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Breast-reconstruction procedure can preserve mammary artery for future cardiac surgery

Doctors at Johns Hopkins have shown that during an increasingly popular type of breast-reconstruction surgery, they can safely preserve the internal mammary artery, in case it is needed for future cardiac surgery.

13 Oct 2011

AANEM Foundation strengthens and expands research initiatives

The AANEM Foundation for Research and Education has strengthened and expanded its research initiatives. It now will fund one $500,000 grant (up to $100,000 per year for 5 years).

13 Oct 2011

October is designated as Lewy Body Dementia month

The month of October is designated as Lewy Body Dementia month. Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a degenerative brain disease that progressively impairs thinking and movement, while impacting behavior and sleep. Although it affects an estimated 1.3 million people in the U.S., LBD is under-recognized, under-diagnosed and under-treated. It is most often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

13 Oct 2011

VOA News examines how a public-private partnership will combat cancer among women in the developing world

This VOA News editorial examines how a public-private partnership between PEPFAR, the George W. Bush Institute, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, as well as private sector partners will launch a program called Pink Ribbon, Red Ribbon to "combat cervical and breast cancer for women in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America."

13 Oct 2011

USPTO issues patent to Rexahn's new anti-cancer arylisoquinolinamine compounds

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company commercializing potential best in class oncology and CNS therapeutics, today announced that the United States Patent & Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 8,034,829 to Rexahn, entitled "5, 6, or 7-Substituted-3-(hetero) arylisoquinolinamine derivatives and therapeutic use thereof."

13 Oct 2011

Raw fruits and veggies may offset genetic risk for heart disease: Study

In a new study a team of researchers looked at the genotypes of 27,243 people from two separate studies to see if they had a certain gene variant. Earlier studies including a 2010 meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. found that the 9p21 gene is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease.

13 Oct 2011

Hippocampus plays an active role in suppressing pain during times of stress

New findings about how the brain functions to suppress pain have been published in the leading journal Pain, by NUI Galway researchers. For the first time, it has been shown that the hippocampus of the brain, which is usually associated with memory, has an active role to play in suppressing pain during times of stress.

13 Oct 2011

Roche launches LightCycler Nano real-time PCR system in the U.S.

Roche announced today the U.S. launch of the latest addition to the company's real-time PCR portfolio of LightCycler instruments for use in research, the LightCycler Nano real-time PCR system.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 13 Oct 2011

High dose vitamin E supplements may raise risk of prostate cancer: Study

The chances of developing the disease rose by 17 per cent, even years after men stopped taking the vitamin, claim researchers. This comes right after the study which found women taking multivitamins and other supplements have an increased risk of dying.

13 Oct 2011

FDA grant to foster development of novel pediatric medical devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded the Georgia Institute of Technology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University and Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute (SJTRI) a two-year, $1.8 million grant to foster the development of medical devices focused on the special needs of children.

13 Oct 2011

Genetic mystery of bacterium causing ‘Black Death’ revealed

Between 1347 and 1351 - a period of just five years, Europe's Black Death wiped out about 30 million people - 30 to 50% of the population on the continent. Now geneticists have reconstructed the genome of the bacterium that caused the plague. It is found to be an ancient strain of a bacterium called Yersinia pestis very similar to the strain the exists today.

13 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: Screening for prostate cancer, stem cell research and free coverage for Iowa lawmakers

As a practicing internist, I need all the help I can get in diagnosing the many diseases that threaten the life and well-being of my patients. So perhaps you'll understand why I'm angered by the reckless new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (a panel of primary care experts) that I don't use the prostate-specific antigen to screen men older than 40 for prostate cancer.

13 Oct 2011

Exercise programme prevents falls in people with Parkinson's

A study carried out by the Primary Care Research Group at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and NIHR PenCLAHRC, has analysed the results of an exercise programme to prevent falls in those with Parkinson's disease.

13 Oct 2011

Skin cell to liver cell shows promise for genetic liver disease

In a new scientific breakthrough, researchers have taken skin cells from a patient with liver disease and turned them into replacement liver cells. Although the procedure is years before it can be used in humans, but if approved, it could launch a new era of personalized therapies for serious genetic disorders.

13 Oct 2011

Scientists sequence complete genome of naked mole rat

Scientists have sequenced the complete genome of the naked mole rat, a pivotal step to understanding the animal's extraordinarily long life and good health. A colony of more than 2,000 naked mole rats at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio contributed to the findings, published today in the journal Nature.

13 Oct 2011

Estrogen may prevent strokes in premature or early menopausal women

Estrogen may prevent strokes in premature or early menopausal women, Mayo Clinic researchers say. Their findings challenge the conventional wisdom that estrogen is a risk factor for stroke at all ages.

13 Oct 2011

Teenage condom use on the rise: CDC report

A federal survey revealed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday shows that sexually active teenagers are using condoms more often, but inconsistently.

13 Oct 2011

NanoString introduces nCounter Analysis System

NanoString Technologies, Inc., a privately held provider of life science tools for translational research and developer of molecular diagnostics, today announced the launch of its second generation nCounter Analysis System.

From NanoString Technologies 13 Oct 2011

Exhibit in Atlanta's Museum of Design charts history of AIDS epidemic through posters used in awareness campaigns

On October 2, the Museum of Design Atlanta opened an exhibit called "Graphic Intervention: 25 Years of International AIDS Awareness Posters 1985-2010," which charts the history of the global AIDS epidemic "and how it has affected and continues to shape modern culture, through the posters that helped bring awareness to the world," Lauren Meir, a writer for MutualArt, reports in a post in the Huffington Post's "Arts" blog.

13 Oct 2011

USPTO issues patent to Oragenics' In Vivo Induced Antigen Technology

Florida-based nutraceutical company, Oragenics, Inc., announced today the issuance of patent number 8,034,571 from the United States Patent and Trademark office for In Vivo Induced Antigen Technology.

13 Oct 2011