Collagen News and Research

Latest Collagen News and Research

Aching back? cholesterol drug Lovastatin might help

Back pain, a hallmark of degenerative disc disease, sends millions of people to their doctor. In fact, more than 80 percent of patients who undergo spine surgery do so because of disc degeneration.

22 Feb 2009

Inhibiting proteins may prevent cartilage breakdown in arthritis patients

Current arthritis medications can ease the pain, but stopping the progression of the disease requires more aggressive treatments: use of very limited available drugs or surgical intervention.

20 Feb 2009

FDA clears new immune response claim for CryoValve SG pulmonary human heart valve

CryoLife, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a new claim for the CryoValve(R) SG pulmonary human heart valve.

18 Feb 2009

Researchers identify protein that may explain 'healthy' obesity

Mice whose fat cells were allowed to grow larger than fat cells in normal mice developed "healthy" obesity when fed a high-fat diet, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center found in a new study.

2 Feb 2009

Inflammation worsens danger due to atherosclerosis

Current research suggests that inflammation increases the risk of plaque rupture in atherosclerosis.

23 Jan 2009

New understanding on how aging causes broken bones to heal slowly

Researchers have unraveled crucial details of how aging causes broken bones to heal slowly, or not at all, according to study results published today in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.

19 Jan 2009

Osteotech starts trial for DuraTech BioRegeneration Matrix

Osteotech, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a pivotal clinical trial for its DuraTech BioRegeneration Matrix.

7 Jan 2009

Researchers gain new insight into cancer metastasis

Few things are as tiresome as house hunting and moving. Unfortunately, metastatic cancer cells have the relocation process down pat. Tripping nimbly from one abode to another, these migrating cancer cells often prove far more deadly than the original tumor.

5 Jan 2009

Collagen VI protects brain cells against amyloid-beta proteins

Scientists from the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), UCSF, and Stanford have discovered that a certain type of collagen, collagen VI, protects brain cells against amyloid-beta proteins, which are widely thought to cause Alzheimer's disease (AD).

5 Jan 2009

A rigorous method for liver biopsy

Liver biopsy is still considered the gold standard for grading, staging and "stad-ging" the chronic liver disease.

1 Jan 2009

Mechanism behind cardiac scarring discovered

In the aftermath of a heart attack, the body's own defenses may contribute to future heart failure. Authors of a new study believe they have identified a protein that plays an important role in a process that replaces dead heart muscle with stiffening scar tissue. The researchers are hopeful that the findings will lead to the development of new therapies to prevent this damage.

15 Dec 2008

Research aims to reduce scarring from heart attacks

A heart damaged by heart attack is usually broken, at least partially, for good.

14 Dec 2008

Advances in tissue engineering

Some patients wish they had a second skin - for instance because their own skin has been burnt in a severe accident.

10 Dec 2008

Cytori reports benefit of adipose-derived regenerative cells in spinal disc model

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. reported preclinical study results, which demonstrate the potential benefit of adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells (ADRCs) for the treatment of damaged intervertebral discs, evidenced by significantly increased disc tissue density and disc-specific extracellular matrix components at 12-months post treatment in a large animal model.

8 Dec 2008

Stem cells derived from bone marrow may offer novel therapeutic option for epidermolysis bullosa

Stem cells derived from bone marrow may serve as a novel therapeutic option to treat a disease called epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a disorder characterized by extraordinarily fragile skin, according to a study prepublished online in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology.

5 Dec 2008

Study evaluates corneal collagen cross-linking in subjects with progressive keratoconus

Presently keratoconus is treated through eyeglasses, hard contact lenses, and a newer treatment, INTACS plastic rings inserted into the mid layer of the cornea to flatten it, changing the shape and location of the cone.

26 Nov 2008

Innocoll receives fast track designation for Gentamicin surgical implant

Innocoll, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, announced that the FDA has designated Gentamicin surgical implant as a Fast Track development program.

17 Nov 2008

Plastic surgeons warn of malnutrition in body contouring patients

Identifying malnutrition before surgery in massive weight loss patients seeking body contouring will significantly decrease surgical complications, accelerate wound healing, improve scar quality and boost patient energy levels, according to a study in the December issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery ®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

16 Nov 2008

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood may help build new heart valves

Children with heart defects may someday receive perfectly-matched new heart valves built using stem cells from their umbilical cord blood, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008.

11 Nov 2008