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Scientists make important discovery about internal programming of B cells

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have made an important discovery about the internal programming of B cells, the immune cells that make antibodies against infections. The finding opens the way for the development of vaccines that can work more efficiently and hints at therapies for conditions in which B cells cause harm—such as the autoimmune disease lupus erythymatosus, severe allergies, and B-cell lymphomas.

8 May 2012

Survey: Many people do not know how to spot skin cancer

Doing a little detective work can go a long way in finding skin cancer, the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States, at its earliest, most treatable stage. However, a new survey found that many people do not know how to spot skin cancer and are unaware of their risk of developing the disease.

8 May 2012

Long-term exposure to roadways linked with increased risk of death in patients with heart attack

Living close to a major highway poses a significant risk to heart attack survivors, reinforcing the need to isolate housing developments from heavy traffic areas, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study concludes.

8 May 2012

Research reveals possible strategy to reverse fibrosis in liver and other organs

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, report that significant numbers of myofibroblasts - cells that produce the fibrous scarring in chronic liver injury - revert to an inactive phenotype as the liver heals. The discovery in mouse models could ultimately help lead to new human therapies for reversing fibrosis in the liver, and in other organs like the lungs and kidneys.

8 May 2012

Viewpoints: Diabetes, future health ills & the GOP; Debate on FDA OTC plan; Sen. Brown's daughter's health insurance

A study of diabetes in overweight and obese youngsters bears an ominous warning about future health care trends in this country. It found that Type 2 diabetes, a new scourge among young people, progresses faster and is harder to treat in youngsters than in adults. ... Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, are bent on dismantling health care reforms that could greatly assist in curbing the obesity epidemic.

8 May 2012

Rare form of dementia eats away at personality and language

Michael French suffered from a rare form of dementia. It made him do unwise things like throwing away tax documents, getting a ticket for trying to pass an ambulance and buying stock in companies that were obviously in trouble. He seemed withdrawn and no longer spoke to his wife over dinner. He also lost his job at the consulting firm. This happened in 2006. His wife found he had changed suddenly from the smart, good-natured, hardworking man and was considering divorce when his ailment came into the picture.

8 May 2012

Breast cancer in men rarer but more deadly than in women

“Men with breast cancer don't do as well as women with breast cancer, and there are opportunities to improve that,” said study author Dr. Jon Greif, a breast surgeon in San Francisco. “They were less likely to get the standard treatments that women get.” Survival rates for men with breast cancer, overall, are lower than those for women, at least when it is diagnosed in the early stages, Greif found. The cancers differ in other respects too.

8 May 2012

Soon a single therapy for range of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s

In a study, published in Nature, researchers prevented brain cells dying in mice with prion disease. It is hoped the same method for preventing brain cell death could apply in other diseases. The findings are at an early stage, but have been heralded as “fascinating”.

8 May 2012

Many unaware that persistent cough could be a warning for lung cancer

Most people are aware that that a lump in the breast is a warning sign of breast cancer and bleeding could indicate bowel, kidney or bladder cancer. However, only one in ten people knows that a persistent cough could point to lung cancer.

8 May 2012

Pancreatic cancer could be better managed at specialized surgical centres

Pancreatic cancer is one of Australia's most lethal cancers and according to a surgeon it could be better treated by conducting complex surgical procedures in specialised centres. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth biggest cancer killer in Australia.

8 May 2012

New information about biological outcomes and commuting distance

As populations move even further away from urban centers, more people spend longer hours behind the wheel on their way to and from work. While sedentary behavior is known to have adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health, the impact of long commutes by automobile are less understood. A new study has found that greater commuting distances are associated with decreased cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), increased weight, and other indicators of metabolic risk.

8 May 2012

Stereotaxis to highlight results from Epoch clinical study at HRS annual meeting

Stereotaxis, Inc. will highlight clinical results from the first 1,250 cases and the latest innovations for the Epoch platform, its new generation comprehensive solution for the electrophysiology (EP) laboratory, at the 33rd Annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Scientific Sessions, May 9-12, 2012.

8 May 2012

Campaign announces search for Arizona teens to participate in Addicteen

Arizona's anti-smoking youth campaign, Venomocity Brought to You by Addiction announces a search for Arizona teens to participate in Addicteen, a documentary about addiction. The film will examine activities which teenagers have defined as being addictive including, texting, social media and the use of tobacco. Filmmakers seek to draw out the similarities, differences and impacts of these behaviors on the lives of today's youth.

8 May 2012

CardioFocus’ HeartLight EAS to be highlighted at Heart Rhythm 2012

CardioFocus, Inc., developer of the HeartLight® Endoscopic Ablation System (EAS) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), announces that its technology will be highlighted both as part of the scientific sessions and during a private academic symposium at Heart Rhythm 2012, the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions, May 9-12 in Boston, MA.

8 May 2012

FRAX version 3.6 now available for 45 countries, in 19 languages

The WHO Fracture Risk Assessment Tool - FRAX- has now been released as version 3.6 with new country models for Chile, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland and Lithuania. Downloadable charts for the newly added countries are also available.

8 May 2012

North Suburban Medical Center's Northeast ER opens today

North Suburban Medical Center's Northeast ER opens its doors today at the corner of Holly Street and 128th Avenue to receive emergency patients from the surrounding communities. The 10,000-foot, state-of- the-art emergency department will function just like a hospital-based ER, treating everything from minor injuries to more severe and life-threatening illnesses such as stroke or heart attack. Northeast ER is a true emergency facility, open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

8 May 2012

DBS may offer hope for patients with mild Alzheimer's

A study on a handful of people with suspected mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggests that a device that sends continuous electrical impulses to specific "memory" regions of the brain appears to increase neuronal activity. Results of the study using deep brain stimulation, a therapy already used in some patients with Parkinson's disease and depression, may offer hope for at least some with AD, an intractable disease with no cure.

8 May 2012

T2M cells play a crucial role in treatment-resistant asthma

For most people with asthma, a couple of puffs from an inhaler filled with steroids makes breathing easy. But if their lungs become resistant to the calming effect of that medicine, they live in fear of severe asthma attacks that could send them to the hospital - or worse. Now, new research from the University of Michigan Health System may help explain what's going on in the lungs of these steroid-resistant individuals. The findings could aid the development of new treatment options, and of better ways to identify people at risk of becoming steroid-resistant.

8 May 2012

Researchers discover CD19 pathway that leads to lymphoma

Researchers studying the molecular signals that drive a specific type of lymphoma have discovered a key biological pathway leading to this type of cancer. Cancerous cells have been described as being "addicted" to certain oncogenes (cancer-causing genes), and the new research may lay the groundwork for breaking that addiction and effectively treating aggressive types of B cell lymphoma.

8 May 2012

Declining biodiversity may contribute to rise in asthma, allergies

Declining biodiversity may be contributing to the rise of asthma, allergies, and other chronic inflammatory diseases among people living in cities worldwide, a Finnish study suggests. Emerging evidence indicates that commensal microbes inhabiting the skin, airway, and gut protect against inflammatory disorders. However, little is known about the environmental determinants of the microbiome.

8 May 2012