATS releases new clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, management of LAM

The American Thoracic Society and the Japanese Respiratory Society have published new clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung disease that primarily affects women of child-bearing age.

15 Sep 2016

HIF-2 inhibitors could be promising target to combat kidney cancer

A new class of drugs called HIF-2 inhibitors is more effective and better tolerated than the standard of care drug sunitinib in treating kidney cancer, researchers with the Kidney Cancer Program at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center have found.

6 Sep 2016

Study suggests autologous EPC transfusion may prevent miscarriage in high-risk pregnancies

In a study focusing on the role of self-donated (autologous) bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in placental vascular development, researchers in Japan have discovered that when transplanted into pregnant mice, EPCs can contribute to better blood vessel growth that helps in forming "normalized" placental vascularization, leading, in turn, to reduced recurrent miscarriages by providing a healthier fetal environment during gestation.

30 Aug 2016

People with high levels of four biomarkers may have increased risk for stroke

People with high levels of four biomarkers in the blood may be more likely to develop a stroke than people with low levels of the biomarkers, according to a study published in the August 24, 2016, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Aug 2016

Scientists discover underlying mechanisms of proptosis in patients with thyroid eye disease

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified new underlying mechanisms of proptosis, or bulging of the eyes, in patients with acute thyroid eye disease.

18 Aug 2016

Scientists discover key molecule that drives regeneration in planarian stem cells

Many living creatures possess exceptional abilities that set them apart from other species. Cheetahs can run up to 60 miles per hour; ants can lift 100 times their body weight; flatworms can regrow amputated body parts.

12 Aug 2016

Analysis of biopsies during early treatment predicts patient’s response to melanoma immunotherapy

Immune response measured in tumor biopsies during the course of early treatment predicts which melanoma patients will benefit from specific immune checkpoint blockade drugs, researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Cancer Discovery.

11 Aug 2016

Researchers find potential way for delivering gene therapy to treat eye diseases

Eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are among the leading causes of irreversible vision loss and blindness worldwide. Currently, gene therapy can be administered to treat these conditions -- but this requires an injection.

27 Jul 2016

IU researchers create virtual tissue model of diabetic retinopathy

By combining data on optometry patient's eyes with advanced computational methods, Indiana University researchers have created a virtual tissue model of diabetes in the eye.

15 Jul 2016

Losing weight can lower levels of some proteins linked to tumor growth

Overweight and obese women who lost weight through diet and exercise lowered the levels of certain proteins in their blood that play a role in angiogenesis, the process of blood vessel growth that can promote the growth and survival of cancer cells

14 Jul 2016

Phase III clinical study of promising prostate cancer drug reveals surprising results

A recently published international clinical Phase III trial of a promising drug for treating advanced prostate cancer ended with surprising results: the new therapeutic agent failed to achieve any significant improvement in the overall survival of patients compared with the established standard treatment.

12 Jul 2016

Cabozantinib extends advanced RCC overall survival

Patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma derive a significant overall survival benefit from second-line treatment with the multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor cabozantinib relative to everolimus.

18 Jun 2016

Researchers find link between specific genetic pathway and development of mouth ulcers in lupus patients

The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress showed for the first time an association between a specific genetic pathway and the development of mouth ulcers in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).

13 Jun 2016

Multiple cell and gene therapies can enhance cardiac function in mice modeled with MI

Researchers at the University of Utah compared the therapeutic potential of umbilical cord-derived sub-epithelial cells (UC-SECs), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) -- all derived from human tissue -- along with genes (S100a1 and SDF-1a) and growth factor (VEGF165) to evaluate how injected biologics might enhance cardiac function in mice modeled with myocardial infarction (MI; commonly referred to as heart attack).

2 Jun 2016

FDA approves additional indication for Eisai's anticancer agent Lenvima in combo with Everolimus for advanced renal cell carcinoma

Eisai Co., Ltd. has announced that its U.S. subsidiary Eisai Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for an additional indication for Eisai's in-house developed novel anticancer agent Lenvima (lenvatinib mesylate) in combination with everolimus for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma following one prior anti-angiogenic therapy.

16 May 2016

Bayer-new phase 3 liver cancer data

Bayer has announced that a Phase III trial evaluating its oncology compound Stivarga® (regorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in overall survival. The study, called RESORCE, evaluated the efficacy and safety of regorafenib in patients with HCC whose disease has progressed after treatment with sorafenib. The safety and tolerability were generally consistent with the known profile of regorafenib. Detailed efficacy and safety analyses from this study are expected to be presented at an upcoming scientific congress.

4 May 2016

NEI-funded study analyzes outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy for AMD

In a study of nearly 650 people with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration (AMD), half still had vision 20/40 or better, typically good enough to drive or to read standard print, after five years of treatment with anti-VEGF drugs that are injected into the eye. The authors of the study, funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health, say those outcomes would have been unimaginable about 10 years ago, prior to the drugs' availability.

3 May 2016

Scientists find way to reduce need for secondary cataract surgery

Scientists at the University of East Anglia may have found a way to prevent complications from surgery to treat cataract - the world's leading cause of blindness.

29 Apr 2016