Medical News

RSS

Study demonstrates how the intestine maintains 'immune tolerance' under healthy conditions

Imagine a single drug that would treat most, if not all, autoimmune disorders, such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and Lupus. That might not be so hard to do thanks to a team of researchers who have discovered a molecule normally used by the body to prevent unnecessary immune reactions.

30 Sep 2011

State roundup: Mass. doctors not keen on new payment methods

A new survey from the Massachusetts Medical Society reveals interesting divisions among doctors over plans to hold down health care spending -- and perhaps some words of warning for lawmakers. More than half -- 58 percent -- of the 1,100 doctors who responded to the society's survey this year said they would not voluntarily agree to treat patients under so-called global payments.

30 Sep 2011

The 7th annual World Stem Cell Summit takes place in Pasadena, CA

Stem cell research and regenerative medicine has long held the potential to treat serious medical conditions, but only recently has the industry as a whole begun to take shape. What was once confined within the realm of research and academia is now attracting the interest of corporations and philanthropists who are investing large amounts of money into this promising science.

30 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 30, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about how new and old health policy positions are playing on the campaign trail.

30 Sep 2011

Roche inaugurates new clinical supply manufacturing facility in Nutley, N.J.

Roche announced today the opening of a new state-of-the-art clinical supply manufacturing facility on its campus in Nutley, N.J. The Roche Center of Excellence produces dosage forms of highly potent compounds for preclinical safety studies, and Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies.

30 Sep 2011

New targeting approach to develop an active site-directed, drug-like PTP1B inhibitor

The work of a team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) led by Professor Nicholas Tonks FRS, suggests a way to overcome one of the major technical obstacles preventing a leading therapeutic target for diabetes and obesity from being addressed successfully by novel drugs.

30 Sep 2011

Sandata releases new version of Santrax Agency Management

Sandata Technologies, LLC, a leading national provider of information technology solutions to the home care industry, announces the release of our newest version of our Santrax Agency Management operational Home Care technology solution.

30 Sep 2011

Takeda acquires Nycomed

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited ("Takeda", TSE: 4502) announced it has completed its acquisition of Nycomed A/S for 9.6 billion Euro on a cash-free, debt-free basis and made Nycomed a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda effective the same day. Dr. Frank Morich has been named CEO of Nycomed in addition to his current role as Executive Vice President (EVP), International Operations, Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda America Holdings, Inc.

30 Sep 2011

Longer looks: A surgeon examines his professional development

I've been a surgeon for eight years. For the past couple of them, my performance in the operating room has reached a plateau. I'd like to think it's a good thing - I've arrived at my professional peak. But mainly it seems as if I've just stopped getting better. During the first two or three years in practice, your skills seem to improve almost daily. It's not about hand-eye coördination - you have that down halfway through your residency.

30 Sep 2011

Fat-rich 'western diet' fuels cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity

A major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other health- and life-threatening conditions, obesity is epidemic in the United States and other developed nations where it's fueled in large part by excessive consumption of a fat-rich "Western diet."

30 Sep 2011

Hospital readmission rates reflect problem in addressing hospital failures

If you're a Medicare patient admitted to the hospital, the odds are about one in six that you'll end up back in the hospital within a month. And there was very little progress made in reducing that rate between 2004-09.

30 Sep 2011

Free radical peroyxnitrite linked to failure of cytotoxic T-cells to eliminate tumors

Researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and colleagues have found that tumor cell resistance to a specific cancer immunotherapy designed to kill cancer cells can be blamed on a mechanism that involves the production of a free radical peroxynitrite (PNT) that causes resistance to therapeutic cancer-killing cells.

30 Sep 2011

BEN has garnered the White House's support to help fight childhood obesity

Want to double fruit sales in schools? A new Cornell University study shows it is as easy as putting the fruit in a colorful bowl. According to research presented this week at the American Dietetic Association Conference in San Diego, CA by Brian Wansink, Professor at Cornell University, "Moving the fruit increased sales by 104%."

30 Sep 2011

Report on best practices in Phase IV clinical trials

Phase IV clinical research is growing rapidly, meaning expanding budgets for post-marketing research studies. And more of that work is being done by third parties and specialized vendors, according to a new study from Cutting Edge Information.

30 Sep 2011

Estradiol plays an important role in several metabolic diseases

Hormone researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have their sights set on providing long-term treatment options for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases by better understanding estradiol, the most potent naturally occurring estrogen.

30 Sep 2011

UCLA scientists create mouse model for autism

UCLA scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches.

30 Sep 2011

ALK gene discovered by St. Jude scientists associated with FDA approved adult cancer drug

A drug recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of an adult cancer targets a malfunctioning gene discovered more than a decade earlier at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The story highlights how scientific findings from St. Jude can be translated into therapies and tests that in addition to helping children, also help adults.

30 Sep 2011

AnaptysBio awarded DARPA contract extension for additional high affinity thermally stable antibodies

AnaptysBio, Inc., a privately-held therapeutic antibody company, today announced that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has extended its contract with AnaptysBio to generate additional high affinity thermally stable antibodies for biodefense applications. This extension was awarded based upon the successful completion by AnaptysBio of milestones during the first year of the contract.

30 Sep 2011

Loma Linda University's Vision Intervention Program receives Spot screener from PediaVision

PediaVision today announced that Loma Linda University's Vision Intervention Program is the first in the State of California to receive the revolutionary new vision screener from PediaVision called "Spot."

30 Sep 2011

Increased communication needed for TB diagnostics development

In this post on the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog, Madhukar Pai, a professor and tuberculosis (TB) researcher based at McGill University, co-chair of the Stop TB Partnership's New Diagnostics Working Group, and a consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, describes a recent conference on TB diagnostics at St. John's Research Institute in Bangalore, India, that aimed "to stimulate industry interest and investments in TB innovations."

30 Sep 2011