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New clinical trial to evaluate HSP90 inhibitor plus hormonal therapy for breast cancer

Pushed to the brink of survival, the hyper-driven cells of a cancerous tumor tap into an ancient system that has helped organisms cope with internal stresses and environmental challenges since life began. As an integral part of this system, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) has been shown to help malignant cells accommodate the genetic changes and profound disturbances in normal biology that occur in cancers.

23 May 2012

VCU Center on Health Disparities to research into preterm birth

The Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Health Disparities has been awarded a five-year grant renewal totaling $6.2 million from the National Institute of Health's Institute on Minority Health Disparities for research, research training and community outreach in the area of preterm birth.

23 May 2012

Nighttime intensivists can improve ICU patient outcomes

Intensive care units (ICUs) that have no or limited access to critical care doctors during the day can improve patient outcomes by having the specialists, called intensivists, staff the unit at night, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC.

23 May 2012

Proper care of diabetic foot infections can save limbs, lives

Diabetic foot infections are an increasingly common problem, but proper care can save limbs and, ultimately, lives, suggest new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

23 May 2012

Scientists identify key mechanism in development of Alzheimer's

New research by scientists at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) demonstrates how dying or damaged brain cells release debris into the bloodstream and give rise to specific autoantibodies that appear to be reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

23 May 2012

Federal task force recommends dropping routine prostate cancer test

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force finds scant evidence that the PSA blood test saves lives and instead says unneeded treatment leads to serious problems, including impotence and incontinence.

23 May 2012

New BAP guidelines target treatment of substance abuse, addiction

The British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) has released fresh guidelines on the best methods to treat substance abuse and addiction in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, published by SAGE.

23 May 2012

U.S. to provide $30M in assistance through USAID to World Food Programme for South Sudan

The U.S. Government, through USAID, is providing $30 million in emergency assistance to people affected by conflict and food insecurity in South Sudan, United Press International reports.

23 May 2012

Article examines reasons why people are so reluctant to give up PSA test

The uproar that began last year when the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stated that doctors should no longer offer regular prostate-cancer tests to healthy men continued this week when the task force released their final report. Overall, they stuck to their guns, stating that a blood test commonly used to screen for prostate cancer, the PSA test, causes more harm than good - it leads men to receive unnecessary, and sometimes even dangerous, treatments.

23 May 2012

Tavenner confirmation hearing not in the Senate's plans

The Wall Street Journal reports that, after months of speculation, Senate Democrats have indicated they aren't planning a confirmation hearing for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services acting administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

23 May 2012

Scientists determine genetic sequences of all 12 vancomycin-resistant staph strains

National Institutes of Health-funded scientists have determined the genetic sequences of all 12 available strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria resistant to vancomycin-an antibiotic of last resort-and have demonstrated that resistance arose independently in each strain after it acquired a specific bit of genetic material called transposon Tn1546

23 May 2012

Billion-dollar Davita deal highlights movement toward mergers, accountable care organizations

This particular deal, in which DaVita will acquire HealthCare Partners, will enable the dialysis services provider to offer a more integrated group of services that fall under the ACO model that the government is trying to encourage.

23 May 2012

Mimotopes can help develop new diagnostic tests for sleeping sickness

Each year many thousands of Africans contract sleeping sickness. The cause is a unicellular parasite, a trypanosome, which is transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies. First the parasite multiplies in blood and lymph, while evading the human immune system. It then lodges in organs like heart and kidneys and finally in the brain. Patients become disoriented, their sleeping pattern disintegrates and they get motor and mental problems.

23 May 2012

Progress report on health law's risk adjustment rule; Status check on state-based exchanges

News outlets offer updates regarding state progress related to developing the health law's insurance exchanges, the timing for risk adjustment rules and the release of the final federal rule on the health insurance premium tax credit.

23 May 2012

Scientists trace origin and development of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus

National Institutes of Health-funded scientists have determined the genome sequences of a dozen strains of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria known to be resistant to vancomycin, an antibiotic of last resort. The researchers demonstrated -that resistance arose independently in each strain, and identified shared features among the strains that may have helped them acquire vancomycin resistance and evade human immune defenses.

23 May 2012

The details of direct primary care

The New York Times examines the emergence of direct primary care in the health care marketplace and links this concept back to concierge medicine. In a separate New York Times story, one health industry expert offers his take on how to control costs while improving access to care -- it comes down to thinking like an investor.

23 May 2012

HVTN opens enrollment in GeoVax’s GM-CSF adjuvanted vaccine Phase 1 trial for HIV

GeoVax Labs, Inc., an Atlanta-based biopharmaceutical firm developing vaccines to prevent and fight Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections, today announced that the NIH-funded HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) has opened enrollment for a Phase 1 trial for the company's second-generation HIV vaccine.

23 May 2012

Fake, substandard malaria drugs threatening gains made in fight against disease, NIH study warns

"Low-quality and fake anti-malarial drugs flooding into markets in Asia and Africa are driving drug resistance and threatening gains made in the fight against the disease in the past decade, according to a study" conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published Monday in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, Reuters reports.

23 May 2012

Researchers identify genetic marker linked with smoking quantity in African Americans

In a step toward understanding possible genetic differences in smoking behaviors, a team of researchers co-led by SRI International has identified a genetic marker associated with smoking quantity in people of African ancestry.

23 May 2012

Congress weighs change in survey for Medicaid payments; Expansion of Colo. program slower than expected

Also in state Medicaid news is a report on a proposal to cut Illinois' costs and the controversy over funding in Minnesota's program.

23 May 2012

Medical News

New clinical trial to evaluate HSP90 inhibitor plus hormonal therapy for breast cancer

VCU Center on Health Disparities to research into preterm birth

Nighttime intensivists can improve ICU patient outcomes

Proper care of diabetic foot infections can save limbs, lives

Scientists identify key mechanism in development of Alzheimer's

Federal task force recommends dropping routine prostate cancer test

New BAP guidelines target treatment of substance abuse, addiction

U.S. to provide $30M in assistance through USAID to World Food Programme for South Sudan

Article examines reasons why people are so reluctant to give up PSA test

Tavenner confirmation hearing not in the Senate's plans

Scientists determine genetic sequences of all 12 vancomycin-resistant staph strains

Billion-dollar Davita deal highlights movement toward mergers, accountable care organizations

Mimotopes can help develop new diagnostic tests for sleeping sickness

Progress report on health law's risk adjustment rule; Status check on state-based exchanges

Scientists trace origin and development of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus

The details of direct primary care

HVTN opens enrollment in GeoVax’s GM-CSF adjuvanted vaccine Phase 1 trial for HIV

Fake, substandard malaria drugs threatening gains made in fight against disease, NIH study warns

Researchers identify genetic marker linked with smoking quantity in African Americans

Congress weighs change in survey for Medicaid payments; Expansion of Colo. program slower than expected

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Dr. Anthony Grice

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