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Simple quiz could help doctors determine kidney dialysis patients at risk of death

A simple six-question quiz, typically used to assess disabilities in the elderly, could help doctors determine which kidney dialysis patients of any age are at the greatest risk of death, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

12 Oct 2012

Alverix receives FDA 510(k) clearance for new BD Veritor System kit

Alverix, Inc., a world leader in the design and manufacture of next-generation platforms for diagnostic Point-of-Care (POC) testing, today announced that BD Diagnostics, a segment of Becton Dickinson and Company, a leading global medical technology company, received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for nasopharyngeal wash, aspirate and swab in transport media specimens on the BD VeritorTM System for Rapid Detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

12 Oct 2012

LLS symposium to review latest advances in blood cancer research

A cadre of leading researchers in hematology, oncology, cell biology, and biotechnology are conducting presentations and discussions at this symposium to review the latest advances in blood cancer research.

12 Oct 2012

Children exposed to natural playgrounds tend to be more active

Children who play on playgrounds that incorporate natural elements like logs and flowers tend to be more active than those who play on traditional playgrounds with metal and brightly colored equipment, according to a recent study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

12 Oct 2012

Results from Aldagen’s ALD-401 Phase II trial on ischemic stroke

Early results of a Phase II intra-arterial stem cell trial for ischemic stroke showed no adverse events associated with the first 10 patients, allowing investigators to expand the study to a targeted total of 100 patients.

12 Oct 2012

Two Boston University community members among new MAS Fellows

Two members of the Boston University community are among the new class of Fellows of the Massachusetts Academy of Sciences (MAS).

12 Oct 2012

Clinical study to investigate Cytori's adipose-derived cell therapy in patients with heart failure

Timothy Henry, M.D. of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation treated the first patient in the ATHENA study, injecting the patient's own stem cells into the heart to restore blood flow and help regenerate heart muscle. Henry, the Foundation's Director of Research is co-principal investigator of the ATHENA study sponsored by Cytori Therapeutics.

12 Oct 2012

Regenstrief, IU to work with 19 Indiana nursing facilities to improve quality of care

A multi-million-dollar award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, will enable Indiana University and Regenstrief Institute clinician-researchers to work with 19 central Indiana nursing facilities to improve the quality of care, reduce hospitalizations and increase access to palliative care for long-stay nursing facility residents.

12 Oct 2012

Nelfinavir slows progress of HER2-positive tumor cells

After screening more than 2,300 drugs for their ability to halt the growth of breast cancer cells, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that the anti-HIV drug nelfinavir slows the progress of HER2-positive tumor cells, even if they are resistant to other breast cancer drugs.

12 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Does the GOP plan fix a 'broken' Medicaid system or harm it?; Romney's confusion on abortion

Medicaid, America's safety-net program for more than 62 million low-income uninsured Americans, is broken. ... The best hope for Medicaid reforms that can improve care for low-income enrollees, reduce fraud, and put the program on a sustainable trajectory is to cap federal spending to the states by using block grants.

12 Oct 2012

Concordia researcher investigates cross-gender behavior in children

In exercise books, sports line-ups, or in the simple act of going to the bathroom, school children have to answer the seemingly simple question, "are you a boy or a girl?" For Canadian school kids who exhibit cross-gender behaviour or presentation, this question is not only limiting, it's the source of angst.

12 Oct 2012

Protocol allows researchers to generate functional thyroid tissue from stem cells

The generation of functional thyroid tissue from stem cells could allow the treatment of patients, which suffer from thyroid hormone deficiency due to defective function, or abnormal development of the thyroid gland.

12 Oct 2012

T cells become more responsive in cancer survivors after exercise

Researchers may soon be able to add yet another item to the list of exercise's well-documented health benefits: A preliminary study suggests that when cancer survivors exercise for several weeks after they finish chemotherapy, their immune systems remodel themselves to become more effective, potentially fending off future incidences of cancer.

12 Oct 2012

Brain scans can identify reading skills of children

If a 7-year-old is breezing through the "Harry Potter" books, studies indicate that he or she will be a strong reader later in life. Conversely, if a 7-year-old is struggling with "The Cat in the Hat," that child will most likely struggle with reading going forward.

12 Oct 2012

In debates and ads, House and Senate candidates face off on women's health, Medicare and health law issues

Elizabeth Warren and Senator Scott P. Brown kept the pressure on each other throughout a feisty, hourlong debate here Wednesday night. … Asked where he would cut the government, Mr. Brown cited President Obama's health care law, which, he said, was crushing Massachusetts businesses. He said the law would remove $700 billion from Medicare, an assertion that Mr. Romney made in last week's presidential debate.

12 Oct 2012

AACR conference to focus on scientific and lifestyle strategies for cancer prevention

The American Association for Cancer Research will host the 11th Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research at the Hilton Anaheim from Oct. 16-19, 2012.

12 Oct 2012

NRG1 gene plays an important role in cannabis dependence

A paper by Shizhong Han and colleagues in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry implicates a new gene in the risk for cannabis dependence. This gene, NRG1, codes for the ErbB4 receptor, a protein implicated in synaptic development and function.

12 Oct 2012

Dana-Farber expert offers tips to reduce risk of breast cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. This year, nearly 40,000 women in the United States will die from the disease.

12 Oct 2012

Top-line results from Pfizer’s ALO-02 Phase 3 study on chronic non-cancer pain

Pfizer Inc. announced top-line results today from a Phase 3 open-label long-term safety study of investigational agent ALO-02 (oxycodone hydrochloride and naltrexone hydrochloride extended-release capsules) in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic, non-cancer pain.

12 Oct 2012

First picture of interaction between leptin and its receptor

Researchers at the University of Michigan have determined how the hormone leptin, an important regulator of metabolism and body weight, interacts with a key receptor in the brain.

12 Oct 2012