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Scientists identify biological pathways that mediate IgA nephropathy

For the first time, researchers have found five regions in the human genome that increase susceptibility to immunoglobulin A nephropathy, a major cause of kidney failure worldwide - systematically identifying those that point to a tendency for IgA nephropathy, or a protection against it.

6 Apr 2011

Milliman Care Guidelines honors Sound Physicians with prestigious award

Sound Physicians, a leading hospitalist organization focused on driving improvements in quality, satisfaction and efficiency of inpatient healthcare delivery, today received the Doyle Award for Innovation and Leadership in Healthcare.

6 Apr 2011

BMJ News reports on S. Africa's HIV prevention, treatment efforts

BMJ News reports on South African Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi's visit to the U.S. last week, where he spoke at a forum in Washington, D.C., on the efforts the government is making to promote HIV prevention and treatment and improve the country's health system. The publication notes that the health ministry has set a goal of testing the HIV status of 15 million people in the country by the end of the year - "nearly a third of its population of 50 million."

6 Apr 2011

Device to treat resistant hypertension lowers blood pressure by 33 points

A device designed to treat people with resistant hypertension helped lower blood pressure by 33 points, a substantial drop that would otherwise require patients to take an additional three or four drugs, on top of this subgroup's usual regimen of up to five drugs, to control their difficult-to-treat condition.

6 Apr 2011

Pervasis' PVS-30200 study data in prostate cancer presented at AACR meeting

Pervasis Therapeutics, Inc. today announced preclinical data showing positive effects of PVS-30200, the company's investigational cell therapy for the treatment of solid tumors, on controlling tumor growth and inhibiting metastases in an animal model of prostate cancer.

6 Apr 2011

Retrovirus XMRV may not be associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in the central nervous system

There has been substantial mystery surrounding the origins of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a condition affecting as many as four million Americans and marked by symptoms that include a sense of weariness that sleep does not improve and difficulty with memory and concentration.

6 Apr 2011

Study finds low multiple birth rates in 15 states that provide insurance coverage for IVF

Faced with the prospect of costly in vitro fertilization but with no help from insurance coverage, some infertile couples feel pressure to transfer multiple embryos in an attempt to ensure that the IVF is a success.

6 Apr 2011

Scientists develop new method to identify factors that suppress cancer gene expression

Tumor suppressor genes normally control the growth of cells, but cancer can spring up when these genes are silenced by certain chemical reactions that modify chromosomes.

6 Apr 2011

State roundup: Report urges Mass. city employees to pay more health costs

Officially, Minnesota doesn't pay for an intensive type of autism therapy. Yet it has -- but only for some families. Two years ago, a single mother in the Twin Cities asked the state Medicaid program to pay for an intensive type of autism therapy for her 2-year-old son. She was turned down. State officials said the treatment -- known as Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA -- is "not now, and never has been,'' a covered service.

6 Apr 2011

Major depression linked to premature aging of immune cells: Study

Certain cases of major depression are associated with premature aging of immune cells, which may make people more susceptible to other serious illness, according to findings from a new UCSF-led study.

6 Apr 2011

Senate plans Tuesday vote on 1099 provision repeal

If the vote occurs according to the schedule, the Senate will likely send President Barack Obama the first piece of legislation officially repealing part of the health law.

6 Apr 2011

VA plans to move its ground-breaking VistA EHR system to open source platform

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced plans to move its ground-breaking VistA electronic health record system to an open source platform.

6 Apr 2011

Lack or loss of SIRT3 protein induces proliferation of breast cancer cells

Research published in the Cancer Cell journal in March was a significant step in knowing the causes of cancer better, especially breast cancer, revealing that the lack or loss of a protein in the cells known as SIRT3, induces the proliferation of this disease and thereby, this protein can be an may be a therapeutic target in the development of effective therapies for cancer. The research was led by Dra. Marcia Haigis of the Harvard Medical School, with the participation of Dr. Arkaitz Carracedo, from the Proteomics Laboratory at CIC bioGUNE.

6 Apr 2011

UT Southwestern gynecologist receives Burroughs Wellcome Fund for premature birth study

A UT Southwestern Medical Center gynecologist is one of five researchers nationwide selected to receive a $600,000 Burroughs Wellcome Fund grant to investigate the biological mechanisms and causes of premature birth.

6 Apr 2011

U.S. biotech company chooses OmniComm's SaaS model for 4 clinical studies

OmniComm Systems, Inc., one of the fastest growing companies in the EDC marketplace, today announced that its TrialMaster suite of applications and IVRS technology has been chosen by a prominent biotechnology company to manage their clinical data management and randomization needs for 4 key clinical trials.

6 Apr 2011

Adipocytes associated with breast cancer could amplify 'aggressive' effect of tumors in obese patients

Apart from its direct effect on health (such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes), obesity is increasingly suspected of playing a role in the prognosis of breast cancer and, in particular, its propensity to spread. However, no direct cause and effect relationship had been demonstrated until now. This breakthrough has finally been made through the collaborative work of two teams of researchers from Inserm, CNRS and the Université Paul Sabatier.

6 Apr 2011

Teenagers with scoliosis can benefit from new generation spine implants

Teenagers who undergo spine fusion for scoliosis using the newest surgical techniques can expect to be doing well 10 years after surgery, according to a Hospital for Special Surgery study published online ahead of print in the TK issue of the journal Spine.

6 Apr 2011

Two reports show drastic increase in opioid prescriptions in America

Two reports by addiction researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the National Institute on Drug Abuse show a drastic shift in prescribing patterns impacting the magnitude of opioid substance abuse in America.

6 Apr 2011

Editorial cautions against estrogen-only hormone therapy after hysterectomy

An editorial in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association cautions against estrogen-only hormone therapy in women who have had a hysterectomy because of longstanding evidence that it raises the risk of breast cancer.

6 Apr 2011

PQM program launches new public medicine database

In the growing global battle against substandard and counterfeit medicines, the Promoting the Quality of Medicines program has launched a new, public database of medicines collected and analyzed in collaboration with stakeholders from countries in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.

6 Apr 2011